Book of Saturday
King Crimson Lyrics


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If I only could deceive you
Forgetting the game
Every time I try to leave you
You laugh just the same

'Cause my wheels never touch the road
And the jumble of lies we told
Just returns to my back to weigh me down

We lay cards upon the table
The backs of our hands
And I swear I like your people
The boys in the band

Reminiscences gone astray
Coming back to enjoy the fray
In a tangle of night and daylight sounds

doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
doo doo doo doo

All completeness in the morning
Asleep on your side
I'll be waking up the crewmen
Banana-boat ride

She responds like limousine
Brought alive on the silent screen
To the shuddering breath of yesterday

There's the succor of the needy
Incredible scenes
I'll believe you in the future
Your life and death dreams

As the cavalry of despair
Takes a stand in the lady's hair
For the favor of making sweet sixteen

You make my life and times




A book of bluesy Saturdays
And I have to choose

Overall Meaning

King Crimson's "Book of Saturday" is a haunting ballad that speaks of the complexities of relationships and the difficult choices one has to make when caught up in them. The song opens with the singer expressing his desire to deceive his lover, but he can't seem to do it as she always seems to see through his facade. His wheels never touch the road implies that he is in a state of limbo, undecided between deception and desertion. Meanwhile, the lies they have told each other keep weighing him down.


As the song progresses, the singer becomes more reflective, pondering on the memories gone astray and the tangled web of night and daylight sounds that seem to surround him. He speaks of completeness in the morning, a moment of peace that he experiences when asleep beside his lover. However, that peace is short-lived as he has to wake up the crewmen for the banana-boat ride, symbolizing the cyclical nature of relationships.


The song ends with the singer acknowledging the fact that his lover makes his life and times a book of bluesy Saturdays. He has to choose between staying and enduring the complexities of the relationship or leaving and facing an uncertain future. The song captures the vulnerability and uncertainty that often accompany romantic relationships, leaving the listener with a sense of melancholy and introspection.


Line by Line Meaning

If I only could deceive you
If only I could trick you


Forgetting the game
Ignoring the rules


Every time I try to leave you
Whenever I attempt to depart from you


You laugh just the same
You react with amusement, regardless


'Cause my wheels never touch the road
Because I am never truly grounded or honest


And the jumble of lies we told
And the confusion caused by our dishonesty


Just returns to my back to weigh me down
Merely comes right back to burden me


We lay cards upon the table
We reveal our hands openly


The backs of our hands
The sides not seen by the other player


And I swear I like your people
And I genuinely appreciate those you associate with


The boys in the band
The male musicians


Reminiscences gone astray
Memories become foggy


Coming back to enjoy the fray
Resurfacing to be relished


In a tangle of night and daylight sounds
Amidst the cacophony of darkness and light


doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Instrumental interlude


All completeness in the morning
Everything is whole in the morning


Asleep on your side
Lying down on one's flank, sleeping


I'll be waking up the crewmen
I will rouse the sailors


Banana-boat ride
A trip on a yellow watercraft


She responds like limousine
She reacts as elegantly as a high-class vehicle


Brought alive on the silent screen
Revitalized in a motion picture without sound


To the shuddering breath of yesterday
For the shivering breaths of the past


There's the succor of the needy
There is aid for the deprived


Incredible scenes
Unbelievable views


I'll believe you in the future
I will trust you going forward


Your life and death dreams
Your dreams of life and demise


As the cavalry of despair
As the riders of hopelessness


Takes a stand in the lady's hair
Stand atop the woman's head of hair


For the favor of making sweet sixteen
For the boon of creating the ideal young woman


You make my life and times
You define my existence and experiences


A book of bluesy Saturdays
A tale of melancholic weekends


And I have to choose
And I must decide




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: William Scott Bruford, David Francis Cross, Robert Fripp, Jamie Muir, Richard William Palmer James, John Kenneth Wetton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@TheMasterm4

I am currently 24 years old. I heard this song when my brother got a cassette from a cousin, maybe in 1995. I heard it for the first time when I was approximately 7 years old, the music moved me, later, when I learned English, the lyrics. Several King Crimson albums passed through my life at that time, Argentina between the years 2000 and 2010. Since then, every time I want to remember my childhood and escape from this world that despite my young age, is no longer what it was , I listen to King Crimson. They will be my home for life.Thank you:
Robert Fripp
John Wetton
Peter Sinfield
Greg Lake
Michael Giles
Ian McDonald
Gordon Haskell
Andy McCulloch
Ian Wallace

Boz Burrell
Bill Bruford
David Cross
Jamie Muir
Tony Levin
Adrian Belew
Trey Gunn
Chris Gibson
Bill Rieflin



@andressolo9722

If I only could deceive you
Forgetting the game
Every time I try to leave you
You laugh just the same
'Cause my wheels never touch the road
And the jumble of lies we told
Just returns to my back to weigh me down
We lay cards upon the table
The backs of our hands
And I swear I like your people
The boys in the band
Reminiscences gone astray
Coming back to enjoy the fray
In a tangle of night and daylight sounds
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
doo doo doo doo
All completeness in the morning
Asleep on your side
I'll be waking up the crewmen
Banana-boat ride
She responds like limousine
Brought alive on the silent screen
To the shuddering breath of yesterday
There's the succor of the needy
Incredible scenes
I'll believe you in the future
Your life and death dreams
As the cavalry of despair
Takes a stand in the lady's hair
For the favor of making sweet sixteen
You make my life and times
A book of bluesy Saturdays
And I have to choose



@user-js6el7vn2r

"КНИГА СУББОТЫ"

Как бы сбить тебя мне с толку
Игре той во вред,
Где на каждую размолвку
Лишь смех мне в ответ.

Коль люблю я лишь миражи,
Тяжесть сказанной нами лжи
Я тащу словно куль созревшей ржи…

Мы кладем на стол картишки —
Не жульничать, эй!
А мне нравятся парнишки
Из группы твоей.

Размышленья зашли в тупик.
Память дарит мне боевик
Ссоры звуков любых: дневных, ночных…

В завершенности и майке
Ты спишь поутру.
Сон разбит желаний шайкой —
Мне секс по нутру
С необузданной как «Мустанг»,
Что таранит немой экран
Под вчерашнюю дрожь дыхания…

Помогу в своей манере —
Сцен странных эксперт.
Я мечтам твоим поверю
Про жизнь и про смерть.

Безрассудств кавалерия
Ждет приказ наступления,
Воскрешая «шестнадцать сладких» лет…

Ты – «Книга блюзовых суббот» —
Определяешь круг моих свобод.
Я должен выбрать,
я решусь вот-вот…



@carlosalbertoabasolo9606

If I could only deceive you
Forgetting the game
Every time I try to leave you
You laugh just the same

'Cause my wheels never touch the road
And the jumble of lies we told
Just returns to my back to weigh me down. . .

We lay cards upon the table
The backs of our hands
And I swear I like your people
The boys in the band

Reminiscences gone astray
Coming back to enjoy the fray
In a tangle of night and daylight sounds. . .

All completeness in the morning
Asleep on your side
I'll be waking up the crewen
Banana-boat ride


She responds like a limousine
Brought alive on the silent screen
the shuddering breath of yesterday. . .

There's the succor of the needy
Incredible scenes
I'll believe you in the future
Your life and death dreams

As the cavalry of despair
Takes a stand in the lady's hair
For the fervour of making sweet sixteen. . .

You make my life and time
A book of bluesy Saturdays
And I have to choose. . .



All comments from YouTube:

@BrytonBand

I can’t be the only one who has a real soft spot for KC’s little songs like this one. I used to play this over and over, one of my all time favourites.

@Normalisperverse

Priceless! :-)

@chrisbyars4422

Trust me, you are not the only one. This is truly a great song. It’s classic King Crimson. These are the Crimson songs I became familiar with in my youth as a budding Crimson fan. Some 40 years later? A life long King Crimson fan.

@johnpossum556

@Bryton Off this album, I do that with this song and The talking drum. I saw Fripp back in the day when he came to my town as The League of Crafty Guitarists. I have the pin to that concert around here somewhere....

@carlr0gers417

😌😌😌.....

@blu_of_greentank

Your not alone. Lyrics!!!!

17 More Replies...

@RiffRaffish

I listen to this song when I'm relaxing to relax more and when I'm sad to feel sadder.

@jimerex2619

I prefeer "i talk to the wind" for relaxing

@StealthyAssassin007

Feeling like shit rn…came here for feel even worse

@lauracrimsonmusic

@@StealthyAssassin007 same, lol

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