Album sleeve artwork for his four Marillion albums and most of his solo albums has been done by Mark Wilkinson.
Fish is not to be confused with Phish, Chris Squire (“The Fish”), Barry Melton ("the Fish" of Country Joe & the Fish), Grossa or Bradley Fish.
He has worked with many other artists, including Tony Banks (Genesis) and Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s (Ayreon) as the Highlander in Into the Electric Castle.
2. Fish is a Chinese experimental electronic musician.
3. fish is the name of a Soundcloud account used by electronic musician Gupi.
Dark Star
Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Croquet balls, scattered moons, drowning sorrows on a sea of green.
The fairy falls with broken wings; I hold it close to me and then let it fly,
Another dream, another you, shattered splintered shards explode in the blue.
An open door, an empty drive; no kitchen drama, no final goodbye,
You're making it out, it's all my fault; you left to go in search of sympathy.
You paint the pictures you want them to see.
I'm just a dark star, inhabiting a silent void,
Spinning in the darkness, orbiting a universe,
I want to be a meteor, want to travel at the speed of light,
Another dead star, silhouette against a pale moon,
I want to crash into another world.
That's how it was, or how you saw it,
You never talked, you never listened,
I beg to differ, I choose to disagree,
You wanted out, I couldn't take it,
You got no balls, don't you know it,
That's my opinion you're making that clear
It's an end, this thing is over,
You led me on, tin pot poet,
I write the words down that you don't want to see.
I'm just a dark star, inhabiting a silent void,
Spinning in the darkness, orbiting a universe,
I want to be a meteor, want to travel at the speed of light,
Another dead star, silhouette against a pale moon,
I'm in another world.
It ain't easy, it was never going to be, it ain't no free ride,
You don't get my sympathy,
You should have realized you had to compromise,
It ain't easy, it was never going to be easy.
The lyrics of Fish's song Dark Star depict the story of a man left alone to ponder and reflect on a past relationship. The song starts with an image of a naked man crossing the lawn, surrounded by the aftermath of a broken relationship: scattered croquet balls and tears. The man is haunted by memories of his lost love, represented by the fairy with broken wings that he holds close and then lets go. As he contemplates the shattered remnants of love and the lost dreams that came with it, he sees himself as a dark star, orbiting a void, wanting to be a meteor that can crash into another world.
The second half of the song is an outburst of anger and frustration, as the man addresses his former lover directly. He accuses her of thriving on grief and tragedy, of painting pictures that only show what she wants to see, and of leading him on. He asserts his own perspective and demands to be heard on his own terms, insisting that compromise was necessary and that it was never going to be easy. At the end of the song, the man seems to find a measure of resolution, recognizing that he is now in another world and that it is up to him to find his own way forward.
Overall, Fish's Dark Star captures the complex emotions of a relationship's aftermath, from the aching pain of loss to the simmering resentment of betrayal. The song reminds us that the pursuit of love can be a dangerous journey, but it also suggests that in the end, the only way forward is to crash into new worlds, to let go of the past and embrace a new sense of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
A naked man, across the lawn, ghosts of morning walk a carpet of tears,
A man, likely feeling exposed and vulnerable, walks across a lawn as he reflects on past pain and sorrow.
Croquet balls, scattered moons, drowning sorrows on a sea of green.
Metaphorically, the croquet balls are like moons, the tears being shed in this moment are like an ocean, and the singer is drowning in their sadness.
The fairy falls with broken wings; I hold it close to me and then let it fly,
The singer has something pure and innocent, represented by the broken winged fairy, and they hold it for a moment before letting it go.
Another dream, another you, shattered splintered shards explode in the blue.
The artist has had another dream, because this has happened before, and something important, represented by the shards, has been shattered.
An open door, an empty drive; no kitchen drama, no final goodbye,
There's an open door and an empty driveway, with no closure or dramatic goodbye.
You're making it out, it's all my fault; you left to go in search of sympathy.
The person who left is finding sympathy from someone else because the singer is at fault for something that led to the breakup.
You thrive on grief, on tragedy;
The person who left the singer is drawn to drama and negative emotions.
You paint the pictures you want them to see.
The person who left is controlling the narrative of the breakup and how it's perceived by others.
I'm just a dark star, inhabiting a silent void,
The artist feels lost and alone, like a dark star in the vast, silent emptiness of space.
Spinning in the darkness, orbiting a universe,
The artist feels like they're just going through the motions, spinning around in endless circles, in a universe they can't fully comprehend.
I want to be a meteor, want to travel at the speed of light,
The singer wants to break out of their cycle and make a big impact on the world, moving quickly and decisively like a meteor traveling at the speed of light.
Another dead star, silhouette against a pale moon,
The artist feels like they're just another lifeless object floating in space, visible against the backdrop of a distant, pale moon.
I want to crash into another world.
The singer wants to shake things up and make a big impact, even if it means risking everything and crashing into something new and unfamiliar.
That's how it was, or how you saw it,
There are two sides to every story, and this is either how things actually were, or how the person who left perceived them to be.
You never talked, you never listened,
The person who left was not a good communicator, and didn't listen to the singer's needs and concerns.
I beg to differ, I choose to disagree,
The artist sees things differently than the person who left, and is challenging their perspective.
You wanted out, I couldn't take it,
The person who left wanted to end things, but the artist was not ready for the relationship to be over.
You got no balls, don't you know it,
The person who left lacked courage, and the singer is calling them out on it.
That's my opinion you're making that clear
The singer is sharing their opinion, even though the other person has made it clear they don't agree or want to hear it.
It's an end, this thing is over,
The relationship is definitively over, there's no going back.
You led me on, tin pot poet,
The person who left the artist on, giving them false hope or promises, and is being called a phony or fake poet.
I write the words down that you don't want to see.
The artist is putting their thoughts and feelings into words, even if the other person doesn't want to acknowledge them.
It ain't easy, it was never going to be, it ain't no free ride,
The singer acknowledges that relationships are difficult, there are no easy solutions or shortcuts.
You don't get my sympathy,
The artist is not going to give the person who left their sympathy or pity.
You should have realized you had to compromise,
In relationships, both people have to be willing to compromise and meet in the middle.
It ain't easy, it was never going to be easy.
Again, the singer acknowledges that relationships are difficult, there are no easy solutions or shortcuts.
Contributed by Carson B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.