The band's onetime stated aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular," although this stance was to alter significantly with time. While never achieving the commercial heights of progressive rock contemporaries such as Jethro Tull, Genesis, Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant was considered to be one of the most experimental bands in the genre (as well as one of the most experimental rock bands of the 1970s).
Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swathe of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music. Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated mediaeval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements. The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal events but from philosophy and the works of both François Rabelais and R. D. Laing.
Band members:
Members of classic lineup listed in bold.
Derek Shulman - lead vocals, saxophone, recorder, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, "Shulberry" (3-string custom electric ukulele) (1970-1980)
Ray Shulman - bass, trumpet, violin, vocals, viola, drums, percussion, recorder, guitar (1970-1980)
Kerry Minnear - keyboards, lead vocals (on recordings only), cello, vibraphone, xylophone, recorder, guitar, bass, drums (1970-1980)
Gary Green - guitar, mandolin, vocals, recorder, bass, drums, xylophone (1970-1980)
John Weathers - drums, percussion, vibraphone, xylophone, vocals, guitar (1972-1980)
Phil Shulman - lead vocals, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, recorder, percussion (1970–72)
Martin Smith - drums, percussion (1970–1971)
Malcolm Mortimore - drums, percussion (1971–1972)
Nothing At All
Gentle Giant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching the waters glide by,
With a sigh
And the things she put faith in
Are ripples just waving her by
With a sigh
She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss
She's nothing at all
Now the wind seems so cold
Seems all old as it laughs at her fears
And her tears
And as ducks swim away from her
Visions of past love appear
In her tears
She sees love in his face as she tells him to go,
And so, here's a girl who had everything now
She's nothing at all
What could she do if she saw him now;
Now that he's gone she's losing
If she could see what she's seeing now
For sure she's more than just choosing
Now she sits by the riverside
Watching the waters glide by,
With a sigh
And the things she put faith in
Are ripples just waving her by,
With a sigh
She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss
Ah this, little girl who had everything finds
She's nothing at all
The lyrics of Gentle Giant's song "Nothing At All" depict the story of a woman who has lost everything that once mattered to her. She sits by the riverside, watching the waters glide by in despair, with a sigh. The things she once believed in, perhaps love and happiness, are just like ripples that pass by her without affecting her in any way.
As she watches lovers passing by, it becomes evident that the little girl who had everything has lost it all. The wind seems colder and makes her feel old, and it mocks her fears and tears. As ducks swim away from her, she sees visions of her past love that slowly appear in her tears.
She regrets letting him go and wonders what she could do if she saw him again. However, now that he's gone, she's losing herself, and what she sees now is more than just a choice - it's her reality. The song suggests that life can be fleeting and unpredictable, and it's important to hold on to what's important and make the most of it while you have the chance.
Line by Line Meaning
Now she sits by the riverside
The girl is sitting by the river
Watching the waters glide by,
She is observing the river flow
With a sigh
She is experiencing a feeling of sadness
And the things she put faith in
The girl had belief in something
Are ripples just waving her by
Those beliefs are leaving her behind as the river flows
With a sigh
She is feeling despondent
She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss
The girl sees couples deeply in love
Ah this, little girl who had everything finds
The girl used to have everything but now...
She's nothing at all
...she has nothing at all.
Now the wind seems so cold
The wind feels chilly to her
Seems all old as it laughs at her fears
The wind feels ancient and mocks her anxieties
And her tears
The girl is crying
And as ducks swim away from her
The ducks are swimming away from her
Visions of past love appear
She sees memories of her past love
In her tears
These memories are making her cry
She sees love in his face as she tells him to go,
She remembers seeing love in her lover's face when she broke it off
And so, here's a girl who had everything now
The girl who used to possess everything...
She's nothing at all
...now belongs to nothing.
What could she do if she saw him now;
What would she do if she saw him now?
Now that he's gone she's losing
She feels that she is losing something valuable
If she could see what she's seeing now
If she could have foreseen her current situation...
For sure she's more than just choosing
...she would have made a different decision.
Now she sits by the riverside
The girl is back at the river
Watching the waters glide by,
She is once again observing the river flow
With a sigh
She is still experiencing a feeling of sadness
And the things she put faith in
The girl had belief in something
Are ripples just waving her by,
Those beliefs are leaving her behind as the river flows
With a sigh
She is still feeling despondent
She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss
The girl sees couples deeply in love
Ah this, little girl who had everything finds
The girl used to have everything but now...
She's nothing at all
...she has nothing at all.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK SHULMAN, KERRY MINNEAR, PHILIP SHULMAN, RAYMOND SHULMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joaolanita3000
A ida ao que era
O caminho que vem
A estrada que é
Feita a pé
Feita a apanhar
Pedras e deitar
Novamente
Mas mais à frente.
Passa um carro
De repente
Para te acordar
Para o presente,
Diluir-se na mente
Tomar-se
De repente
Como um comprimido.
Um presente comprido
Numa passagem comprida
Numa estrada tremida
Em direção à vida
@clovisragno9486
One of the most brilliant rock bands.
@joaopauloribeiro89
The most
@rolandoribes6758
Música para músicos, compleja, y de altísima calidad
@laurentogorman5957
prog - rock ^ - )
@thomassicard3733
I am leaning towards saying THE MOST BRILLIANT rock band... but they are THE MOST BRILLIANT PROG ROCK BAND.
@charbelel-hani5199
The band simply tells me the story of my life. Listening to them since I was 12. That was 40 years ago. Four decades and never stopped listening
@thomassicard3733
I was introduced to GG by my sister, Katherine. She's 4 years older than me. She bought the Free Hand LP. I deeply listened to it - Marantz sound system with tri-axial speakers/15" woofers...
GLORIOUS. That and Aja by Steely Dan. Oh, yeah... there was Boston around then, too... Lot's of great stuff. GG is EXTRAORDINARILY SPECIAL.
@tixximmi1
More popular today than 50 years ago. Only special bands can do that.
@philk1853
Well put, and accurate. The lads from the group often appear on YouTube chats, nowadays
@simonjones8111
One of GG’s most beautiful, haunting tracks, and on their first album. 1970 saw some awesome stuff released and this was one of the best!