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WanderingLogician 
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Joined: October 01 2012
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 Topic: Stumbled across a Genesis influence
Posted: February 23 2013 at 06:42 |
I was on Wikipedia and noticed that John Keats wrote a poem called Lamia. Uses a lot of the same imagery Peter Gabriel uses so I guess it definitely influenced the writing of the song. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2490/2490-h/2490-h.htm That's one of my favorite songs on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, so it was pretty interesting and I thought I'd share it. 
Edited by WanderingLogician - February 23 2013 at 06:42
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Snow Dog
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 07:44 |
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Well the Lamia are not a Gabriel invention. But neither are any of the Genesis tracks using mythology.
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richardh
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Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 29130
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 10:12 |
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I think a little known book called The Bible also had some influence on them
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Ajay
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Joined: February 01 2013
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 10:52 |
 WanderingLogician wrote:
I was on Wikipedia and noticed that John Keats wrote a poem called Lamia. Uses a lot of the same imagery Peter Gabriel uses so I guess it definitely influenced the writing of the song.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2490/2490-h/2490-h.htm
That's one of my favorite songs on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, so it was pretty interesting and I thought I'd share it.
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Well-spotted! I studied Keats years ago and never made the connection. Yes, now that you mention it, Gabriel's image of the lamia does seem to borrow from Keats. The Lamia is one of my favourite songs from The Lamb, too. 
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Gerinski
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Joined: February 10 2010
Location: Barcelona Spain
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 11:20 |
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That's alright but the sources of inspiration for the Lamia theme go so far into ancient Greek mythology that the connection to Keat's poems becomes circumstantial.
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lazland
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Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
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Points: 13769
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 13:08 |
richardh wrote:
I think a little known book called The Bible also had some influence on them |
Quick. Alert the atheist thread! 
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Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time!
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jude111
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Joined: October 20 2009
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 13:55 |
Gerinski wrote:
That's alright but the sources of inspiration for the Lamia theme go so far into ancient Greek mythology that the connection to Keat's poems becomes circumstantial. |
Did Gabriel do that much research before writing that tune? Now that's taking the pop songwriting craft pretty pretty far. I highly doubt it, though. Not unless he studied ancient Greek and did a PhD in between changing costumes. Seems very plausible - make that highly probable - that a Keats poem was the primary source. But then what do I know... I've been studying medieval Arabic for 30 years so I can read the complete works of al-Abu Swahib in the original text, so that I can write a 4 minute pop tune. My musical career has been temporarily placed on hold (since the age of 13) till I'm ready to write that song. (After that, for my second song, I'm thinking of basing it on Bakhtin's theories of language, ideology and power. But first I'll have to learn Russian.)
Edited by jude111 - February 23 2013 at 14:06
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 16:15 |
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Also that 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' bit came from someone else (I don't recall who....)........
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iluvmarillion
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Joined: February 09 2010
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 16:25 |
Tom Ozric wrote:
Also that 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' bit came from someone else (I don't recall who....)........ |
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ProgBob
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Joined: April 02 2006
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 202
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 16:42 |
jude111 wrote:
Gerinski wrote:
That's alright but the sources of inspiration for the Lamia theme go so far into ancient Greek mythology that the connection to Keat's poems becomes circumstantial. |
Did Gabriel do that much research before writing that tune? Now that's taking the pop songwriting craft pretty pretty far. I highly doubt it, though. Not unless he studied ancient Greek and did a PhD in between changing costumes. ...
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Peter Gabriel was educated at an exclusive public (i.e. private) school and so almost certainly would have been well versed in classical languages and literature.
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Bob
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WanderingLogician
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Joined: October 01 2012
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 16:45 |
Snow Dog wrote:
Well the Lamia are not a Gabriel invention. But neither are any of the Genesis tracks using mythology. |
I consider myself fairly well educated, but I had never heard of Lamia before so I assumed they were a Gabriel creation. Which is why I found the Keats thing so interesting. Also, I just found out that squonks aren't original to Genesis either. This is completely wrecking my faith in Genesis' creativity. They might as well have been lip syncing! 
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Snow Dog
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 16:49 |
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Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2005
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 18:43 |
True or False ?? 
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SquonkHunter
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Joined: January 22 2013
Location: Texas, by God!
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 19:48 |
Absolutely true! 
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"You never had the things you thought you should have had and you'll not get them now..."
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Atavachron
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Joined: September 30 2006
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 19:54 |
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now you know how Hawkwind fans felt when they realized "quark" is a real word too
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The Willow Farmer
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Joined: February 04 2011
Location: USA
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Points: 112
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 20:02 |
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Wait, is the the hogweed original to Genesis?
Edited by The Willow Farmer - February 23 2013 at 20:02
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Recent Music Acquisitions:
Johnny Marr-"The Messenger"
Steven Wilson-"The Raven that Refused to Sing"
Fish-"Sunsets on Empire"
Riverside-"Shrine of New Generation Slaves"
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Atavachron
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 20:05 |
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^ no-- it really was a rampant weed in England
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cstack3
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 22:20 |
Ajay wrote:
WanderingLogician wrote:
I was on Wikipedia and noticed that John Keats wrote a poem called Lamia. Uses a lot of the same imagery Peter Gabriel uses so I guess it definitely influenced the writing of the song.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2490/2490-h/2490-h.htm
That's one of my favorite songs on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, so it was pretty interesting and I thought I'd share it.
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Well-spotted! I studied Keats years ago and never made the connection. Yes, now that you mention it, Gabriel's image of the lamia does seem to borrow from Keats.
The Lamia is one of my favourite songs from The Lamb, too.
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I'm sure that this stuff was the inspiration for many of the Brit rock lyricists in the 70's! Freddie Mercury's "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke" for example:
He's a fairy feller
Ah ah the fairy folk have gathered
Round the new moon's shine
To see the feller crack a nut
At night's noon time
To swing his axe he swears
As he climbs he dares
To deliver the master stroke
Ploughman wagoner will' and types
Politician with senatorial pipe
He's a dilly dally oh
Pedagogue squinting wears a frown
And a satyr peers under lady's gown
He's a dirty fellow
What a dirty laddie-oh
etc. etc.
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Ajay
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Joined: February 01 2013
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 221
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Posted: February 23 2013 at 23:39 |
Gerinski wrote:
That's alright but the sources of inspiration for the Lamia theme go so far into ancient Greek mythology that the connection to Keat's poems becomes circumstantial. |
Yes, the lamia predates Keats. Keats's image of the lamia, though, differs from the traditional while showing similarities to Gabriel's.
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Tom Ozric
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15926
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Posted: February 24 2013 at 02:25 |
SquonkHunter wrote:
Absolutely true! |
...just a pool of bubbles and tears...
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Stumbled across a Genesis influence
