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)
Raconteur Troubadour
Gentle Giant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come good people both wretched and fair.
See the troubadour play on the drum
Hear my songs on the lute that I strum.
I will make you laugh,
Revel, Merry-dance.
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of
There's no other chance,
Always move on
Raconteur, troubadour.
Take the face that you see for the man,
Clown and minstrel, I am what I am.
All my family, not of my kin.
Home, wherever, the place that I'm in.
Humors give me wage,
Favors for my art.
Rising, falling
Everyone struggle on.
All the world's a stage
All can play their part.
I have chosen
Raconteur, troubadour.
Dusk is drawing my story is spun,
Dawn is falling my day's work is done.
Morning, rested I set on my way.
Find new faces to offer my play.
I will make you laugh,
Revel, Merry-dance.
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of
The story-telling half.
There's no other chance.
Always move on
Raconteur-Troubadour.
The Gentle Giant's "Raconteur Troubadour" is a song that transports listeners back to medieval times where troubadours and raconteurs were popular in the village squares. The song encourages people from all walks of life to gather around and listen to the troubadour play on his drum and sing songs on the lute he strums. He assures the listeners that he will make them laugh, revel, and merry-dance, promising them more of the story-telling half if they throw some pennies his way.
The song talks about how, as a troubadour, the singer takes the face that people see and doesn't care if he is perceived as a clown or a minstrel. His family is not of his kin, and he considers home to be wherever he is at the moment. In return for his art, he gets humors that give him a wage, and he rises and falls as everyone struggles on. The raconteur troupe believes all world's a stage, and everyone can play their part. For himself, he has chosen to be a raconteur troubadour.
As the day ends, the singer's story is spun, and he looks forward to a new day with new faces to offer his play. He is in a constant state of moving on, never lingering too long in one place. In summary, "Raconteur Troubadour" celebrates the art of storytelling, the importance of keeping the audience amused, and the lifestyle of a traveling minstrel who embraced the beauty of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Gather round the village square
Come together, people of all walks of life, to the central meeting place of the village
Come good people both wretched and fair.
All people are welcome to come, no matter their station in life
See the troubadour play on the drum
Watch as the musician plays on their drum
Hear my songs on the lute that I strum.
Listen to my songs as I play them on my lute
I will make you laugh,
Through my performance, I aim to bring joy and laughter to your day
Revel, Merry-dance.
Join me in the revelry and merriment as we dance together
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
If you throw some coins my way, I'll share more of my stories with you
More of the story-telling half.
I have tales to tell, and I'm happy to share them with anyone who's willing to listen
There's no other chance,
Seize this moment, as there may not be another opportunity
Always move on
Never stay in one place for too long, always keep traveling and exploring
Raconteur, troubadour.
I'm a storyteller and musician, and that's what I'll always be
Take the face that you see for the man,
Don't judge someone based on their outward appearance
Clown and minstrel, I am what I am.
I embrace my identity as a jester and musician
All my family, not of my kin.
My fellow performers and travelers are like family to me, even if we're not blood-related
Home, wherever, the place that I'm in.
I feel at home wherever I go and can find comfort in unfamiliar places
Humors give me wage,
My ability to bring joy and laughter to others is what earns me a living
Favors for my art.
I'm grateful for any recognition or support I receive for my performances
Rising, falling
Life is full of ups and downs
Everyone struggle on.
Despite the difficulties we all face, we must keep persevering
All the world's a stage
Life itself is like a performance, and we all play our own parts
All can play their part.
Everyone has something to contribute to the world
I have chosen
I've made a conscious decision to lead this life as a performer
Dusk is drawing my story is spun,
As the day comes to a close, so does my performance
Dawn is falling my day's work is done.
As the sun sets, it's time for me to rest after a long day of playing and storytelling
Morning, rested I set on my way.
With a good night's sleep, I'm ready to begin my travels and performances once again
Find new faces to offer my play.
I'll seek out new audiences to share my stories and music with
Always move on
As a performer, I must keep traveling and exploring to find new inspiration and experiences
Raconteur-Troubadour.
I'm a storyteller and musician first and foremost, and that's what I'll always be
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEREK VICTOR SHULMAN, KERRY CHURCHILL MINNEAR, PHILIP ARTHUR SHULMAN, RAY SHULMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thegreenwood6645
Gather round the village square
Come good people both wretched and fair
See the troubadour play on the drum
Hear my songs on the lute that I strum
I will make you laugh
Revel, Merry-dance
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of
The story-telling half
There's no other chance
Always move on
Raconteur, troubadour
Take the face that you see for the man
Clown and minstrel, I am what I am
All my family, not of my kin
Home, wherever, the place that I'm in
Humors give me wage
Favors for my art
Rising, falling
Everyone struggle on
All the world's a stage
All can play their part
I have chosen
Raconteur, troubadour
Dusk is drawing my story is spun
Dawn is falling my day's work is done
Morning, rested I set on my way
Find new faces to offer my play
I will make you laugh
Revel, Merry-dance
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of
The story-telling half
There's no other chance
Always move on
Raconteur-Troubadour
@franciscojavierrodriguez8236
Gather round the village square
Come good people both wretched and fair
See the troubadour play on the drum
Hear my songs on the lute that I strum
I will make you laugh
Revel, Merry-dance
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of
The story-telling half
There's no other chance
Always move on
Raconteur, troubadour
Take the face that you see for the man
Clown and minstrel, I am what I am
All my family, not of my kin
Home, wherever, the place that I'm in
Humors give me wage
Favors for my art
Rising, falling
Everyone struggle on
All the world's a stage
All can play their part
I have chosen
Raconteur, troubadour
Dusk is drawing my story is spun
Dawn is falling my day's work is done
Morning, rested I set on my way
Find new faces to offer my play
I will make you laugh
Revel, Merry-dance
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of
The story-telling half
There's no other chance
Always move on
Raconteur-Troubadour
@alanrowland6971
Ray Shulman has to be one of the best musicians in the prog camp. Killer bassline’s and absolutely stunning violin work.GG have always been up there for me.
@profk3742
I think Ray is one of the most underrated and overlooked bassist ever. He's as technical as most bass players at this time (Chris Squire, Geddy, John Wetton) Hell, he could probably keep up with Jaco and Stanley Clarke...
@alanrowland6971
I agree ! He is flawless and definitely up there with all the bassists you mentioned 😎
@mauromontobbio8522
And guitarist as well! His acoustic duets with Gary Green are amazing!
@alanrowland6971
@Mauro Montobbio yes especially on acoustic !knots/octopus live is amazing the way they look at each other on the live footage is joyful they are buzzing off each other’s musical chemistry 😎
@rl1069
Absolutely great chops. A bass player's bass player. R.I.P., Ray Shulman.
@filipetomaz1097
When you don't need LSD to trip inside your mind! A masterpiece! Greetings from Brazil!
@AnArchyRulzz
It's even better with LSD, but I get your point haha
@JoeSzilagy
I've always thought of this as the most 'timeless' song I've ever heard! Doesn't sound dated, nor from a particular era. Just plain great!
@KlausSgroi
One of my favourite GG tunes.