King Crimson was a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England.… Read Full Bio ↴King Crimson was a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experimental music and new wave. They exerted a strong influence on the early 1970s progressive rock movement, including on contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis, and continue to inspire subsequent generations of artists across multiple genres. The band has earned a large cult following.

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.)

Get Thy Bearings
King Crimson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get your bearings, know your time
Don't you worry, the weather's gonna be fine
All the world knows what I'm saying
All the world knows what I'm saying

Let's all get stoned
Higher and higher

Get it together, work it out
Simplicity is what it's about
All the world knows what I'm saying
All the world knows what I'm saying

Let's all get stoned
Higher and higher

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to King Crimson's song "Get Thy Bearings" can be interpreted as a call to self-awareness, self-improvement and personal growth. The line "Get your bearings, know your time" is an invitation to take control of one's life and be aware of one's surroundings and circumstances. The phrase "Don't you worry, the weather's gonna be fine" can be interpreted as a reassurance that things will work out. Moreover, the repetition of the line "All the world knows what I'm saying" emphasizes a sense of shared experience and common understanding. The line "Let's all get stoned, higher and higher" can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically, as a call to escape reality or to reach a state of transcendence.

In the second verse, the lyrics call for action and change: "Get it together, work it out/Simplicity is what it's about." It can be interpreted as a call to focus on what really matters and to cut out unnecessary distractions or complexities. The repetition of the phrase "All the world knows what I'm saying" reinforces the idea that these are universal truths that apply to everyone.

Overall, the lyrics to "Get Thy Bearings" can be seen as a mix of philosophical musings and calls to action. The repetitive nature of the lyrics gives the song a meditative quality, reinforcing the idea that the lessons being imparted are meant to be internalized and lived by.

Line by Line Meaning

Get your bearings, know your time
Understand your situation and the context of your surroundings

Don't you worry, the weather's gonna be fine
There is no need for concern or anxiety as everything will work out

All the world knows what I'm saying
My message is universal and understood by all

Let's all get stoned
Let's all become relaxed and carefree

Higher and higher
Continuously increasing our level of relaxation and carefree attitude

Get it together, work it out
Gather your thoughts and come up with a solution through simplicity

Simplicity is what it's about
Solving problems and understanding situations should be done in the simplest way possible

Contributed by Audrey I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS