The Letters Lyrics

Lyric discussion by marcd 

Cover art for The Letters lyrics by King Crimson

The four songs of the album "Islands" are four different perspectives on love. The first depicts romantic love, the second, this one, depicts vindictive and jealous love, the third, playful sexuality, and the final song depicts the universal love supporting everyone. Each one of these songs has a different prevailing emotional mood, with this song having the most intense expressions of emotion.

"The Letters" refers to the two letters or notes written in this song: the first being an evil and vindictive note written by the "other woman" having an affair with a married man, to the man's wife. The second letter is the suicide note written by the wife after she receives the first letter.

The first two lines indicate the evil nature of the first letter by the words "poison pen." The second verse indicates the wife's extreme emotional reaction to her husband's infidelity. The final two lines indicate the wife's death by her own hand.

The extremely strong emotions of the characters involved are depicted by the harsh and atonal guitar and sax solos in the recording.

well, while it does make perfect sense what you just said, would mind telling me where you read that interpretation?

thanks!

"What's mine was yours is dead"

I believe the Wife kills her Husband and let's the Lover know... before taking her own life...