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Lucky Man Lyrics
He had white horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door
Oooh, what a lucky man he was
White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was laid
He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing
A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was laid
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died
Song Info
Submitted by
thedanman344 On Jul 17, 2006
More Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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Karn Evil 9: First Impression
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It's about the harsh realities of life, and just being born on third base doesn't mean you hit a triple, or that you'll make it home.
@inpraiseoffolly interesting analogy because if you've made it home in baseball you've scored a run. It doesn't really matter how you scored, except for individual stats.
@inpraiseoffolly interesting analogy because if you've made it home in baseball you've scored a run. It doesn't really matter how you scored, except for individual stats.
I discovered this song during the 80's when my sister worked in a hospital. She had occasion to visit the hospital morgue (in the basement) and told me a few strange, sad tales. For some reason, I got those tales of the morgue associated with this song and every time I hear it, I think "morgue". Sort of a good morgue song, if you must have one... I'm sure, one day, when I'm laying in a morgue, I'll have this song stuck in my head.
That's a very interesting association. Thanks for sharing.
That's a very interesting association. Thanks for sharing.
@ricksacura still with us?
@ricksacura still with us?
@ricksacura I don't think you'll have any song in your head if you're lying in a morgue
@ricksacura I don't think you'll have any song in your head if you're lying in a morgue
First of all, I totally agree with Atemporal. Anyway, this song was written about a nobleman during World War I (I'm asuming he was from England) It shows no matter how much money and beautiful women you have, there is nothing that can save you from death and the cold, hard facts of life. There was two reasons why he was lucky: 1. He had so many riches and wonderful things, and 2. he died swiftly, but sad and horribly. Truly a wonderful, yet sad song. ELP rocks!
i don't know, to me this sounds like an actual homage to someone who went to fight for something noble, despite already having everything one could dream of. he was rich, wasn't FORCED to fight--he went there 'to fight for his country and his king'. maybe he was naive in believing somehow his luck could save him from a bullet, but in his death he was also lucky, both cause he died for a noble cause and cause he died fast. and today being Veterans day, i plan on singing it at a karaoke :)
It's about a man who has pretty much everything he wants, but in the end, no amount of happiness or wealth can save you from the scorn of war.
I interpret it as irony. The song goes to show how little material things mean in the grand scheme of things. He had all the physical pleasures he could ask for, but in the end he just died crying in the dirt. The line, "No money could save him" I think points towards this interpretation somewhat clearly. He's no lucky man.
Yeah, it is a pretty cool song.
And there's a comment for you.
While I can relate to this song as something about being chances and the harsh reality of life, I think you can interpret this song as something very anti-modern. In present times, no one will go to fight for glory. This seems for the most people just stupid. But there where other times when you did go to battle to earn something, and make some experiences, that are just worth living, even if you'll die in these events eventually. So to me, "Lucky Man" is about that. You can read it in the lyrics, if you like, but more importantly, it's in the music and the general more happy and melancholicly tone of it.
For those of us who lived thru the 70s, the meaning is obvious. "Lucky" is used here ironically, as something that people would say at his funeral. The man lost everything to the follies of war. The bed he is laid on is in his coffin. The girls in satin are his wife and daughters who are left waiting at the door, because he will never be walking through it again. Love & money were not enough to save him. Sad song :(
For those of us who lived thru the 70s, the meaning is obvious. "Lucky" is used here ironically, as something that people would say at his funeral. The man lost everything to the follies of war. The bed he is laid on is in his coffin. The girls in satin are his wife and daughters who are left waiting at the door, because he will never be walking through it again. Love & money were not enough to save him. Sad song :(