Founded by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald and lyricist Peter Sinfield, the band initially focused on a dramatic sound layered with Mellotron, McDonald's saxophone and flute, and Lake's powerful lead vocals. Their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969), remains their most commercially successful and influential release, with a potent mixture of jazz, classical and experimental music. Following the sudden simultaneous departures of McDonald and Giles, with Lake also leaving very shortly afterwards, Fripp and Sinfield assumed direction of the group for In the Wake of Poseidon (1970), Lizard (1970), and Islands (1971) with Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace among the band members during this period. In 1972, Fripp changed the group's instrumentation and approach, drawing from European free improvisation, and developing ever more complex compositions. With Bill Bruford, John Wetton, David Cross and briefly, Jamie Muir, they reached what some saw as a creative peak on Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973), Starless and Bible Black (1974), and Red (1974). Fripp disbanded this group in 1974.
In 1981, Fripp and Bruford reformed King Crimson with another change in musical direction. The new group also included Adrian Belew and Tony Levin. They drew influence from African music, gamelan, post-punk and New York minimalism. This group lasted three years, resulting in the trio of albums Discipline (1981), Beat (1982) and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). Following a decade-long hiatus, Fripp revived the group as a sextet he called the "double trio" in 1994 adding Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn. This group participated in another three-year cycle of activity that included the release of Thrak (1995), and multiple concert recordings. There was a hiatus between 1997 to 2000. Four members of the previous sextet reunited in 2000 as a more industrial-oriented King Crimson, called the "double duo", releasing The Construkction of Light (2000) and The Power to Believe (2003). After a five year hiatus, the group expanded (in the person of new second drummer Gavin Harrison) for a 2008 tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of their 1968 formation.
Following another hiatus (2009–2012), during which Fripp was thought to be retired, King Crimson came together again in 2013; this time as a septet (and, later, octet) with an unusual three-drumkit frontline, and new second guitarist and singer Jakko Jakszyk. This version of King Crimson continued to tour from 2014 to 2021, and released multiple live albums, rearranging and reinterpreting music from across the band's entire 50-year career for the first time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KingCrimson
Studio albums
In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)
Lizard (1970)
Islands (1971)
Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)
Starless and Bible Black (1974)
Red (1974)
Discipline (1981)
Beat (1982)
Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)
Thrak (1995)
The Construkction of Light (2000)
The Power to Believe (2003)
(NOTE: Album covers, band images and YouTube links are not available due to certain legal restrictions imposed on Last.fm by King Crimson's management.)
21st Century Schizoid Man
King Crimson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Neurosurgeons scream for more
At paranoia's poison door
Twenty first century schizoid man
Blood rack, barbed wire
Politicians' funeral pyre
Innocents raped with napalm fire
Death seed blind man's greed
Poets starving, children bleed
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man
The lyrics of King Crimson's song "21st Century Schizoid Man" speak about the horrors and chaos of the modern world. The song begins with "Cat's foot iron claw," which is a metaphor for the brutality and violence that prevails in society. The next line, "Neurosurgeons scream for more," suggests a world where doctors and scientists are driven to push the limits of human capability, without regard for the consequences.
The line, "At paranoia's poison door," hints at the psychological impact of living in such a world that is both insane and poisonous. The chorus, "Twenty first century schizoid man" describes how the modern world has created individuals who are neurotic and struggling to cope with the turbulent reality they are living in. The song talks about other issues such as war, politics, greed, and the exploitation of innocent people. Ultimately, the song highlights the madness and destruction that humans have created to their own detriment.
Line by Line Meaning
Cat's foot iron claw
The 21st century schizoid man is powerful like a cat with strong, oppressive claws.
Neurosurgeons scream for more
The 21st century schizoid man's behavior is so extreme, neurosurgeons (associated with surgical precision and control) are seeking more understanding about it with urgency.
At paranoia's poison door
The schizoid man's mental state is associated with paranoia which is poisonous and can trap one behind a 'door' of fear.
Twenty first century schizoid man
The man described in the song is a product of the era and its pressures, making him isolated and mentally unstable.
Blood rack, barbed wire
The violence in the world has become so common that the image of blood on a torture device and the sharp barbed wire have lost their shock value.
Politicians' funeral pyre
The systems and beliefs created by politicians have become corrupt and are no longer serving society's needs.
Innocents raped with napalm fire
The innocent and powerless are being harmed by warfare and warfare tactics (like napalm fire) that disregard the value and sanctity of life.
Twenty first century schizoid man
The man described in the song is a product of the era and its pressures, making him isolated and mentally unstable.
Death seed blind man's greed
The world is producing a generation of people who are spiritually dead and only motivated by greed, leading to a sense of lost values and depravity.
Poets starving, children bleed
Artistic and creative ways of living are not valued anymore, hence artists and poets are neglected and hungry while children are suffering and in pain.
Nothing he's got he really needs
The 21st century schizoid man is consumed by greed and obsession for material things, without a true sense of fulfillment or purpose.
Twenty first century schizoid man
The man described in the song is a product of the era and its pressures, making him isolated and mentally unstable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robert Fripp, Michael Rex Giles, Greg Lake, Ian Mcdonald, Peter John Sinfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind