Founded in 1969 by guitarist Frank Bornemann, the band has endured several line-up changes, with Bornemann being the only consistent member of the group. In the 1980s, after a series of major splits (like in 1984 although reformed in 1988) in the group, Bornemann pursued a more commercial direction. Despite attracting a large following, the band never gained popularity in the United States.
However, in later years, former members of the band re-joined, and in 1998 fans delighted in hearing Ocean 2, a return to the classic symphonic progressive genre that the band was so well known for. A sequel to the 1977's original, it is commonly thought among fans that it successfully recaptures the spirit of the band, and is a worthy follow-up to the much beloved classic.
Of the band's numerous records, fans generally consider Inside, Floating, Dawn, Ocean, Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes, Planets and Ocean 2 to be the superior albums.
Despite their nationality, the band is not generally considered krautrock due to their sound which has much more in common with English progressive groups such as Pink Floyd and Yes.
In 2009 after a decade of hiatus Frank Bornemann released a DVD celebrating their 40th anniversary and a new album called Visionairy.
In the following period he worked on a concept double album about the life of the Maid of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc. The album The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Pt. 1 was released in 2017, followed by The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Pt. 2 in 2019.
Current Line-up:
Frank Bornemann
Klaus-Peter Matziol
Hannes Arkona
Hannes Folberth
Bodo Schopf
The Day of Crimson Skies
Eloy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun on the horizon disappeared
Out of sight
Before my eyes
The moon began to glow in crimson skies
Burning bright
The earth torn apart
A crowd in panic stormed the streets
Fear spreading out
Inside my heart
A latent force dispersed all rising fears
From my mind
A piercing cry
Of soaring birds announced our judgement day
Across the sky
A magic sound rang everywhere
Filling the air
A liquid fire all around
Claiming the ground
Panic all around
A magic light
Fiery and bright
Rising despair
Fear in the air
Man, woman, child
All running wild
Time standing still
On the day of crimson skies
A magic sound rang everywhere
Filling the air
A liquid fire all around
Claiming the ground
Panic all around
Man, woman, child
All running wild
Rising despair
Fear in the air
That magic light
Fiery and bright
From outer space
To destroy the human race
That magic light
Fiery and bright
Rising despair
Fear in the air
Man, woman, child
All running wild
Time standing still
On the day of crimson skies
Man, woman, child
All running wild
Rising despair
Fear in the air
That magic light
Fiery and bright
"The Day of Crimson Skies" is a song that tells a tale of an apocalyptic event - the end of the world caused by a fiery object from outer space, leaving people panicked and running wild. The first stanza talks about the dream, where the sun disappears from the horizon, and then, before his eyes, the moon glows crimson. The following stanzas then describe the catastrophic event in detail, the ball of fire hitting the ground and tearing the earth apart, then everyone panicking and running. Amidst all this, the singer has a latent force inside him, dispersing all rising fears from his mind, trying to find solace and hope amidst the chaos. The final stanza then leads to the realization that it is the end of the world, and the magic light from outer space signals the destruction of the human race.
The use of symbolism in the lyrics is very evident. The sun and moon disappearing, and a crimson color, are often associated with ominous signs, denoting something catastrophic to come. The liquid fire and magic light all around symbolize destruction, chaos, and the end of the world. Amidst all this, there is a message of hope, where the singer has a latent force, which can disperse all rising fear from his mind. However, the inevitability of the end is also made clear with the final revelation of the magic light from outer space.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange was my dream
The dream I had was surreal and unusual
The sun on the horizon disappeared
The sun disappeared from the horizon, making everything dark
Out of sight
The sun was no longer visible
Before my eyes
I witnessed a phenomenon
The moon began to glow in crimson skies
The moon was illuminated in a red-colored sky
Burning bright
The moon seemed very bright due to its color and brightness
A ball of fire hit the ground
A fiery object crashed into the earth
The earth torn apart
The crash caused large-scale destruction of the planet
A crowd in panic stormed the streets
People were frightened and rushing to the streets in a state of panic
Fear spreading out
The feeling of fear was spreading rapidly among the people
Inside my heart
Personally, I felt a surge of power that allowed me to overcome the rising fears
A latent force dispersed all rising fears
A hidden strength within dispersed all the fears that were taking over
From my mind
It was my mental strength that helped me overcome the fear
A piercing cry
A loud, sharp sound was heard
Of soaring birds announced our judgement day
The birds were a sign of the apocalypse or end of the world
Across the sky
The birds were seen and heard all over the sky
A magic sound rang everywhere
A mysterious and otherworldly sound was heard
Filling the air
The sound was present everywhere and could be heard throughout the atmosphere
A liquid fire all around
Flames were present and surrounding everything
Claiming the ground
The flames were consuming the earth
Panic all around
People were in a state of chaos and distress
Man, woman, child
Every person, regardless of gender and age, were affected
All running wild
Everyone was in a state of disarray and running frantically
Time standing still
The time seemed to have stopped or paused
On the day of crimson skies
The day when the sky turned red in color
From outer space
The source of the destruction was from outside of Earth
To destroy the human race
The destruction was aimed to eliminate human existence
Contributed by Alice D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.