For Michael Collins, Jeffrey, And Me

Michael Collins was the NASA astronaut, not the Irish revolutionary!

The song is essentially about going to great effort, but failing to achive fulfillment, or about being forced to merely observe important events (personal, historical, whatever), without being able to act.

Michael Collins was the third member of the Apollo 11 crew; whilst Armstrong and Aldrin went down to the moon's surface for the first moon landing in 1969, Collins remained in the orbiting command module - all that way, but not quite.... Quite sad, in a way. I think that was the aspect Ian was drawing upon in writing a song of wider significances to his own experiences, Jeffrey's, indeed, anyone's.

'L.E.M' refers to the lunar lander, the 'Lunar Excursion Module'.

Intriguing song, and a poignant recollection it inspires indeed, of the lonliness that I as a young kid imagined that Michael Collins felt, orbiting the moon in the command module.

I wionder what Tull listeners' take is on the mentions of the ape's curiosity, the monkey's seed and the humanoid thrill. Does this link with the "money power win" notiion? Is Ian saying that despite a great feat of human ingenuity, going to the moon, we're still primitive and primal back here on earth.

Kudos to sonmeanings.net for providing a forum for thoughtful exchange of ideas on great artists like those of Tull!

I'm pretty sure that the chorus is just Michael Collins, thinking aloud. Pretty straightforward, actually.

"I'm with you L.E.M., though it's a shame that it had to be you. The mother ship is just a blip from your trip made for two. I'm with you boys, so please employ just a little extra care. It's on my mind, I'm left behind when I should have been there, walking with you..."

As Collins orbits around the moon, this is what goes through his mind. Perhaps he's talking to himself a little bit. He knows that where his colleagues are, his shuttle is merely a "blip" in the sky for them, if they're even thinking of him at all in their excitement. He feels envious and regretful, and wishes that he could be there to share what must have been the biggest moment in the lives of his two friends (as I can imagine training for a space trip must create quite special bonds).

I'm not sure that the rest of the lyrics necessarily have to be connected to the chorus. Benefit is a very, very introspective album, and I'm not even gonna attempt to get inside Ian's mind in songs like this one. I get the feeling, though, that it's about humanity, as many of you have said before.

Whether watching something as sophisticated and complex as astronauts orbiting the moon, returning to a spacecraft and then back to earth, or observing trapeze artists somersault through the air, it is the danger, it is the risk of harm that holds our attention. We hardly need to justify spending billions and billions on the former because it evokes the same kind of high and kick as the latter. And as our culture's best and brightest, we love to toast each other for our incredible, modern achievements, when after all, we merely acted-out our thirst for thrills.

hey, thanks for the insight. I am really amazed that the subject of this song is what it is. The section "I'm with you L.E.M., but it's a shame it had to be you" has always been a favorite part of any Tull song for me, but I never knew what I was singing or why.

the Jeffrey is Jeffrey hammond hammond, same as song for Jeffrey, one of ians oldest friends.

Watery eyes... blue reflections: Both dealing with water-one of Michael's tears and one of the earth so far away.

beckon tearful child... repentance of the sin: He's extremely happy with his achievement, but is afraid and tries to be ready for death.

And the blind and lusty lovers... something has to die: People on Earth, believing that their short lives (generations upon generations of them) are significant and important, are really very small. This is kind of the same vibe from The Beatles - Within You Without You: "When it's far too late, when they pass away."

And the ape's curiosity... mountains move under him: Again, simple minded man in reference to "large" and "significant" piles of gold or money. Moving, referring to currency exchange: sales, stock, etc.

I think everyone else here definitely nailed the last section of the song. However, I think there is more to be said about the "trip made for two... should of be there" lines.

It could be interpreted as missed opportunity, especially romantically. Two people walk together while another person is sad and alone, wishing that he/she was with him/her instead.

Ian Anderson has always been Drug free, so he says. This WONDERFUL song lyrics are just this side of Sgt. Pepper stuff, just amazing. I only want to know what is the LEM he is with??

I wonder what is referred to as "yellow soft mountains". Do they refer to some features of lunar surface?

Always loved this song, mostly for the tone of the music, and the lyrics always seemed to convey similar emotions: a sense of wonder mixed with deep concern for the human condition, as a lot of Ian's lyrics do. I really don't know what he's exactly on about here, but I agree that these words are pretty trippy. My guess is that it's his poetic reaction to the "intrusion" of humans landing on the moon. LEM might refer to "Lunar Excursion Module", an early name of the Apollo Lunar Module. "The mother ship is just a blip..."