Starless Lyrics
This song is simply about the futility of living. It closed one of the most powerful chapters in progressive rock history and with it closed the most intriguing chapter of King Crimson.
The first verse refers to the brightness of adolescent life, of the demure touch of a beautiful sunny day to spark one's imagination, but the verse reveals that a bright and enthusiastic world does not export its beauty to you. All things that world promised you fade to black and you are lifeless in a sunny world.
The second verse confirms that sadness will extrapolate over all of your desires and dreams, that your life will retain the emptiness and the lack of meaning over time, the bright disingenuity of younger days will never shine on you again
The third verse is the most interesting as it hauntingly describes the poisoning of the soul by which no helping hand or smile could rescind the damage that has been done to you by the world and by time, true hopelessness has ensued.
The chorus of the song is a very interesting metaphor. In the most unequivocal sense it means that your skies have become starless for nothing you will see will ever compel you again - and so it entails that you are stained bible black. Whatever spirituality or happy hopes in the world exist that could have placated you are dead and black, but held habitually by time and empty hope.
Finally the most important verse of all - the one spoken by Robert Fripp. The monotone squeal of his guitar piece that occupies the next 5 or so minutes after the third verse is like the progression of time from months, to years, to decades.
The child who acknowledged the dying of his world has lived a zombie all his life and finally sees the inexorability of his own death in his final hour after an age of emptiness.
The last 3 minutes of the song are powerful but the last minute postulated absolute death. It is the most powerful minute in Rock history and probably a contributor to such events like Kurt Cobain committing suicide, Cobain regarded this album 'Red' as the greatest rock album of all time...
...When that last minute hits you, you finally taste the pathos of the character described in the song, because you see that character to be you. You see your own death, and the worthlessness of your own life, it is beautiful, terrifying, and on an implicit level - why most people love this song to death.
This song ended a golden age Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this
RIP King Crimson (1969 - 1974)
@Yoshifirebird Incredible interpretation. Yes, you are so right; this song did indeed end a golden age. Thank you so much for writing this.
@Yoshifirebird Incredible interpretation. Yes, you are so right; this song did indeed end a golden age. Thank you so much for writing this.
@Yoshifirebird An ambitious interpretation! I'm not so sure the intended characterization of despair build in the way you describe. Wetton penned it, and as preformed live leading up to the studio recording, the verses were not in the same order. I'm listening to the March 30, 1974 version. and it leads off with "Ice blue silver slide, go through my eyes" for example.
@Yoshifirebird An ambitious interpretation! I'm not so sure the intended characterization of despair build in the way you describe. Wetton penned it, and as preformed live leading up to the studio recording, the verses were not in the same order. I'm listening to the March 30, 1974 version. and it leads off with "Ice blue silver slide, go through my eyes" for example.
@Yoshifirebird Thank you for writing this. I find your description of the song & the album to be beautiful, I could not agree more. Thank you, again!
@Yoshifirebird Thank you for writing this. I find your description of the song & the album to be beautiful, I could not agree more. Thank you, again!
Why, oh why it's always the saddest and darkest songs that stick to one's mind and soul more than others? Well, mine at least.
This is easily one of the best songs not only by KC, but by any of the classic prog-rock bands. It's hopelessness turned into art. There have been times when I listened to "Red" and wanted to skip the song just to not ruin my mood absolutely. How many times have I made it, you think? None. Zero. "Starless" always drags me in and I often find myself listening to it several times in a row.
Way, way beyond depression. Utter blackness inside of himself, to the point of nothingness. That is how I perceive it. How I feel. Here are the corrected lyrics:
Sundown, dazzling day, Go through my eyes. But my eyes turn within, Only see, Starless and bible black.
Old friend charity, Cruel, twisted smile. And the smile signals emptiness, For me. Starless and bible black.
Ice blue, silver sky, Fades into gray. To a grey hole, That amends to be, Starless and bible black.
King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator and Genesis (with Gabriel) are my three favourite groups, and this is one of my favourite songs ever. The line "Starless and bible black" is a quote from Dylan Thomas’ "Under Milk Wood".
@theosarkouda I'd say that's my top 3 as well. Each one of then has it's own universe, it's really something else to take the time to listen to them carefully and for a extended period of time.
@theosarkouda I'd say that's my top 3 as well. Each one of then has it's own universe, it's really something else to take the time to listen to them carefully and for a extended period of time.
I think the song is expressing loneliness through that of expectations of good only to be years and times of being alone and becoming more of your own friend than anything else.
To me I just feel utter disappointment when I search for the meaning behind the lyrics. Not necessarily depression but the shift from being up to quickly very, very down about either life or circumstances... it's a feeling of disappointment from high expectation and the powerful conclusion that your being let down and it's just too shocking to endure, I think this song is describing such a scenario, it's not a happy song for sure but I really enjoy the singer's voice.
"Starless and Bible Black" is, as theosarkouda writes, a quotation from Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood"....
"It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea."
Under Milk Wood is set in the fictional Welsh town of Llareggub. Although it appears to be almost, but not quite, a plausibly Welsh place name, the fact that it's reverse-spelled "Buggerall" is not irrelevant. Songwriters will sometimes assemble words simply because seem to fit together. Apart from missing the point, interpreters of those lyrics achieve precisely that.
They've probably done the same thing to writers before Dylan Thomas, and they certainly persist today.
This is my favorite lyric not only from KC but ever. There seems not to be hidden meanings but plain perception of life as something ominous. Bible black is a common expression in the UK to refer to the darkest black.
verse 1: Depression commonly arising on beautiful days, gorgeous tropical beaches, parties where everybody is "happy"
verse 2: Hope lost after years of non fulfilling a longed desire.
verse 3: friends well-natured or just can´t help you out
One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard (some of the sax, guitar and violin melodies are mindblowing in such a simple way) backed by a decent, slightly tedious jam that climaxes pretty well. I could do with a few minutes shaved off, but it's one of the better KC tunes and that's saying something.
This is all about depression. The length, the way the song slowly builds, and then the crescendo all describe the process of lingering depression as good as any song I've heard. During some dark moments, this song has had a heavy impact on me. Incredible musicianship.