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Anthony PHILLIPS was one of the original founding members of GENESIS featuring Peter GABRIEL, Tony BANKS, and Michael RUTHERFORD. Following "Trespass", GENESIS' second album, PHILLIPS left (purportedly due to stage fright) and was replaced by Steve HACKETT. Nothing was heard again from Anthony until 1977, when he favored us with his first solo, "The Geese and the Ghost", although PHILLIPS wasn't the first member of the band to release a solo album (that honor goes to Steve HACKETT, by releasing "Voyage of the Acolyte", in 1975). A more commercial audience was courted on "Wise After The Event" and "Sides", to no avail, and PHILLIPS spent much of his time releasing instrumental pieces (both old and new) under the "Private Parts & Pieces" series. Steeped in classical, pre-Baroque, and folk influences, he was able to record entire albums featuring only his acoustic instrument. He is one of the world's masters on the twelve string guitar and piano compositions that hark back to GENESIS' original lost innocence. His studio recordings reveal a distinctive character to his compositions on those instruments as well.
Some of his albums are more "progessive" than others, especially "Sides" (INTERESTING CD), "Private Parts and Pieces II" (A MUST! for fans of early GENESIS), "PP&P IX", and "Wise After the Event" (A MASTERPIECE); others are more "classical" in style like "PP&P III", "PP&P V", "PP&P VI" or "poppy" like "Invisible Men" and a few tracks on "Sides". Anthony PHILLIPS' 1977 debut album is one of the best works, but all of them are excellent. This album (1977) by Ant is my second favorite PHILLIPS album after "Wise After the Event". Even more its a jewel for every Rock collection, but in its own particular genre (a mix of those quiet moments of "Trespass" of GENESIS+the medieval folkprog style by GRYPHON). As you well have gathered, "Anthology" (1995) is an album that has a compilation of tracks from his solo career. This album is the perfect introduction to the world of Anthony PHILLIPS.
Regrets
Anthony Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But none so great as spurning your love.
For how sweet, how sweet your love would be
As fierce as fire, as tender as dew.
So let the rain fall
Crashing on me
And blind my eyes
For the love I can't feel.
Make a sign, don't be late, don't you worry now.
Sometimes, I would have you close to me
And take the path that leads to the sea.
In the dark our eyes would meet at last
And on your lips, the words I must flee.
So let the rain fall
Crashing on me
And blind my eyes
For the love I can't feel.
Take a sound, don't you wait, don't be hurried
Make a sign, don't be late, don't you worry now.
So let the rain fall
Crashing on me
And blind my eyes
For the love I can't feel.
Pulling out while the doubts loom above me
Shouting out in the dark for you to love me
Cutting life from the hopes of an outstretched hand
Regrets, our secret cemeteries,
Where loves and loss are silently lain,
The dream is fading faster now,
And soon you'll skip beyond my recall.
In the song Regrets by Anthony Phillips, the singer is expressing remorse over rejecting someone's love. He admits to having many regrets, but none as significant as spurning this person's affection. The potential beauty and intensity of this love is compared to qualities such as fire and dew. Despite this, the singer cannot bring himself to reciprocate, and the rain falling and blinding his eyes represents his inability to see the love that is right in front of him. The repeated phrases "Take a sound, don't you wait, don't be hurried, Make a sign, don't be late, don't you worry now" perhaps suggest the singer's longing for a clear message from the person he rejected, hoping they might still be interested in him.
The singer fantasizes about taking the path that leads to the sea with this person, where their eyes will finally meet in the dark. However, the words he must flee from on their lips suggest that he ultimately does not have the courage or willingness to embrace this love. The doubts looming above him cause him to pull away, even though he shouts out for the person to love him. The expression "Cutting life from the hopes of an outstretched hand" suggests that the potential for love has slipped away, and the dream is fading. The idea of regrets as secret cemeteries where loves and losses lie silently adds to the sense of wistfulness and missed opportunities that the song conveys.
Line by Line Meaning
Regrets, yes I have many,
I have a lot of regrets in my life.
But none so great as spurning your love.
The biggest regret I have is rejecting your love.
For how sweet, how sweet your love would be
Your love is so sweet, it would have been amazing.
As fierce as fire, as tender as dew.
Your love would have been both strong and gentle.
So let the rain fall
Let it rain.
Crashing on me
Let it fall hard on me.
And blind my eyes
Let it even make me lose sight.
For the love I can't feel.
Because I can't feel the love I regret missing out on.
Take a sound, don't you wait, don't be hurried
Don't hesitate to speak up or make a noise.
Make a sign, don't be late, don't you worry now.
Signal me, don't be delayed, and don't worry.
Sometimes, I would have you close to me
I often wish you were near me.
And take the path that leads to the sea.
We could go on a walk that leads to the sea.
In the dark our eyes would meet at last
When it's dark, our eyes will finally connect.
And on your lips, the words I must flee.
You would say something that would force me to retreat.
Pulling out while the doubts loom above me
I'm withdrawing while doubts consume me.
Shouting out in the dark for you to love me
I'm screaming for you to love me in the pitch black night.
Cutting life from the hopes of an outstretched hand
I'm ending hope that lies in my open hand.
Regrets, our secret cemeteries,
Regrets are like cemeteries, kept secret in our hearts.
Where loves and loss are silently lain,
Where we bury our unrequited love and losses in silence.
The dream is fading faster now,
The dream we had is slipping away more quickly now.
And soon you'll skip beyond my recall.
And soon, I won't be able to even remember you.
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTHONY EDWIN PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RGJ
on Ballad of Penlee
Solomon Browne is the name of the lifeboat - Union Star was a coaster, not a fishing boat