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).
Merlin
Kayak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holding the secrets which were born inside this crystal grave
I'm the seeker, my mind's my tool
Call me magician or fool
There's a place in the hills
Where I practice my skills
Bard of the unseen, a prophet, I'm Merlin
I've seen it all in the stars
I've heard it all in the wind, there's a voice in the dark
Making me answer the sign
Only the Gods choose the time for the voice in the dark
Take a look at the Falcon, make sure that I'll follow its trail
Leading through the Wild Forest, you know he's in search of the Grail
I'm Merlin I know how to cope
When visions appear in my globe
The sorcerer in the black robe
I am Merlin
Though my face is a mask, yet I know what's my task
I'll be guardian of Arthur, the regent, the future king
The fire of wisdom reveals me everything
The mirror flashed, a vision passed as I heard voices sing
I'm always living alone
An ancient cave is my home, see the look in my eyes
They think I'm a mysterious man
'Cause people do all they can to avoid evil eyes
Making signs just to ward off enchantment but don't beafraid
If you're ever in need of me I'll surely come to your aid
I've been given the gift of the Sight
I'm Merlin the Child of the Light
My power can strike people blind
I am Merlin
In Kayak's song "Merlin," the lyrics describe the life and experiences of the famous wizard Merlin, known for his role as advisor to King Arthur in Arthurian legends. The song dives into the themes of magic, mysticism, and prophecy associated with Merlin's character. The opening lines of the song speak of hidden treasures and secrets that are locked away in Merlin's cave, which suggests that he has an intimate knowledge of secrets that the rest of the world is not privy to. The line "Call me magician or fool" points to the way society often views those who possess knowledge that others do not understand.
The song then transitions to describe Merlin's role as a prophet with the ability to see into the future. He practices his skills in a secret place in the hills and refers to himself as the "bard of the unseen" who can see things others cannot. He has seen everything in the stars and heard everything in the wind, which shows his awareness of the natural world and his ability to understand its signs. The chorus reinforces this idea of a powerful voice in the dark which only the gods can choose the time to answer.
The song closes with the powerful image of Merlin being the guardian of Arthur, the future king. He is described as the "child of the light" whose power can sometimes strike people blind with his own vision. All in all, Kayak's song offers an insightful and imaginative perspective on the figure of Merlin, portraying him as a powerful and enigmatic figure who has access to a knowledge and understanding of reality that others can only dream of.
Line by Line Meaning
Finding the treasures that lay hidden in my lonely cave
Searching for the hidden gems within my isolated mind
Holding the secrets which were born inside this crystal grave
Keeping the knowledge that was formed within my pure and clear thoughts
I'm the seeker, my mind's my tool
I am the discoverer, using my brain as my equipment
Call me magician or fool
Refer to me as either an illusionist or an ignorant person
There's a place in the hills
I have a location amidst the peaks
Where I practice my skills
Where I rehearse and hone my abilities
Bard of the unseen, a prophet, I'm Merlin
A musician of the invisible realm, a foreteller, I'm the wizard named Merlin
My dreams are real
My fantasies are true
I've seen it all in the stars
I was witness to everything in the sky
I've heard it all in the wind, there's a voice in the dark
I've comprehended everything spoken by the breeze, there's a sound in the abyss
Making me answer the sign
Urging me to react to the signal
Only the Gods choose the time for the voice in the dark
Only the divine can select when the voice from the depth shall speak
Take a look at the Falcon, make sure that I'll follow its trail
Observe the bird of prey, confirm that I'll pursue its path
Leading through the Wild Forest, you know he's in search of the Grail
Guiding through the untamed woods, you realize it's seeking the Holy Grail
I'm Merlin I know how to cope
I'm Merlin, I understand how to manage the situation
When visions appear in my globe
When sights manifest in my orb-like instrument
The sorcerer in the black robe
The wizard wearing the dark garment
I am Merlin
I'm Merlin
Though my face is a mask, yet I know what's my task
Despite my countenance being a facade, I'm aware of my mission
I'll be guardian of Arthur, the regent, the future king
I'll be the protector of Arthur, the ruler, the forthcoming sovereign
The fire of wisdom reveals me everything
The blaze of sagacity unravels all to me
The mirror flashed, a vision passed as I heard voices sing
The reflecting surface flickered, a sight flew by and I listened to songs
I'm always living alone
I'm always residing in solitude
An ancient cave is my home, see the look in my eyes
An age-old cavern is my abode, perceive the expression in my gaze
They think I'm a mysterious man
They assume I'm an enigmatic individual
'Cause people do all they can to avoid evil eyes
Because individuals make every effort to elude the gaze of harm
Making signs just to ward off enchantment but don't be afraid
Making gestures merely to repel magic, but don't be frightened
If you're ever in need of me I'll surely come to your aid
If you're ever requiring my assistance, I'll certainly arrive to help you
I've been given the gift of the Sight
I've been bestowed the gift of seeing
I'm Merlin the Child of the Light
I'm Merlin, the descendant of illumination
My power can strike people blind
My ability can impair individuals' vision
I am Merlin
I'm Merlin
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IRENE LINDERS, TON SCHERPENZEEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JR Borghuis
Finding the treasures that lay hidden in my lonely cave
Holding the secrets which were born inside this crystal
Grave
I'm the seeker my mind's my tool
Call me magician or fool
There's a place in the hills
Where I practice my skills
Bard of the unseen, a prophet I'm Merlin
My dreams are real
I've seen it all in the stars
I've heard it all in the wind
There's a voice in the dark
Making me answer the sign
Only the gods choose the time
For the voice in the dark
Take a look at the falcon make sure that I'll follow
Its trail
Leading through the wild forest, you know he's in
Search of the grail
I'm Merlin I know how to cope
When visions appear in my globe
the sorcerer in the black robe
I am Merlin
Though my face is a mask yet I know what's my task
I'll be guardian of Arthur, the regent, the future king
The fire of wisdom reveals me everything
The mirror flashed, a vision passed
As I heard voices sing
I'm always living alone
An ancient cave is my home
See the look in my eyes
They think I'm a mysterious man
Cause people do all they can
To avoid evil eyes
Making signs just to ward off enchantment but don't be
Afraid
If you're ever in need of me I'll surely come to your
Aid
I've been given the gift of the sight
I'm Merlin the child of the light
My power can strike people blind
I am Merlin
trevizons
This is what KAYAK is all about, great and perfect performances, full of emotion, feeling, complex and beautiful arrangements, personality in each and every member, professionalism, quality and sincere playing, originality, things that quite seldom you will see in new bands nowadays, I do miss Pim, but the new album follows perfectly well this stream of greatness !
Crecer y aprender
one of the Best songs of all times in the history of rock&roll and i have more than 50 years listening all kind of rock
Bob Ross
Stop drinking mate.
Carrinthe
This is an absolute masterpiece, second to none.
progniu progg
Armando, I totally agree, you're someone who has the same feeling as me,
Ton Scherpenzeel is a great musician and composer ...
VSB Videoproducties
Ben bijna 50, Kayak was wel in the picture maar mijn hart lag meer in AC-DC en meer van dat soort bands. Ongeveer in 2000 ben ik de muziek van Kayak meer gaan waarderen en heb zelfs mijn Border Collie Kay genoemd. Vanaf dat moment heb ik Kayak niet meer losgelaten en is de muziek van Kayak voor mij meer dan muziek alleen en gelukkig is mijn vriendin ook helemaal Kayak fan geworden. Wij genieten van de muziek de lyrics en natuurlijk de optreden waar we regelmatig te vinden zijn.
Agung Wibowo
this is the best progresive rock band from holland, their composition and arrangement so melodius but still ok to hear, kayak its great
Gianluca Cagnani
This is amazing! God bless these great musicians.
Glenn Adema
Voor mij is de mooiste sound in het hele kayak spectrum… ton op piano, edward op vocals combi. Met deze 2 ingredienten wordt alles al snel steengoed. Verder was dit natuurlijk een super setting zo met zn allen. How time flies…
lorem ipsum
I love watching Pim playing the drums, what a technique, precision and arrangement. Wished I could have seen them live together
R.I.P. my favourite drummer