Islands
King Crimson Lyrics
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Waves sweep the sand from my island
My sunsets fade
Field and glade wait only for rain
Grain after grain, love erodes my
High weathered walls which fend off the tide
Cradle the wind
To my island
Gaunt granite climbs where gulls wheel and glide
Mournfully cry o'er my island
My dawn bride's veil, damp and pale
Dissolves in the sun
Love's web is spun, cats prowl, mice run
Wreathe snatch-hand briers where owls know my eyes
Violet skies
Touch my island
Touch me
Beneath the wind turned wave
Infinite peace
Islands join hands 'neath heaven's sea
Beneath the wind turned wave
Infinite peace
Islands join hands 'neath heaven's sea
Dark harbor quays like fingers of stone
Hungrily reach from my island
Clutch sailor's words, pearls and gourds
Are strewn on my shore
Equal in love, bound in circles
Earth, stream, and tree return to the sea
Waves sweep the sand from my island
From me
Beneath the wind turned wave
Infinite peace
Islands join hands 'neathe heaven's sea
It-it has a number of high spots, that i enjoy each this time
What are we going to do, um, do it twice more
Once with the oboe, once without it
And then, we've finished for the evening
Right
(It'll be nine o'clock soon, John)
(Okay, we're rolling, whenever you're ready, on three)
Three
One, two, three, two, two, three
The lyrics to King Crimson's song "Islands" depict an island surrounded by earth, stream and tree, encircled by sea. The setting is serene, with waves sweeping the sand on the beach, and sunsets creating breathtaking views. However, as time passes, love begins to erode the island's weathered walls, and the winds cradle the island. The granite climbs, where seagulls glide, add to the mournful cries over the island. The dawn bride's veil is damp and pale, which dissolves in the sun, and cats prowl while mice run.
Line by Line Meaning
Earth, stream, and tree encircled by sea
The Earth, stream, and tree are surrounded by the sea.
Waves sweep the sand from my island
The waves are dragging sand off of the island.
My sunsets fade
The sunsets on this island fade away.
Field and glade wait only for rain
The fields and glades are awaiting some rain.
Grain after grain, love erodes my
Love is slowly chipping away at something, perhaps the artist's resistance.
High weathered walls which fend off the tide
The singer has built high, weathered walls to prevent the ocean from coming in.
Cradle the wind
The wind is being held and nurtured.
To my island
Everything mentioned is happening on the island.
Gaunt granite climbs where gulls wheel and glide
The gaunt granite is climbing as the gulls are wheeling and gliding.
Mournfully cry o'er my island
The gulls are crying mournfully over the island.
My dawn bride's veil, damp and pale
The singer's bride, the dawn, is pale and damp.
Dissolves in the sun
As the sun comes up, the dawn fades away.
Love's web is spun, cats prowl, mice run
Love is weaving its way through everything on the island, while cats and mice are going about their business.
Wreathe snatch-hand briers where owls know my eyes
Owls know the singer's eyes as the snatch-hand briers are wrapped around them.
Violet skies
The skies are a violet color.
Touch my island
Everything in the song happens on or involves the island.
Touch me
The artist is requesting to be touched.
Beneath the wind turned wave
Infinite peace
Islands join hands 'neath heaven's sea
Under the rolling waves, there is infinite peace, and the islands are joining hands under the sea of heaven.
Dark harbor quays like fingers of stone
The dark harbor quays are long and thin like fingers of stone.
Hungrily reach from my island
The dark harbor quays are reaching off of the island hungrily.
Clutch sailor's words, pearls and gourds
Are strewn on my shore
Sailor's words, pearls, and gourds have been discarded on the shore.
Equal in love, bound in circles
Everyone and everything is equal, coming together in love.
Earth, stream, and tree return to the sea
The Earth, stream, and tree all return eventually to the sea.
Waves sweep the sand from my island
From me
The sand is swept off the island, and away from the artist.
It-it has a number of high spots, that i enjoy each this time
What are we going to do, um, do it twice more
Once with the oboe, once without it
And then, we've finished for the evening
Right
(It'll be nine o'clock soon, John)
(Okay, we're rolling, whenever you're ready, on three)
Three
One, two, three, two, two, three
This section at the end seems to be some kind of note-taking or discussion between band members, and is not part of the meaning of the song lyrics.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Peter John Sinfield, Robert Fripp
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@philmerlot9074
Not liking this album is an admission of ignorance. It is thematically very integrated.
Formentera is in the Balearics and was a hippy Mecca in the sixties and seventies.
Odysseus is reputed to have landed in Menorca on his travels. Menorca was famous in ancient times for its slingsmen and they were recruited as mercenaries in several campaigns.
The Sailors Tale is about riding a terrible storm in a boat at the mercy of the gods as depicted in the Odyssey.
I know those Islands and this album is one of the most richly evocative bodies of work I know.
@agustinyanez3023
Islas
La tierra, el arroyo y el árbol rodeados por el mar,
las olas barren la arena de mi isla.
Mi puestas de sol se desvanecen.
El campo y la hierba sólo esperan a que llueva,
grano a grano el amor corroe mis
desgastados muros, los que me defienden de la marea,
acunan al viento
hacia mi isla.
La fina arena sube hasta donde están las gaviotas
y planean, tristemente planean sobre mi isla.
Mi blanco velo de novia, frío y pálido,
lo disuelve el Sol.
La telaraña del amor está hilada -
los gatos cazan, los ratones corren, los cogen por la
fuerza en las zarzas donde los búhos conocen mis ojos,
cielos morados
tocan mi isla,
me tocan a mí.
Bajo las brisas el viento,
paz infinita,
las islas unen sus manos
bajo el mar celestial.
Oscuros muelles del puerto, como dedos de piedra
ávidamente alcanzan mi isla.
Agarran las palabras del marinero - perlas y calabazas
se esparcen en mi orilla.
Indistinto al amor, atado en círculos.
La tierra, el arroyo y el árbol regresan al mar,
las olas barren la arena de mi isla,
me barren a mí.
@gianfrancodebiasi
Qualcosa, come un vento del passato.
Che chiama, e ti riporta alle origini
Potente, dolcissimo e furente...che sale, poco a volta...
Sino alla apoteosi, ad un passo dalla rivelazione.
Ecco, questa è 'ISLANDS', una meraviglia che ha accompagnato i miei sogni di adolescente.
(Something, like a wind from the past.
That calls, and takes you back to basics
Powerful, sweet and furious... rising, little by little...
Up to the apotheosis, one step away from revelation.
Here, this is 'ISLANDS', a marvel that accompanied my teenage dreams).
@markcharig1
I had a wonderful time playing the cornet on this album. Robert and the rest of the crew there were such an awesome group to be around. Being able to feature on an album created by rock legends was an experience I will never forget.
@xadm1ral135
Thank you for the wonderful solo at the end!
@blink-xt2bp
thank you for your part in this. you are yourself a legend as well!
@thelyricologist9568
I can only envy - in the best possible meaning of the word - the feeling of playing with those guys. But also I envy you being yourself an acclaimed musician and providing us with a wonderful piece of music. :-)
@tommyrawlings3046
Bravo to all of you! This is the quintessence of serene and melancholy! A masterpiece!
@yana_2_6_0
My man: for me, you MADE this album off that solo alone...
@kurarisu_
This is the reason why the ability to hear was created
@user-tm7xe3qm7n
I thought this is the reason why need to trianed to hear. Going to ask my only old son to play this when the moment i will be disappeard eventually. The last song to me in the rest of life.
@WalkmanAssassin
For the hearing impaired.
@user-tm7xe3qm7n
@Robinson Listening 🎶 👌
Drank too much, but you will understand what I am trying to express