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Topic ClosedThe most clever thing you've heard in prog lyrics

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dennismoore View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 10:37
oh boy, way too many poignant lyrics, how bout pretty much everything penned by Neil Peart?

this comes to mind, in light of my country's current rise of religious fanaticism since 2000....

"He is the God of nothing, if that's all that you can see....
He is the God of everything, he is inside you & me."



"Yeah, people are unhappy about that - but you know what, it's still Yes." - Chris Squire
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 12:08

I absolutely adore the sheer bizarreness of Cardiacs' and Unexpect's lyrics

but af far as clever lyrics go... I don't know... Zappa?

I also find Devon Graves's (Deadsoul Tribe, Psychotic Waltz) lyrics to be very clever. There very poetic and are somewhat full of religious mysticism


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 12:18
Fast and bulbous
That's right, the mascara snake, fast and bulbous.
Also, a tin teardrop
.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 12:22
"And you begin to wonder if the points of all the ancient myths are solemnly directed STRAIGHT!    AT!    YOU!"
I love dogs, I've always loved dogs
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 15:06
King Crimson — Epitaph
Rush — Something for Nothing
Rush — Losing It

prog-related:
Black Sabbath — Heaven and Hell
Queen — Innuendo

And, of course... there's Winston Churchill, dressed in drag, he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 16:28
there are a lot of really insightful lyrics in the Tull albums Thick As A Brick and Aqualung, my favorite lines being

       "They'll teach him to play Monopoly, not to sing in the rain"

         "His cross was rather bloody, and he could hardly roll his stone,
               now Jesus save me"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 18:23
Pink Floyd is a band which lyrics are as strong as the music 

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream? It's alright we told you what to dream
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 18:32
I'm not sure if this is my favourite, but I've always loved the intro of Wind Up - Jethro Tull with just Ian singing and his guitar.
When I was young and they packed me off to school
and taught me how not to play the game,
I didn't mind if they groomed me for success,
or if they said that I was a fool.
So I left there in the morning
with their God tucked underneath my arm --
their half-assed smiles and the book of rules.
So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said -- I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares):
before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers --
I don't believe you:
you had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
Well you can excomunicate me on my way to Sunday school
and have all the bishops harmonize these lines --
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 18:36
Originally posted by Blacksword Blacksword wrote:

I like Peter Hammils lyrics, especially the opening to 'Still Life'

Bob Calvert had some great moments; High Rise, Spirit of the Age spring to mind.

Generally I don't pay too much attention to lyrics unless something very poetic (does that always equate to clever?) grabs me.

Yeah, the opening to Still Life always gets me. So beautiful, melancholic and it just leads to a perfect climax. Peter Hammill is probably my favourite lyricist.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 20:18
Originally posted by VanVanVan VanVanVan wrote:

The line in my sig I thought was pretty insightful.

Pardon me for this question that may sound pretty (for the lack of a better word) "basic" to you, but what's a sig? 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 20:19
Originally posted by ole-the-first ole-the-first wrote:


And, of course... there's Winston Churchill, dressed in drag, he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag!

That was insightful to you Big smile ?


Edited by Dayvenkirq - March 10 2012 at 20:19
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 20:26
Originally posted by dennismoore dennismoore wrote:

oh boy, way too many poignant lyrics, how bout pretty much everything penned by Neil Peart?

this comes to mind, in light of my country's current rise of religious fanaticism since 2000....

"He is the God of nothing, if that's all that you can see....
He is the God of everything, he is inside you & me."




I like that one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 21:36
Originally posted by Fox On The Rocks Fox On The Rocks wrote:

I'm not sure if this is my favourite, but I've always loved the intro of Wind Up - Jethro Tull with just Ian singing and his guitar.
When I was young and they packed me off to school
and taught me how not to play the game,
I didn't mind if they groomed me for success,
or if they said that I was a fool.
So I left there in the morning
with their God tucked underneath my arm --
their half-assed smiles and the book of rules.
So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said -- I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares):
before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers --
I don't believe you:
you had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
Well you can excomunicate me on my way to Sunday school
and have all the bishops harmonize these lines --
^this
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 22:02
Originally posted by Dayvenkirq Dayvenkirq wrote:

Originally posted by VanVanVan VanVanVan wrote:

The line in my sig I thought was pretty insightful.

Pardon me for this question that may sound pretty (for the lack of a better word) "basic" to you, but what's a sig? 
 
It's short for "signature," the short quote, phrase, or picture that you can add to the end of each of your posts.  You can create one of your own in the member control panel.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 23:05
THE X-MACHINES JUST WIPED AWAY ALL LIFE

-Dan Swano
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 23:20
The song is called "A Love Story" by Beardfish.  The first part of the song tells of a couple's unstable relationship, and the conversation they have before she breaks up with him and leaves him.  The last verse (very clever and insightful) is the man frantically trying to get her to stay...

"Oh, Oh, oh I love you so much my darling if you come back to me to shower me when I need that sunshine of a smile on your face. I would, I need, I didn't mean to be such a lazy fool ya I just-I just love you too much. Uh, and if you come back to me, I promise I would take you out to a fancy restaurant with ya and I would, I'll buy. Of course I'll buy. Yeah, I'll bring you flowers everyday and I will DO the dishes. And if you com...you can rest and just relax. I would NEVER beg for sex no. I would never, I would always put you first, you're my number 1 you know that darling, oh baby the love of my life. No, uh there's...no one else. I love you so much that if you don't come back to me I think I'm gonna die!"

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 10 2012 at 23:27
Originally posted by ProgBlog ProgBlog wrote:

The song is called "A Love Story" by Beardfish.  The first part of the song tells of a couple's unstable relationship, and the conversation they have before she breaks up with him and leaves him.  The last verse (very clever and insightful) is the man frantically trying to get her to stay...

"Oh, Oh, oh I love you so much my darling if you come back to me to shower me when I need that sunshine of a smile on your face. I would, I need, I didn't mean to be such a lazy fool ya I just-I just love you too much. Uh, and if you come back to me, I promise I would take you out to a fancy restaurant with ya and I would, I'll buy. Of course I'll buy. Yeah, I'll bring you flowers everyday and I will DO the dishes. And if you com...you can rest and just relax. I would NEVER beg for sex no. I would never, I would always put you first, you're my number 1 you know that darling, oh baby the love of my life. No, uh there's...no one else. I love you so much that if you don't come back to me I think I'm gonna die!"


LOL At first I was reading this with a tone of a desperate guy (think Zappa's "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder"), then I was trying to tie that to what you've said (very clever and insightful) and read the rest with a sarcastic tone. "Yeah, I'll bring you flowers everyday and I will DO the dishes." I think I got the "insight" part.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 11 2012 at 07:17
So many great lyrics-Ian Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, won't get redundant. A favorite of mine is the chorus from Zappa'a "You Are What You Is:" 

Do you know what you are? You are what you is.
You is what you am, a cow don't make ham.
You ain't what your not, so see what you got.
You are what you is and that's all it is.

So many posers and fakes in the world, this hits home for me in a lot of ways.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 11 2012 at 08:25
To me, few lyricists are clever in prose. The must clever things lyrically come from delivery. In that, Gentle Giant's use of RD Laing's poetry in vocal rounds are the finest example.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 11 2012 at 14:05
Originally posted by Gentle Gryphon Gentle Gryphon wrote:

I'll go with KC's Epitaph..Best one I've heard so far..
''Knowledge is a deadly friend,if no one sets the rules..The faith of all mankind I see,is in the hands of fools..''

And some others by Ian, Neil and Peter

Here' s the everlasting rub
Neither am I good nor bad
I've give up my halo for a horn
And my horn for the hat I once had

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that could kill
I will choose a path that's clear - I will choose free will

I have my fears so they do not have me

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