1. Kayak is a legendary Du… Read Full Bio ↴There are four bands with the name Kayak.
1. Kayak is a legendary Dutch progressive rock band, mostly known during the 1970’s. Formed from the ashes of the group High Tide Formation (who released only one single before disbanding), the early sound was typified by the contrasting songwriting styles of keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel and drummer Pim Koopman, as well as the distinctive vocals of Max Werner.
The band saw an increasing streamlining of their songwriting, as well as greater commercial fortunes, over the years, hitting their peak of popularity with the smash success of their single “Ruthless queen”, a sizable European hit from their 1979 album, Phantom Of The Night.
Kayak disbanded in 1981, after their semi-conceptual Merlin and subsequent live album Eyewitness. Ton Scherpenzeel subsequently joined progressive rock legends Camel and contributed to their 1984 album Stationary Traveller, as well as to 1999's Rajaz.
Kayak reunited in 2000, releasing one of their best albums yet: Close to the Fire, with a guest appearance of Andrew Latimer of Camel. Being active ever since, Kayak released two further conceptual opuses: Merlin: Bard of the Unseen (an elaboration of their 1981 album) and Nostradamus: The Fate of Man.
In 2007 the band released the live CD KAYAKoustic, to return in 2008 with a new studio album called Coming Up For Air. The coinciding tour celebrated their 35th Anniversary.
Current line up: Ton Scherpenzeel (keyboards) Pim Koopman (drums) Edward Reekers (voc) Cindy Oudshoorn (voc) Joost Vergoossen (guitr) Rob Vunderink (voc, guitr) and Jan van Olffen (bass).
On 23 November 2009, drummer Pim Koopman unexpectedly died of sudden heart faillure...all concerts were cancelled for the remainder of 2009 and for 2010
2. Hardcore/metal band from Moscow, Russia consisting of The Price of One Day ex-members.
3. Kayak is a new electronic artist from Zig-Zag Records
4. Ayong, the drummer of Chinese post-rock band 48V, produces electronic music using the name kayak (styled in lower case).
Life Without Parole
Kayak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm made her middle man
She promised me protection
And money in the bank
She said she'd never leave me
Or just the odd break
So I was getting greedy
'Cause she's got what it takes
And I take what I'm given
Come to me, come to me
Talent is no guarantee
Come to me, come to me
Help me save my energy
I'm bending over backwards
Just to satisfy her soul
All she ever gave to me
Was life without parole
She took me for a dander
Told stories on the way
'Bout the goose and the gander
And when she's gonna pay
She treats me like a hostage
And takes me for a fool
I guess that's what I am now
'Cause she's got what it takes
And she takes what she's given...
Come to me, come to me
Talent is no guarantee
Come to me, come to me
Help me save my energy
I'm bending over backwards
Just to satisfy her soul
All she ever gave to me
Was life without parole
Time, I'm doing time, I'm doing fine
But I've got to be prepared
For going it alone
In time, I'm doing time, I'm doing fine
But my prison won't be shared
When she goes out on her own
The song "Life Without Parole" by Kayak talks about a toxic relationship where the singer is stuck with his partner, who promised him protection and money but ended up treating him like a hostage. He is made the middle man in her affairs and has to constantly satisfy her soul without getting anything in return. The woman is taking advantage of the singer as he is getting greedy and feels trapped in this relationship.
The lyrics "All she ever gave to me was life without parole" represents how the singer feels chained and helpless in the relationship. He is trapped in a prison with no possibility of parole or freedom because of his partner's manipulations. The line "Talent is no guarantee" is a warning to others that just because someone has the talent, it doesn't necessarily mean they are trustworthy or will treat you fairly.
Moreover, the phrase "Doing time" in the song signifies that the singer is living like he is in prison as he has to be prepared for living alone in the future when his partner decides to move on. The song speaks to the struggles of people who find themselves in a toxic relationship, where they are not appreciated but still unable to leave. It highlights the consequences of falling for someone's facade and being trapped in a relationship with no hope of escape.
Line by Line Meaning
In showing her affection
I acted as a mediator for her love life
I'm made her middle man
I was in between her and others
She promised me protection
She pledged to take care of me
And money in the bank
Plus give me a comfortable life
She said she'd never leave me
She vowed to never abandon me
Or just the odd break
Or at least give me a little time off
So I was getting greedy
I became too selfish
'Cause she's got what it takes
Because she has the qualities I need
And I take what I'm given
And I accept what she offers me
Come to me, come to me
You should come to me
Talent is no guarantee
Having potential doesn't ensure success
Help me save my energy
Assist me in conserving my effort
I'm bending over backwards
I'm making a tremendous effort
Just to satisfy her soul
Just to make her happy
All she ever gave to me
All she ever provided me
Was life without parole
Was an existence without freedom
She took me for a dander
She led me for a walk
Told stories on the way
And recounted tales as we went
'Bout the goose and the gander
Regarding how others interact
And when she's gonna pay
And when she'll settle her debts
She treats me like a hostage
She acts towards me like I'm captive
And takes me for a fool
And thinks I'm easily deceived
I guess that's what I am now
I suppose that's my current state
Come to me, come to me
You should come to me
Talent is no guarantee
Having potential doesn't ensure success
Help me save my energy
Assist me in conserving my effort
I'm bending over backwards
I'm making a tremendous effort
Just to satisfy her soul
Just to make her happy
All she ever gave to me
All she ever provided me
Was life without parole
Was an existence without freedom
Time, I'm doing time, I'm doing fine
I'm okay with serving time
But I've got to be prepared
But I need to be ready
For going it alone
To handle it on my own
In time, I'm doing time, I'm doing fine
I'm okay with serving time
But my prison won't be shared
But I'll be the only one held back
When she goes out on her own
When she leaves me to be independent
Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.