In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen
Though many times they've seen the way to leave
He rides majestic
Past homes of men
Who care not or gaze with joy
To see reflected there
The trees, the sky, the lily fair
The scene of death is lying just below
The mountain cuts off the town from view
Like a cancer growth is removed by skill
Let it be revealed
A waterfall, his madrigal
An inland sea, his symphony
Undinal songs
Urge the sailors on
'Til lured by the sirens' cry
Now as the river dissolves in sea
So Neptune has claimed another soul
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen
Until the shepherd leads his flock away
The sands of time were eroded by
The river of constant change
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down long before
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen
Though many times they've seen the way to leave
He rides majestic
Past homes of men
Who care not or gaze with joy
To see reflected there
The trees, the sky, the lily fair
The scene of death is lying just below
The mountain cuts off the town from view
Like a cancer growth is removed by skill
Let it be revealed
A waterfall, his madrigal
An inland sea, his symphony
Undinal songs
Urge the sailors on
'Til lured by the sirens' cry
Now as the river dissolves in sea
So Neptune has claimed another soul
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen
Until the shepherd leads his flock away
The sands of time were eroded by
The river of constant change
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Firth Of Fifth Lyrics as written by Mike Rutherford Anthony Banks
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of the great Genesis songs, but the title is obviously a (weak) pun on the Firth of Forth.
The music is largely Tony Banks' work, and the lyrics were him and Mike Rutherford, although apparently he later said they were some of the worst lyrics he had ever been involved with!
The imagery is all watery. "He" in the second verse is a river, who flows past men's homes, but they don't even notice his beauty or power. A waterfall is the river's "madrigal" - a short song for 2-3 vocals - while an inland sea is "his" greatest achievement - a symphony.
Undines were water nymphs, while the Sirens were bird-women who lured sailors to their death. They seem to be inserted somewhat randomly to keep up the watery feel.
When the river enters the sea, Neptune (the God of the Sea) has claimed his "soul".
The stuff about gods, men and sheep? No idea. Perhaps the suggestion is that, unlike the river which carves its own majestic path to its destiny, men are like sheep - standing uselessly by until someone shows them the way to go? Oh dear, I've gone all pretentious. Sorry...
Anyway, Steve Hackett's solo is absolutely brilliant - his best work ever?
@darlomunday I can't help but have feelings during that guitar solo. It's something else.
According to the Wikipedia a 'firth' is a Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. It is usually a large sea bay, which may be part of an estuary, or just an inlet, or even a strait. One of the firths mentioned there is the Firth of Forth.
Without ever having been there, I reckon that this songs describes a (perphaps fictitious) similar landscape. There may also be religious thoughts embodied in the text, but I haven't worked that angle out yet.
For some reason ive always assumed that the fifth mentioned in the title refers to a musical interval, the mmost essential musical interval 5 steps in a scale, or seven semitones.
i geuss combining this with the firth thing, the ditty is about a place where music meats the sea.
also on the musical note, the first and the fifth are two notes that put together make the basics for most chords. firth sounds alot like first; when i first read it i assumed it was a misprint
This song is just astonishing!!!! one of the best songs I have heard... I think the "The mountain cuts off the town from view..." part is about how human kind destroys nature carelessly for unnecessery things (such as good view...)
Moving along on the flow of the astonishing crescendos of music crashing on the shoreline of lyrics. Seagulls flying overhead, then you dive into the sea to meet the cacophony of life swimming there. Dolphins playing majestically in the chorus of the waves.
I have no idea of the original intention, but I do not want to know - the vast open sea matches the music in my mind - something to get lost in & forget normality
Without a doubt the best parts of this song are Gabriel's flute solo and the guitar solo towards the end; so much emotion.
Btw, check out this song on some good headphones, it's really quite incredible. Ooooh.. goosebumps.
I consider this song to one of the best, if no the best, Genesis song. Or better: composition. The recently released Genesis-collection contains a technically improved remix that greatly enhances the musical experience.
Further to WilliamL = the Firth Of Forth is a well known Firth in Scotland. There is a well known bidge that spans the Forth - The Forth Bridge - which culminates in a well known British saying about a never ending job being like painting the Forth bridge, once finished, you start again immediately, so never really complete it