Giles, Giles and Fripp were a quirky late sixties band featuring brothers M… Read Full Bio ↴Giles, Giles and Fripp were a quirky late sixties band featuring brothers Michael Giles on drums, Peter Giles on bass guitar, and rounded out by Robert Fripp on guitar.

They released only one album, The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp in 1968 by Deram Records.

In 2002 a second release came out, The Brondesbury Tapes, featuring various recordings throughout 1968, with the group augmented by Ian McDonald on saxophone and flute, and Judy Dyble on vocals.

Michael Giles, Fripp and McDonald went on to form the first King Crimson line-up, rounded out by bassist/vocalist Greg Lake and lyricist Peter Sinfield. Peter Giles would go on to appear on the second Crimson album In the Wake of Poseidon in 1970, and more recently joined with 21st Century Schizoid Band. Judy Dyble came from Fairport Convention and would go on to join Trader Horne.

little children
Giles Giles & Fripp Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The innocence of little boys
The taste of love they don't enjoy
But when they look and they see
To where their loving will be
Live love and then they'll learn to play

The innocence of little girls
Their life a world of long tied curls

But when they look and they see
To where their loving will be
Live love and then they'll learn to play

Tastes of love with which they toy
Tastes of life which never cloy
Children will learn and enjoy

Where in this world would they find
truth and peace of mind
except at Downshire Hill?
And will they see liberty
or feel love and charity?
Not at Downshire Hill

Tastes of love with which they toy

Tastes of life which never cloy
Children will learn and enjoy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Giles Giles & Fripp’s song “Little Children” explore themes of innocence, love, and growth. The first two stanzas focus on the innocence of little boys and little girls; the taste of love is unknown to them, but they will learn and play. The third stanza introduces the setting of Downshire Hill, where the search for truth and peace of mind is futile. The final stanza revisits the idea of children learning and enjoying the tastes of love and life.

The lyrics are imbued with a sense of nostalgia for childhood innocence and a yearning for the joy and wonder that seem lost in adulthood. The emphasis on the tastes of love and life suggests a sensual and experiential understanding of the world. However, the mention of Downshire Hill as a place where truth and peace of mind cannot be found adds a note of melancholy and disappointment to the song.

Overall, the lyrics of “Little Children” convey a wistful longing for the purity and promise of childhood, while acknowledging the complexities and disappointments of adult life.

Line by Line Meaning

The innocence of little boys
The pureness and naivety little boys possess

The taste of love they don't enjoy
They are unaware of what it means to be in love

But when they look and they see
When they grow up and experience love

To where their loving will be
They will know where their love belongs

Live love and then they'll learn to play
Experience love, and then they will understand how to live happily

The innocence of little girls
The purity and naivety little girls possess

Their life a world of long tied curls
Their life is full of long hair with ringlets

Tastes of love with which they toy
They experiment with love

Tastes of life which never cloy
They always have an appetite for life

Children will learn and enjoy
They will learn and enjoy life

Where in this world would they find
They search for