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.
View From The Hill
Fish Lyrics
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But you can't see the weeds that entangle your feet
You can't see the wood for the trees 'cause the forest is burning
And you say it's the smoke in your eyes that's making you cry
They sold you the view from a hill
They told you that the view from the hill would be
Further than you have ever seen before
They sold you a view from a hill
You were a dancer and a chancer, a poet and a fool
To the royalty of mayhem you were breaking all the rules
Your decadence outstanding, your hopes flying high
One eye looking over your shoulder, one eye on the hill
You used to say you were scared of heights, you said you got dizzy
You said you didn't like your feet being too far off the ground
But they said that up there you'd find the air would be clearer
Promised you more space to move and more room to breathe
They sold you a view from a hill
They told you that the view from the hill
Is further than you'd ever seen before
You were holding out forever, thought they'd never turn your mind
Your ideals they were higher than you ever could have climbed
We thought they couldn't buy you, that the price would be too high
That the riches there on offer they just wouldn't turn your eyes
But your conscience it was locked up in the prisons of your schemes
Your judgment it was blinded by your visions and your dreams
Praying and hoping that the view from the hill
Is wider than you've ever seen before
For the view from the hill we held our heads so high (smell the roses)
All the loved ones that you lied to are strangers left behind
All the ones that really mattered well you stood on as you climbed
You were holding out forever for your fathers and your peers
Holding out for everyone that ever walked in here.
The edge was inside and you rode it all the way.
You were playing the games that you learned yesterday
Hanging around like a fool with a name
You are holding your place for the view, the view from the hill.
They sold you the view from the hill.
Look it all for a view from the hill
And you find the views no further than you've seen before.
They sold you the view from the hill.
And you stood and took it all from the view from the hill.
It's simply coming up roses.
The Fish's song "View From The Hill" is about the deception that comes with the pursuit of power and wealth, and how people easily fall for it. The song begins by describing a person who thinks everything is going well and that they have achieved success. However, in reality, they are blind to the negative aspects of their life. They are entangled in the weeds on their feet and cannot see the fire burning in the forest. The lyrics suggest that this person is living in denial and blames their tears on the smoke, rather than confronting the truth about their problems.
The song goes on to detail how this person was once artistic and wild, dancing to the beat of their own drum. They were deeply rooted in their values and refused to compromise for anyone. However, as they began to pursue success, they were lured by the promise of a view from the hill. The song describes how they were convinced that this view would be greater than anything they had ever seen before. They were told that climbing to the top would give them more space to move and room to breathe. In reality, the view they are given is not new at all. They were deceived into believing that the journey to the hill was worth it, but in the end, it was only coming up roses.
Overall, Fish's "View From The Hill" is a cautionary tale about chasing the illusion of success and wealth. It is a warning about the dangers of falling victim to the lure of power, and how it can blind people to real problems in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You sit and think that everything is coming up roses
You believe everything is going well, even though there are problems that you are not recognizing.
But you can't see the weeds that entangle your feet
You are blind to the issues that are holding you back from moving forward.
You can't see the wood for the trees 'cause the forest is burning
You are too focused on the small details to see the bigger picture, which is that everything is falling apart.
And you say it's the smoke in your eyes that's making you cry
You are blaming external factors for your problems instead of acknowledging your own mistakes.
They sold you the view from a hill
Someone convinced you that there was a better, more elevated perspective than the one you had.
They sold you a view from a hill
They convinced you that you needed to see things differently in order to succeed.
You were a dancer and a chancer, a poet and a fool
You were creative and daring, but also foolish and naive.
To the royalty of mayhem you were breaking all the rules
You were rebelling against society's conventions and authority.
Your decadence outstanding, your hopes flying high
You were living luxuriously and dreaming big.
One eye looking over your shoulder, one eye on the hill
You were torn between the past and the future, the familiar and the unknown.
You used to say you were scared of heights, you said you got dizzy
You were apprehensive about taking risks and venturing into the unknown.
You said you didn't like your feet being too far off the ground
You felt uncomfortable with being outside your comfort zone.
But they said that up there you'd find the air would be clearer
They promised that taking risks would lead to greater clarity and understanding.
Promised you more space to move and more room to breathe
They sold you on the idea that taking risks would lead to more freedom and opportunities.
You were holding out forever, thought they'd never turn your mind
You resisted the idea that you needed to change your perspective.
Your ideals they were higher than you ever could have climbed
Your values and beliefs made it difficult for you to accept new ideas or ways of doing things.
We thought they couldn't buy you, that the price would be too high
Others believed that you were too independent and strong-willed to be influenced by others.
That the riches there on offer they just wouldn't turn your eyes
It was believed that material wealth would not be enough to sway your decisions.
But your conscience it was locked up in the prisons of your schemes
You were too focused on your own goals and plans to consider the consequences of your actions.
Your judgment it was blinded by your visions and your dreams
You were so focused on your idealistic goals that you failed to see the reality of the situation.
Praying and hoping that the view from the hill
You are hoping that taking risks and changing your perspective will lead to better outcomes.
Is wider than you've ever seen before
You hope that the new perspective will bring greater clarity and understanding.
For the view from the hill we held our heads so high (smell the roses)
You were overly optimistic and hopeful about the potential benefits of changing your perspective.
All the loved ones that you lied to are strangers left behind
You sacrificed your relationships and integrity in pursuit of your goals.
All the ones that really mattered well you stood on as you climbed
Your success came at the expense of the people who were most important to you.
Holding out for everyone that ever walked in here.
You were holding out hope that all your efforts would be appreciated and recognized.
The edge was inside and you rode it all the way.
You pushed the limits of what was socially acceptable and what you were comfortable with.
You were playing the games that you learned yesterday
You were relying on outdated strategies and tactics to achieve your goals.
Hanging around like a fool with a name
You were still trying to hold onto your reputation and status.
You are holding your place for the view, the view from the hill.
You continue to believe that changing your perspective will lead to greater success.
Look it all for a view from the hill
You searched for a different perspective in order to achieve greater success.
And you find the views no further than you've seen before.
In the end, nothing changed and you found yourself in the same place as before.
It's simply coming up roses.
Despite the lack of progress or change, you continue to see things in a positive light.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DEREK WILLIAM DICK, JANICK GERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind