This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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
Till lured by 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
Till lured by 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
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
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“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
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