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
@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 Dear dude!!! Thank you very much for this exquisite description...
No doubt that YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MUSIC AND EXISTENCE...
You make my Friday =)
Greets from Mexico City
@Yoshifirebird Dear dude!!! Thank you very much for this exquisite description...
No doubt that YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MUSIC AND EXISTENCE...
You make my Friday =)
Greets from Mexico City
@Yoshifirebird your synopsis is brilliant but maybe the song (and life) isnt hopeless and the understanding of the starless bible blackness of life means we need to provide a beacon, starting from the spark in our heart as the gnostics would say, and work to create a star of hope to shine through the bleakness of reality and persevere in the face of despair. The fact that these musicians put this piece together is a testament to facing the struggle of accumulated pain and sadness of life, commenting on it, but not dwelling on it and moving past it.
@Yoshifirebird your synopsis is brilliant but maybe the song (and life) isnt hopeless and the understanding of the starless bible blackness of life means we need to provide a beacon, starting from the spark in our heart as the gnostics would say, and work to create a star of hope to shine through the bleakness of reality and persevere in the face of despair. The fact that these musicians put this piece together is a testament to facing the struggle of accumulated pain and sadness of life, commenting on it, but not dwelling on it and moving past it.
@Yoshifirebird Beautifully written interpretation. But I will quibble with your philosophy. Death is to be feared, but it does not make life meaningless. The opposite is true - life's finite nature is what gives it meaning. Life is an eternal relay race. Don't drop the baton, pass it on. Your deeds have ripples that impact others. Their deeds ripple on...
@Yoshifirebird Beautifully written interpretation. But I will quibble with your philosophy. Death is to be feared, but it does not make life meaningless. The opposite is true - life's finite nature is what gives it meaning. Life is an eternal relay race. Don't drop the baton, pass it on. Your deeds have ripples that impact others. Their deeds ripple on...
@Yoshifirebird Thanks for writing this. I only recently discovered KC and Starless was the first thing I heard from them. Can't believe I have missed the song for so many decades.
@Yoshifirebird Thanks for writing this. I only recently discovered KC and Starless was the first thing I heard from them. Can't believe I have missed the song for so many decades.
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!
@Yoshifirebird that was beautiful. good job.
@Yoshifirebird that was beautiful. good job.
@Yoshifirebird That was absolutely great. This song has despair written all over it. Utterly addictive.
@Yoshifirebird That was absolutely great. This song has despair written all over it. Utterly addictive.
@Yoshifirebird Dear dude!!! Thank you very much for this exquisite description... No doubt that YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MUSIC AND EXISTENCE... You make my Friday =) Greets from Mexico City
@Yoshifirebird Dear dude!!! Thank you very much for this exquisite description... No doubt that YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MUSIC AND EXISTENCE... You make my Friday =) Greets from Mexico City
@Yoshifirebird your synopsis is brilliant but maybe the song (and life) isnt hopeless and the understanding of the starless bible blackness of life means we need to provide a beacon, starting from the spark in our heart as the gnostics would say, and work to create a star of hope to shine through the bleakness of reality and persevere in the face of despair. The fact that these musicians put this piece together is a testament to facing the struggle of accumulated pain and sadness of life, commenting on it, but not dwelling on it and moving past it.
@Yoshifirebird your synopsis is brilliant but maybe the song (and life) isnt hopeless and the understanding of the starless bible blackness of life means we need to provide a beacon, starting from the spark in our heart as the gnostics would say, and work to create a star of hope to shine through the bleakness of reality and persevere in the face of despair. The fact that these musicians put this piece together is a testament to facing the struggle of accumulated pain and sadness of life, commenting on it, but not dwelling on it and moving past it.
@Yoshifirebird Nice
@Yoshifirebird Nice
@Yoshifirebird Beautifully written interpretation. But I will quibble with your philosophy. Death is to be feared, but it does not make life meaningless. The opposite is true - life's finite nature is what gives it meaning. Life is an eternal relay race. Don't drop the baton, pass it on. Your deeds have ripples that impact others. Their deeds ripple on...
@Yoshifirebird Beautifully written interpretation. But I will quibble with your philosophy. Death is to be feared, but it does not make life meaningless. The opposite is true - life's finite nature is what gives it meaning. Life is an eternal relay race. Don't drop the baton, pass it on. Your deeds have ripples that impact others. Their deeds ripple on...
@Yoshifirebird Thanks for writing this. I only recently discovered KC and Starless was the first thing I heard from them. Can't believe I have missed the song for so many decades.
@Yoshifirebird Thanks for writing this. I only recently discovered KC and Starless was the first thing I heard from them. Can't believe I have missed the song for so many decades.