He also produced the hugely successful Year Of The Cat album with Al Stewart and two albums with American progressive rock band Ambrosia. In 1975 he met Eric Woolfson who not only became his manager, but joined forces with Alan as a songwriting and performing partner for what became known as The Alan Parsons Project. The APP’s debut album, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination, based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, paved the way for a signing to Clive Davis’ newly launched Arista label and a string of hit albums, namely I Robot (1977), Pyramid (1978), The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980), Eye in the Sky (1982), Ammonia Avenue (1984), Vulture Culture (1985), Stereotomy (1986) and Gaudi (1987). A brief venture into musical theatre resulted in Freudiana in 1990.The show ran for over a year in the historic Theater An Der Wien in Vienna. Eric and Alan then went separate ways. Eric devoted his career to the musical theatre while Parsons felt the need to bring his music to the live concert stage and to continue to record conceptual symphonic rock music. With his long-standing previous APP collaborators, guitarist Ian Bairnson, drummer Stuart Elliott and orchestral arranger Andrew Powell, Alan dropped the "Project" identity for Alan Parsons - Try Anything Once in 1994. The partnership continued for On Air in 1996 and The Time Machine in 1999. During this time the first incarnation of "Alan Parsons Live Project" toured to sell-out audiences throughout the globe.
Following Alan’s relocation to California, a new Live Project band was formed in 2003. The album A Valid Path, Alan’s foray into Electronica was released in 2004 and featured Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, The Crystal Method, Shpongle, Uberzone, PJ Olsson and Alan’s son, Jeremy. 2008 saw the reissue of all the Alan Parsons Project albums in expanded form, containing never-before-heard bonus material and a 2-CD compilation called The Essential Collection. One of the most familiar Project tracks is Sirius, perhaps best known as the Chicago Bulls theme and more recently as walk-on music for The New Orleans Saints at their triumphant Superbowl game in 2010.
Alan’s latest venture is an instructional series about recording called The Art And Science Of Sound Recording. See www.artandscienceofsound.com. All Our Yesterdays, a song written especially for the series, features some of LA’s finest musicians and a rare performance by Alan on lead vocals. Alan lives in Santa Barbara, California with his wife Lisa and her two daughters, Tabitha and Brittni, four dogs, a lop-eared rabbit, and an 18-hand Clydesdale called Dante.
The Three Of Me
Alan Parsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who just called in to say
"Mr. Jones isn't home
He'll be gone for the day"
So he pulls down the blind
To adjust his disguise
But it's all in his mind
I turn the boat back from the weir
Where to go from here
I can't hide from each face I see
Looking out from behind them is me
I'm attempting to guess
What they meant when they said
"Mr. Jones and his guest
Won't be using the bed"
So if I take the rap
While they stay out of sight
I can spring from the trap
When the timing is right
One minute I think I know what I mean
The next I hear voices inside disagree
Why are they laughing at me?
So I pick up the phone
Someone's asking of me
Is the real Mister Jones
Mister One, Two or Three?
So I say that they're not
But it's not as I say
'Cause they're all that I've got
And I can't get away
As Alice waves us through the glass
Are we home at last
For tomorrow they'll be here you see
Locked away safe inside there with me
'Cause tomorrow they'll be here you'll see
Locked away safe inside they're with me
One minute I think I know what I mean
The next I hear voices inside disagree
Why are they laughing at me?
In The Three Of Me by Alan Parsons, the singer receives a call informing him that a Mr. Jones will be out for the day. However, the singer's mental state is revealed to be unstable as he believes he has multiple personalities, each represented by "Mister One, Two or Three." He attempts to trick those who know him by acting as if he is one Mr. Jones while his other personalities remain hidden.
Throughout the song, the singer struggles with his own mind as he tries to make sense of his identities. He feels trapped within his own mind, wondering if he can ever truly escape the different versions of himself. As the song progresses, he becomes more paranoid, wondering if others are laughing at him and questioning his own sanity.
The lyrics explore themes of mental illness and identity, highlighting the isolation and confusion that can come with mental health struggles. The use of different personalities also touches on the concept of dissociative identity disorder, where a person may experience multiple distinct identities or personalities.
Overall, The Three Of Me is a deep and thought-provoking song that prompts listeners to consider the complexities of mental health and self-identity.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a voice on the phone
Someone is calling him on the phone
Who just called in to say
The caller delivered a message through the phone
"Mr. Jones isn't home
Mr. Jones is not at home
He'll be gone for the day"
Mr. Jones will be out the whole day
So he pulls down the blind
He shuts his window's cover
To adjust his disguise
He tries to fix his fake appearance
But it's all in his mind
His appearances are just his imagination
Which he proudly denies
But he refuses to admit it
I turn the boat back from the weir
He backtracks his path
Where to go from here
He is confused about his next steps
I can't hide from each face I see
He can't escape his identity
Looking out from behind them is me
His true self is behind his different identities
I'm attempting to guess
He is trying to guess
What they meant when they said
He tries to interpret what was said to him
"Mr. Jones and his guest
Mister Jones and his companion
Won't be using the bed"
Won't be needing the bed
So if I take the rap
He decides to take the blame
While they stay out of sight
While the other party remains concealed
I can spring from the trap
He can escape from the trap
When the timing is right
If the circumstances are favorable
One minute I think I know what I mean
He's changing his mind a lot
The next I hear voices inside disagree
He argues with the conflicting thoughts in his head
Why are they laughing at me?
He hears laughter that torments him
So I pick up the phone
He answers the phone
Someone's asking of me
A person is asking him a question
Is the real Mister Jones
If he is the true Mr. Jones
Mister One, Two or Three?
One of the different personalities Mr. Jones has assumed
So I say that they're not
He denies he is any of the possibilities
But it's not as I say
But he is just saying it
'Cause they're all that I've got
Those personalities are all he has left
And I can't get away
He can't escape his multiple personalities
As Alice waves us through the glass
As Alice welcomes us to her world
Are we home at last
Has he finally found a home?
For tomorrow they'll be here you see
But tomorrow, his personalities will return
Locked away safe inside there with me
His personalities are locked away safe with him
Cause tomorrow they'll be here you'll see
Tomorrow, he will have to face his other selves again
Locked away safe inside they're with me
The other personalities are locked away with him
One minute I think I know what I mean
He's still unsure of himself
The next I hear voices inside disagree
He can't find peace with the competing voices in his head
Why are they laughing at me?
He feels humored by his own thoughts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN PARSONS, ANDREW POWELL, DAVID PACK, IAN BAIRNSON, STUART ALEXANDER ELLIOT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind