The ELP sound is dominated by the Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer of the flamboyant Emerson. The band's compositions are heavily influenced by classical music in addition to jazz and – at least in their early years – hard rock. Many of their pieces are arrangements of, or contain quotations from, classical music, and they can be said to fit into the sub-genre of symphonic rock. However, Lake ensured that their albums contained a regular stream of simple, accessible acoustic ballads, many of which received heavy radio airplay. Lake, besides providing vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar and lyrics, also produced the band's first five albums.
On two occasions in 1969, The Nice (with Keith Emerson on keyboards) and King Crimson (with Greg Lake on vocals and bass) shared the same venue, first on 10th August 1969 at the 9th Jazz and Blues Pop Festival in Plumpton, England, and on 17th October 1969 at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England. After playing at a few of the same concerts, Emerson and Lake tried working together and found their styles to be not only compatible but complementary. Emerson wanted to make the "best damned three-piece band in the world", and thought the line-up of The Nice (keyboard, bass, drums) was the way to go.
Before settling on drummer Carl Palmer (formerly Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown), they approached Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience; Mitchell was uninterested but passed the idea to Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix, tired of his band and wanting to try something different, expressed an interest in playing with the group; the British press, after hearing about this, speculated that such a supergroup would have been called "Hendrix, Emerson, Lake & Palmer", or HELP. Due to scheduling conflicts such plans were not immediately realised, but the initial three planned on a jam session with Hendrix after their début at the Isle of Wight Festival, with the possibility of him joining. Hendrix died shortly thereafter, so the three pressed on as Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Their first four years were a creatively fertile period. Lake produced their first six albums, starting with Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970), which contained the hit "Lucky Man" featuring Emerson's first experiments with Moog. Tarkus (1971) was their first successful concept album, described as a story about "reverse evolution". The March 1971 live recording (Newcastle, U.K.) of the band's interpretation of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was issued as a low-priced record, the success of which contributed to the band's overall popularity. The 1972 album Trilogy contained ELP's best-selling single to date, the understated "From the Beginning".
In late 1973 Brain Salad Surgery, with an eye-catching sleeve designed by H.R. Giger, was released and became the band's best-known studio album. The lyrics were partly written by Peter Sinfield, who was the creator of the King Crimson concept and lyricist for their first four albums. The subsequent world tours were documented with a massive three-LP live recording, "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends".
Their best known early performance had been a relatively modest show at the August 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, one of the last of the great Woodstock-era festivals. At the end of their set, Emerson and Lake lit two cannons either side of the stage. By April 1974, ELP were joint headliners of the California Jam Festival, and completed the concert when co-stars Deep Purple elected to go on stage first. ELP's California Jam performance was broadcast nationwide in the US and is often seen as the summit of the band's career.
After taking a break, the band began working with an orchestra and released Works Volume 1 in 1977 to mixed reviews. The album contained the band's signature tune, "Fanfare for the Common Man", reaching number two in the British charts. However, punk rock had began influencing the music scene, and the progressive rock giants of the time were suffering as a result. Rifts within the band were beginning to show, and the following albums, Works Volume 2 and Love Beach (one released in 1977,the other in 1978) were mainly made to finish their record contract. They released Works Live in 1979 with the orchestra, but touring was overly expensive and so the orchestra were dropped half way through the tour.
The band split in 1979, with each member doing his own thing. Carl Palmer joined Asia and had commercial success. In 1985 Emerson and Lake wanted to reform, but with Palmer in Asia, they tried out other drummers such as Simon Phillips, but settled on Cozy Powell. Emerson, Lake & Powell released one self-titled album in 1986.
Since then the original ELP have reformed in 1991 and released two studio albums: Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994). Neither albums were critically acclaimed, but the band still managed to sell out venues as they toured the world. The band split again in 1998.
On 25 July 2010, ELP reunited for a single show to commemorate their 40th anniversary. But this reunion was only to celebrate their anniversary and after that show they split again in 2010.
Emerson died on 11 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was found at his Santa Monica home. Following an autopsy, the medical examiner ruled Emerson's death a suicide, and concluded that he had also suffered from heart disease and from depression associated with alcohol. According to Emerson's girlfriend Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson had become "depressed, nervous and anxious" because nerve damage had hampered his playing, and he was worried that he would perform poorly at upcoming concerts and disappoint his fans.
Lake died in London on 7 December 2016, at the age of 69, after suffering from cancer. His manager announced the news on Twitter, describing Lake's battle with the illness as "long and stubborn". Numerous fellow musicians paid tribute, including Rick Wakeman, Steve Hackett, Ringo Starr, John Wetton, and ELP drummer Carl Palmer. With Lake's death and that of Keith Emerson earlier in 2016, Palmer is the last surviving member of the group.
Paper Blood
Emerson Lake & Palmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sharper than a knife
Surrender to the power of wedge
Keep running for your life
You don't need no periscope
You won't need second sight
It'll come at you so fast my friend
It's thank you and goodnight
Chorus
Caught in the river
You can't stop the flood
That's the power of money, paper blood
Ambition flies on silver wings
Searching for a crown
King of kings, they pull the strings
Until they run you down
No matter what you've undergone
The measure of success
Is how much you can charge it on
American Express
Chorus
You don't need to drive a car
And you don't need a house
And you don't need a guiding star
When living like a mouse
In the presidenttial suite
They'd rather see you burn
Ducking and diving just to make ends meet
To the point of no return
The lyrics of Emerson Lake & Palmer's song "Paper Blood" describe the destructive power of money and ambition. The metaphor of living on a razor's edge, sharper than a knife, captures the danger and precariousness of trying to make it in a world defined by money and power. The power of the wedge symbolizes the forces that push individuals to compete and to prioritize their success above all else. The lyrics suggest that even when one is successful, they are still caught in the current of an unrelenting river that will ultimately overpower and consume them.
The lyrics also convey a sense of resignation and fatalism. The repeated refrain of "you can't stop the flood" emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the forces that are at play. The reference to American Express highlights the idea of debt and the idea that success is measured not by what one has accomplished, but by how much money one can charge it on. The presidency suite symbolizes the material wealth that is on offer for those who submit to the forces of ambition and competition. And yet, the lyrics suggest that even those who achieve this level of success are not immune to the pressures that come with it. The constant need to duck and dive just to make ends meet implies that there is no rest, no respite from the never-ending hustle that is required to stay on top.
Line by Line Meaning
Livin' on a razor's edge
Living life on the edge, taking risks and walking a thin line.
Sharper than a knife
The risk is high and the consequences dangerous.
Surrender to the power of wedge
Give in to the pressure created by the situation.
Keep running for your life
The situation demands constant effort and struggle just to survive.
You don't need no periscope
You don't need any special equipment or foresight to see what's coming.
You won't need second sight
The danger is obvious and right in front of you.
It'll come at you so fast my friend
The danger will appear suddenly and without warning.
It's thank you and goodnight
The danger will be so severe that it's the end, goodbye.
Caught in the river
Trapped and unable to escape.
You can't stop the flood
The danger and damage is unstoppable and overwhelming.
That's the power of money, paper blood
The danger and damage is caused by the powerful force of money and its influence.
Ambition flies on silver wings
Ambition is a high-flying and desirable goal.
Searching for a crown
Looking for success and recognition.
King of kings, they pull the strings
The powerful control the situation and manipulate those seeking success.
Until they run you down
The powerful will eventually overtake and control those seeking success until they can no longer continue.
No matter what you've undergone
Regardless of the hardships and struggles faced along the way.
The measure of success
The standard by which success is gauged.
Is how much you can charge it on
Success is measured by how much money can be made or charged.
American Express
A well-known credit card company associated with wealth and luxury.
You don't need to drive a car
Material possessions are not necessary for success.
And you don't need a house
Owning a home is not necessary for success.
And you don't need a guiding star
The traditional path to success is not necessary.
When living like a mouse
Living inconspicuously and hiding from danger.
In the presidential suite
A luxurious symbol of success and wealth.
They'd rather see you burn
The powerful would rather destroy those seeking success than allow them to prosper.
Ducking and diving just to make ends meet
Struggling to survive and make enough money just to get by.
To the point of no return
Reaching a point where it's impossible to escape the cycle of struggle and danger.
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.