After forming in early 1970, the band came to prominence following their performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970. In their first year, the group signed with Atlantic Records and released Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970) and Tarkus (1971), both of which reached the United Kingdom top five. The band's success continued with Pictures at an Exhibition (1971), Trilogy (1972), and Brain Salad Surgery (1973). After a three-year break, Emerson, Lake & Palmer released Works Volume 1 (1977) and Works Volume 2 (1977) which began their decline in popularity. After Love Beach (1978), the group disbanded in 1979.
The band reformed partially in the 1980s with Emerson, Lake & Powell featuring Cozy Powell in place of Palmer. Robert Berry then replaced Lake, forming 3. In 1991, the original trio reformed and released two more albums, Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994), and toured at various times between 1992 and 1998. Their final performance took place in 2010 at the High Voltage Festival in London to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary. Both Emerson and Lake died in 2016,[6][7][8] leaving Palmer as the only surviving member of the band.
Trilogy
Emerson Lake Palmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The love that ended
Long ago although we still pretend
Our love is surely coming to an end
Don't waste the time you've got to love again
We tried to lie
But you and I
The thought of lying to you makes me cry
Counting up the time that's passed us by
I've sent this letter hoping it will reach your hand
And if it does I hope that you will understand
That I must leave in a while
And though I smile
You know the smile is only there to hide
What I'm really feeling deep inside
Just a face where I can hang my pride
Goodbye
Goodbye
We'll talk of places that we went
And times that we have spent
Together penniless and free
You'll see the day another way
And they could put the sunshine
for a nighttime where you lay
You're love began I don't know when
But if you do I know that
you'll be happy in the end
The lyrics to the song "Trilogy" by Emerson Lake & Palmer explore the complexity of love and relationships. The song talks about the struggle of trying to maintain a love that has already ended. The singer tries to mend the relationship, even though it is clear that it is coming to an end. Despite pretending that their love can survive, the singer believes it is time to move on. He urges his partner not to waste any more time and to find love again.
The second verse acknowledges the fact that trying to lie to each other is pointless because they both know better. The thought of lying to his partner makes him cry because it is clear that time has passed them by, and it’s time to move forward. In the third part of the song, the singer expresses his desire to leave soon. Although he is smiling, the smile is only a disguise to hide his true emotions. He needs to find a place to hang his pride, and he indicates that it is time to say goodbye. The singer tries to convince his partner that, even though their love is ending, they can still talk about the good times they had together and reminisce about the places they went and the times they spent together as poor but free people.
The song is a beautiful blend of classical and rock music that has influenced many artists since its release in 1972. Eddie Jobson, a British keyboardist and violinist, had joined Emerson Lake & Palmer for their Trilogy album. the producer of the album, Greg Lake, had said that the band found it a challenge to get the right tone for "Trilogy," but in the end, they did by combining a guitar solo with the rock sound of the drums. The song is played in C# minor and has a time signature of 6/8.
Line by Line Meaning
I've tried to mend
I've attempted to fix things
The love that ended
Our relationship that came to a close
Long ago although we still pretend
Though it’s been a while, we still act as if we’re together
Our love is surely coming to an end
Our affection is definitely on its way out
Don't waste the time you've got to love again
Make the most of the time you have left to love someone else
We tried to lie
We attempted to deceive one another
But you and I
However, both of us
Know better than to let each other lie
Understand the importance of being honest with one another
The thought of lying to you makes me cry
Just thinking about deceiving you brings tears to my eyes
Counting up the time that's passed us by
Reflecting on the duration of our relationship
I've sent this letter hoping it will reach your hand
Sending this message in the hopes that it will reach you someday
And if it does I hope that you will understand
And if it does, I hope you’re able to comprehend
That I must leave in a while
I have to go soon
And though I smile
And even though I appear happy
You know the smile is only there to hide
You’re aware that the smile is simply a façade
What I'm really feeling deep inside
What I truly feel beneath the surface
Just a face where I can hang my pride
I'm presenting a strong front to maintain my dignity
Goodbye
Farewell
We'll talk of places that we went
We'll reminisce about the different locations we visited
And times that we have spent
As well as the moments we shared
Together penniless and free
Enjoying each other's company without any material possessions and restrictions
You'll see the day another way
You'll begin to view the world differently
And they could put the sunshine
And even the brightness of the sun
For a nighttime where you lay
Won’t have the same impact as a peaceful night's sleep
You're love began I don't know when
I’m uncertain when your love began
But if you do I know that you'll be happy in the end
However, if you understand, I'm confident you’ll find happiness eventually
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gregory Lake, Keith Emerson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@philiprandazzo8258
Emerson, Lake & Palmer was one of the best progressive rock bands that came from the UK. Keith Emerson is one of the greatest keyboard players of our time. What a musical genius! RIP Keith and Greg. You left us with such beautiful and unforgettable music which will be listened for years to come.
@zzzyxwv
That was music. Poor kids today😮
@AndyHawkes-ok4lr
I was 16 when this came out. Blew me away. Never heard anything like it up to that point. And never heard anything like it since. Still listen to it half a century, yes half a century later.
@Audiogeek-kf2ez
One of the best prog rock albums ever
@user-ll4dg5zz7s
Абсолютно верно
@asaniel
This song is just beautiful in its opening section, some great vocals and piano there. Then when it all changes, just wow, it is ahead of its time.
@richardcoe3854
The whole album is a masterpiece.
@briankelley4492
This song still blows my mind. Most gorgeous intro and then goes ever so slowly into the middle uptempo section, then the acrobatic final section. A trilogy in more ways than one. Still my favorite ELP album. I can only imagine teenagers and adults hearing this in 1972 and being floored. I was only two then, so can't vouch for them. The 2nd section is like Moog/synth techno nearly 20 years ahead of time.
@Edmant
I was a teenager in 1972 and I was absolutely floored. But there was so much good music around in those days !
@robgibbsofficial
I agree!