After his period with King Crimson, Wetton formed UK, and later he was the frontman and principal songwriter of the supergroup Asia, which proved to be his biggest commercial success. Their self-titled debut album sold eight million copies worldwide and was Billboard magazine's No. 1 album of 1982. He later formed the duo Icon with Geoff Downes (ex-Yes, ex-Buggles), and since the 1990s had a successful solo career releasing a large number of studio and live albums.
He had a long career as an in-demand session bass player, and collaborated with many members of progressive rock bands such as Yes (including Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, Geoff Downes, Alan White, Billy Sherwood and Peter Banks), Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, and Genesis (Steve Hackett).
Wetton grew up in Bournemouth and was in a number of early bands with Richard Palmer-James, on bass and vocals, including, The Corvettes, The Palmer-James Group (formed with Alec James), Tetrad, and Ginger Man.[2] A key early band was Mogul Thrash; after live work with Renaissance, he joined Family and also did various sessions.
Wetton's first big break came when he joined Wimborne, Dorset, musician Robert Fripp in his new line-up of King Crimson in 1972, allowing Wetton to come to the fore as a lead singer and composer. Palmer-James also worked with the band as a lyricist. Wetton remained with the band until Fripp unexpectedly disbanded it in 1974. Wetton continued to work on various projects, including a tour with Roxy Music and two albums with Uriah Heep. In 1977, after failed attempts to reunite King Crimson and create a new band with Rick Wakeman, Wetton and Bruford formed U.K.. Wetton brought into UK keyboard/violin wizard Eddie Jobson, while Bruford brought in guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Upon Bruford and Holdsworth's departure, American percussionist Terry Bozzio joined, making U.K. a threesome a la Emerson, Lake and Palmer. This version of U.K. released the studio album Danger Money and toured in support of Jethro Tull.
Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire, in 1980 after the break-up of U.K. Later that same year, he had a brief stint in Wishbone Ash, contributing bass and vocals to Number The Brave. In 1981, at the urging of Geffen Records' John Kalodner, Wetton started working and writing with Steve Howe, who had most recently been in Yes. They went on to form Asia. with whom Wetton worked until 1983. In that year, Wetton was fired from Asia at the insistence of Geffen Records, ostensibly because of less-than-expected sales of the Alpha album. Wetton was brought back to Asia in 1985, with Mandy Meyer replacing Steve Howe, to complete Astra.
In the late 1980s, Wetton's collaboration with former Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was released as Wetton/Manzanera, with drums provided by Yes's Alan White. Also around this time, Wetton began working again with Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer in an attempt to restart Asia without Steve Howe. Some of the material by this incarnation of Asia made its way onto 1990's Then & Now CD.
The 1990s saw Wetton mostly out of Asia and focusing on a solo career. In 1999, another attempt to reform Asia resulted in Wetton participating in the short-lived progressive rock group Qango with Carl Palmer, John Young, and Dave Kilminster. The group performed several shows in the U.K. and recorded one live album, Live in the Hood, before disbanding when Wetton and Palmer returned to their solo projects.
In the early 2000s, he reunited with Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes for iCon. In 2006, an official reunion of the original Asia line-up (Wetton, Downes, Howe, and Palmer) finally occurred. The studio album titled Phoenix, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha, was released in April 2008 and peaked at No. 73 on the North American Top 200 albums charts. The original line-up released two more studio albums, Omega and XXX before Howe departed in January 2013. With new guitarist Sam Coulson, Asia released Gravitas in March 2014.
In 2013 he guested on the album Grandine il vento with Renaissance, with whom he had played live 42 years before.
Wetton also did extensive work as a session musician with acts such as Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera.
Wetton died on 31 January 2017, from colon cancer.
Band timeline
Mogul Thrash (1971)
Gordon Haskell (1972)
Family (1971-1972)
Larry Norman (1972)
King Crimson (1972-1974)
Uriah Heep (1975-1976)
U.K. (1977-1980, 2011-2015)
Jack-Knife (1979)
Wishbone Ash (1980)
John Wetton (1980–2017)
Asia (1981–1983, 1984–1986, 1989–1991, 2006-2017)
Qango (1999-2000)
Icon (Wetton/Downes) (2002, 2005-2009)
Lost For Words
John Wetton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a street offender moving to the winning side
It scares me senseless that I'm tongue-tied and neglected
"Todo incommunicodo" - absolutely speechless
Back at Pete's apartment overlooking Portman Square
Lacking in the speech department reason why I'm there
Black stretch limo and a dodgy politician
Going round and round
Barking up the wrong tree
Searching high and low
Underneath the back seat
Going round and round
Always landing upside down
Lost for words and never knowing what to say
Lost for words and does it matter anyway?
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over
Always there going round and round
Going up and down
Going round and round
All this talking without a sound
I'm not urging any virgin
I'm determined to be patient
But it's hard to be pragmatic
When the train has left the station
I'm gonna need the service of the lexicon magician
Dancing on a very fine line
Definitely out there
Going round and round
Where on earth could I be?
Searching high and low
Running down a back street
Going round and round
Always landing upside down
Lost for words and never knowing what to say
Lost for words and does it matter anyway?
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over
Always there going round and round
Going up and down
Going round and round
All this talking without a sound
Going round and round
Because I stutter and I'm tongue-tied
Searching high and low
I'm always living on the outside
Going round and round
Always landing upside down
Lost for words and never knowing what to say
Lost for words and does it matter anyway?
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over here we go again
Lost for words
Lost for words and never knowing what to say
Lost for words and does it matter anyway?
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over
Lost for words
Always there going round and round
Going up and down
Going round and round
All this talking without a sound
The lyrics of John Wetton's "Lost For Words" depict a sense of helplessness and disconnection. The song talks about being unable to communicate and express oneself in a situation, causing feelings of being lost and misunderstood. The first verse, "Sweet surrender on your slippery slide, I'm a street offender moving to the winning side, it scares me senseless that I'm tongue-tied and neglected, 'Todo incommunicodo' - absolutely speechless," describes a situation of giving in to something that is difficult to control, going along with the flow, but feeling like one's voice is not being heard. The use of Spanish in the last line signifies that the feeling of being lost for words is so intense that one cannot even articulate it in their own language.
The song portrays being in a scenario or an environment where one feels like an outsider, as described in the second verse, "Back at Pete's apartment overlooking Portman Square, lacking in the speech department reason why I'm there, black stretch limo and a dodgy politician, looking like a helpless dead duck, terribly bad luck." This verse is an example of how society's elite circles can be intimidating and difficult to navigate. The feeling of being "lost for words" becomes more intense as one attempts to communicate in such an environment.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "lost for words" and expresses the central theme of the song. The words "always there, going round and round, going up and down" imply that the feeling of being lost for words is not temporary and occurs repeatedly. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "lost for words" which signifies the feeling's persistence.
· The song was released on John Wetton's solo album "Arkangel" in 1997.
· The album featured appearances by notable musicians including Steve Hackett, Robert Fripp, and Peter Frampton.
· John Wetton was the lead singer and bassist for the iconic progressive rock band 'King Crimson' and also formed the supergroup 'Asia.'
· 'Lost for Words' was produced by David Lord, who has worked with artists like Peter Gabriel and Tears for Fears.
· The song was co-written by John Wetton with guitarist Phil Manzanera, who is known for his work with Roxy Music.
· There are two guitar solos in the song, played by Martin Orford and Phil Manzanera.
· The song has been performed by John Wetton and his band live numerous times, and several recordings of those performances are available.
· The lyrics of the song were written in collaboration with Wetton's long-time friend and writing partner, Richard Palmer-James.
· The album 'Arkangel' peaked at number 60 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned a single release for the song 'Heart of Darkness.'
· The song 'Lost for Words' has been covered by notable artists such as Anneke van Giersbergen and Steve Hackett.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for this song are not available.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet surrender on your slippery slide
Giving in to temptation and succumbing to a difficult situation
I'm a street offender moving to the winning side
Taking a risk and changing course to improve your situation
It scares me senseless that I'm tongue-tied and neglected
Feeling anxious and ignored due to an inability to express oneself
"Todo incommunicodo" - absolutely speechless
Completely incapable of communication
Back at Pete's apartment overlooking Portman Square
Returning to a familiar location with a specific view
Lacking in the speech department reason why I'm there
Feeling inadequate in terms of communication skills, which is the reason for being there
Black stretch limo and a dodgy politician
A car and a person that represent dishonesty and corruption
Looking like a helpless dead duck, terribly bad luck
Appearing hopeless and unlucky in a difficult situation
Going round and round
Repeating a cycle without progress
Barking up the wrong tree
Pursuing a pointless course of action
Searching high and low
Looking extensively for a solution or answer
Underneath the back seat
Finding something in a hidden or unexpected location
Always landing upside down
Consistently ending up in a bad situation
Lost for words and never knowing what to say
Feeling completely unable to express oneself
Lost for words and does it matter anyway?
Questioning the importance of communication in a given situation
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over
Feeling hopeless and unable to recover from a situation
All this talking without a sound
Saying things without any effect or impact
I'm not urging any virgin
Not advocating for someone inexperienced
I'm determined to be patient
Being resolved to waiting and enduring
But it's hard to be pragmatic
Difficult to be practical and rational
When the train has left the station
When it's too late to change course or prevent something from happening
I'm gonna need the service of the lexicon magician
Requiring the assistance of a person with great linguistic skill
Dancing on a very fine line
Navigating a situation with great skill and precision
Definitely out there
Certainly unusual and unconventional
Where on earth could I be?
Feeling lost and unsure of one's location
Running down a back street
Desperately searching for something in a less-traveled area
Because I stutter and I'm tongue-tied
Experiencing difficulty in speech due to a physical or emotional reason
I'm always living on the outside
Feeling excluded from a group or community
Lost for words 'cause when I think it's over here we go again
Feeling hopeless about repeating a cycle
Lost for words
Unable to express oneself
Writer(s): BILLY SHERWOOD, JOHN KENNETH WETTON
Contributed by Katherine Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HARDAOREDGE
Bournemouth's pride. Riding with angels. Sorely missed
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
John Wetton made music for us all to love now until eternity. He lived an extraordinary life. He inspires the rock and roll dream within me. Without John Wetton the smile has left the eyes of so many. Now that he is gone the brightest ring around the moon has truly darkened. He is indeed sorely missed. May his soul ride easy on the wings of heaven.
Gwen Sciora
ride easy... man do I miss JW.
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
It hurts badly knowing that John Wetton is gone though his wondrous spirit lives on through his extraordinary music.