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Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 16:12
The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 
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JD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 16:13
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 
Neal Morse sings about his imaginary friend a lot. Similar to fairies and elves to me.   
LOLLOL   Classic, Richard Dawkins would be proud of you for that one !


Edited by JD - September 17 2023 at 16:13
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 17:43
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

Yeah, that one always struck me as pretty damn bad!!  LOL

He could have used "puff adder" (One of the most widespread venomous snakes, puff adders are native to Africa and parts of the Saudi Arabian peninsula),  "bladder,"  "fatter" (certainly applied to Greg Lake) and so forth.  Those all would have been better than "ladder." 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:05
Rush (both from the song territories with the last one from the Manhatten project):

Best: "A whole wide world an endless universe yet we keep looking through the eye glass in reverse. Don't feed the people but we feed the machines. Can't really say what international means.

Worst (and from the same song): "Better people better food better beer."

Also from same album:  "All the brightest boys to play with the biggest toys."


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 17 2023 at 18:08
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AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:07
The ELP ladder thing has some other deeper significance. I don't remember the details but if you google it it might pop up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Frets N Worries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:15
Pink Floyd:
Worst: I though I though of everything

Best: just the entirety of 'Time'
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mathman0806 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:42
I often don't pay much attention to lyrics, but the good lyrics quoted for Rush do stand out. I like the lyrics from Between the Wheels:

You know how that rabbit feels
Going under your speeding wheels
Bright images flashing by
Like windshields towards a fly
Frozen in the fatal climb
But the wheels of time
Just pass you by
Wheels can take you around
Wheels can cut you down

And I have a hard time with the lyrics in Dog Years:

In the dog days
People look to Sirius
Dogs cry for the moon
But those connections are mysterious

It seems to me
While it's true that every dog will have his day
When all the bones are buried
There is barely time to go outside and play

Dog years, it's the season of the itch
Dog years, with every scratch it reappears
Dog years, for every sad son of a bitch
Dog years, with his tail between his ears

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote I prophesy disaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 19:12
Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 


Because nothing screams Prog as much as Blind Guardian.

Prog, and I think Prog fans, have often been very associated with the fantasy genre generally by people. So you have things like Uriah Heep's Demons and Wizards, Hawkwind music, numerous references to Lord of The Rings (Camel with Nimrodel..., Rush with Rivendell...).

I heard someone once ask something like, "As you like Prog, does that men you are also into Dungeons & Dragons?" I think it's broad fantasy stereotype associated with Prog, and with kinds of heavy rock and power metal.... And I think the cape and costumes add to that fantasy image.
 
Even Van der Graaf Generator had "Necromancer". Actually, I find the association of prog with fantasy somewhat off-putting, though I'm ok with science fiction in prog.
 



Edited by I prophesy disaster - September 17 2023 at 19:16
No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
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cstack3 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 19:29
Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 


Because nothing screams Prog as much as Blind Guardian.

Prog, and I think Prog fans, have often been very associated with the fantasy genre generally by people. So you have things like Uriah Heep's Demons and Wizards, Hawkwind music, numerous references to Lord of The Rings (Camel with Nimrodel..., Rush with Rivendell...).

I heard someone once ask something like, "As you like Prog, does that men you are also into Dungeons & Dragons?" I think it's broad fantasy stereotype associated with Prog, and with kinds of heavy rock and power metal.... And I think the cape and costumes add to that fantasy image.
 
Even Van der Graaf Generator had "Necromancer". Actually, I find the association of prog with fantasy somewhat off-putting, though I'm ok with science fiction in prog.
 

There is quite a bit in prog-related - Queen's "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke," Uriah Heep's "Wizard" etc. 

However, the lyrics of Yes, King Crimson and Genesis, although fanciful, do not go down the rabbit hole of fantasy in the form of Dungeons & Dragons etc.   Beats the hell out of me how that started!!  
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Hugh Manatee View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hugh Manatee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 21:30
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

Yeah, the backstory to those lyrics is better than the lyric itself, and it wasn't so bad as to prevent them naming a whole tour after them.

Personally I cringe when I hear:

"How did he lose
Six Million Jews."

As for "Lucky Man", Lake wrote those lyrics when he was 12 and it was nothing more than a filler to begin with. It was only the magnificent first take moog solo at the end that lifts it above mediocre (and if I'm not mistaken, it is probably ELPs best known/ most popular song).

Yes, Lakes lyrics have always been somewhat soft around the edges, however the debut does feature Lakes best lyrics (IMHO) with both "Take a Pebble" and "Knife Edge".
I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas
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I prophesy disaster View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote I prophesy disaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2023 at 21:55
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Personally I cringe when I hear:

"How did he lose
Six Million Jews."
 
I'm a little curious as to specifically why... that whole track is very anti-religious.
 
 
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

As for "Lucky Man", Lake wrote those lyrics when he was 12 and it was nothing more than a filler to begin with. It was only the magnificent first take moog solo at the end that lifts it above mediocre (and if I'm not mistaken, it is probably ELPs best known/ most popular song).
 
In Australia (at least), ELP's version of "Fanfare for the Common Man" became synonymous with sporting events for decades following the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
 
On television, I sometimes hear parts of "Karn Evil 9" played in shows set in the '70s.
 

No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Deadwing Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 02:22
Worst, Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet - "An xbox is a god to me", etc
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Criswell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 07:35

IMO, any lyrics Dave Cousins (Strawbs) writes are a cut above most anything else out there.

There are so many awful Prog Rock lyrics that I don’t know where to start.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 12:50
Originally posted by Criswell Criswell wrote:

IMO, any lyrics Dave Cousins (Strawbs) writes are a cut above most anything else out there.

There are so many awful Prog Rock lyrics that I don’t know where to start.


I agree completely!  

I also enjoy Jon Anderson's gibberish, songs like "To Be Over" have moved me greatly.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote altered_beast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 18:20
Being a tiger means your mate when overfed
will defecate in places least expected.
Jethro Tull-Tiger Tune

Not sure whether to say it’s best or worst. To each his own I guess. Nothing like some warped potty humor from Jethro Tull.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 21:11
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

“Somebody get me a ladder” refers to hitting rock bottom and wanting help to climb out.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 21:18
- not a terrible lyric, its more the ''even though your flesh has crystallized'' bit I don't like personally and in general its just very heavy handed. For me most of Lake's best lyrics are on Trilogy including the excellent From The Beginning especially showed that he could write a great lyric as well as the pseudo hymn The Endless Enigma. I also enjoy the romanticism of Trilogy a lot. However as good as they tracks were on the album, ELP though struggled to get these songs across live and so I think a more theatric approach beckoned. Context is important here.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hugh Manatee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 22:43
Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Personally I cringe when I hear:

"How did he lose
Six Million Jews."

 
 
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

As for "Lucky Man", Lake wrote those lyrics when he was 12 and it was nothing more than a filler to begin with. It was only the magnificent first take moog solo at the end that lifts it above mediocre (and if I'm not mistaken, it is probably ELPs best known/ most popular song).
 
In Australia (at least), ELP's version of "Fanfare for the Common Man" became synonymous with sporting events for decades following the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
 
On television, I sometimes hear parts of "Karn Evil 9" played in shows set in the '70s.
 


Sure, I'm an Aussie to, but I wonder how many people even knew who "Fanfare..." was by, let alone listen to the whole track from beginning to end.

...and "Lucky Man" was featured on "The Simpsons".

For me, those lines from (Hymn) just seem to trivialize what it's trying to address. A simplistic take on an extremely complex situation.

Why not attack this god for the total 60 million people estimated to have died during that particular conflict?


Edited by Hugh Manatee - September 18 2023 at 22:56
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hugh Manatee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 22:56
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

“Somebody get me a ladder” refers to hitting rock bottom and wanting help to climb out.



That ladder line refers to just how crazy the whole ELP stage experience had become. It references Emersons continued escalation in showman ship, specifically when Emerson had his keyboard rig lifted off the stage, at one point failing and leaving Emerson stranded in mid air, a situation which facilitated Emerson calling out for the aforementioned piece of climbing equipment.

The song itself is Lake addressing his audience, saying that no matter the madness, it was all worth it for the crowd reaction.



Edited by Hugh Manatee - September 18 2023 at 22:58
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2023 at 23:33
^ I thought they could not find a better rhyme for "sadder". Big smileLOL
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