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)
The Moon Is Down
Gentle Giant Lyrics
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The moon is down
With a gold colored bird through the cloud flies
The moon is down
Look East to the Sun, Oh where do they run
Look East to the Sun, Oh where do they run
They live in my dreams,
In my dreams, in my dreams
And the Moon and the Earth they were mating
The moon is down
And the Angels of hell they were waiting
The moon is down
Oh bride of the winds, Reward for their sins
Oh bride of the winds, Reward for their sins
They live in my dreams,
In my dreams, in my dreams
There's a chaos of visions and voices
Sad is the laugh of the clown
Now the old moon is down.
The lyrics to Gentle Giant's song "The Moon Is Down" paint a vivid picture of a surreal, dreamlike world. The verses describe a horse riding up through red skies while a gold-colored bird flies through the clouds. The chorus speaks of looking east towards the sun and beings living in the singer's dreams.
The second verse continues the surreal imagery, describing the moon and earth "mating" and the angels of hell waiting. The third and final verse brings a sense of chaos and sadness, with a "chaos of visions and voices" and a lament for the old moon now being down.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of a strange, mystical world where anything can happen, and where the line between reality and dreams is blurred or nonexistent. The imagery is striking and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
And the horse riding up through the red skies
A poetic description of an image of a horse moving through the red skies
The moon is down
The moon is not visible in the sky
With a gold colored bird through the cloud flies
A poetic description of a bird flying through the clouds with a golden color
The moon is down
The moon is not visible in the sky
Look East to the Sun, Oh where do they run
Asking where the Sun goes when it sets in the West
Look East to the Sun, Oh where do they run
Asking where the Sun goes when it sets in the West
They live in my dreams,
In my dreams, in my dreams
Repeating the idea that these images are from the singer's imagination
And the Moon and the Earth they were mating
A poetic description of an image of the Moon and Earth coming together in the sky
The moon is down
The moon is not visible in the sky
And the Angels of hell they were waiting
A poetic description of an image of dark, ominous beings waiting for something
The moon is down
The moon is not visible in the sky
Oh bride of the winds, Reward for their sins
Metaphorically referring to the wind as a bride and the idea of sin and punishment
Oh bride of the winds, Reward for their sins
Metaphorically referring to the wind as a bride and the idea of sin and punishment
They live in my dreams,
In my dreams, in my dreams
Repeating the idea that these images are from the singer's imagination
There's a chaos of visions and voices
Describing the overwhelming nature of the images and sounds in the singer's mind
Sad is the laugh of the clown
Referencing the melancholic nature of a clown's laughter
Now the old moon is down.
Reiterating that the moon is not currently visible in the sky
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK SHULMAN, KERRY MINNEAR, PHILIP SHULMAN, RAYMOND SHULMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind