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.)
Sleepless
King Crimson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a swell of panic and pain
My veins are aching for the distant reef
In the crush of emotional waves
Alright, get a hold of yourself
And don't fight it, it's over your head
It's alright, the rumble in your ears
And don't fight it, it's over your head
It's alright, you wake up in your bed
Silhouettes like shivering ancient feelings
They cover my foreign floors and walls
Submarines are lurking in my foggy ceiling
They keep me sleepless at night
Alright, get a hold of yourself
And don't fight it, it's over your head
It's alright, the rumble in your ears
It's alright to feel a little fear
And don't fight it, it's over your head
It's alright, you wake up in your bed
Hey, can you picture the sight?
The figures on the beach in the searing night
And the roaring hurt of my silent fight
Hey
Well can you pull me out
Of this sleepless night?
Oh
Of this sleepless night
Can you pull me out?
Oh, oh-oh-oh
Can you help me now?
Can you pull me out?
Hey
Oh
The lyrics of King Crimson's song Sleepless depict a dream in which the singer is falling into a "sleepless sea". The dream causes panic and pain, with the waves of emotions crushing down on the singer. As the dream continues, the singer sees silhouettes that represent "shivering ancient feelings" covering the floors and walls of an unfamiliar place, with submarines lurking in the ceiling. In the end, the singer appeals to someone, asking them to help pull them out of this sleepless night.
The song has an underlying theme of fear and anxiety caused by the overwhelming emotions experienced during the dream. The "sleepless sea" and "crush of emotional waves" represent the turmoil and anxiety that the singer is facing. The lyrics "Alright, get a hold of yourself" and "don't fight it, it's over your head" are words of encouragement to acknowledge the fear and accept it, implying that it is okay to feel scared sometimes.
There are many interpretations of the lyrics of Sleepless, with some citing the song as a warning about the dangers of drug addiction or the struggles of overcoming addiction. Others interpret the song as a metaphor for dealing with a difficult situation or mental illness.
Line by Line Meaning
In the dream, I fall into the sleepless sea
I am drowning in a sleepless state where my fears and anxieties are overwhelming.
With a swell of panic and pain
My fears and anxieties have increased causing me distress.
My veins are aching for the distant reef
I am searching for distant hope to ease my pain and misery.
In the crush of emotional waves
I am overwhelmed by emotional waves and am helpless to their power.
Alright, get a hold of yourself
I need to calm myself down and take control of my thoughts and emotions.
And don't fight it, it's over your head
I should accept and surrender to my feelings, as they are beyond my control.
It's alright, the rumble in your ears
The noise in my head is normal and nothing to be afraid of.
It's alright to feel a little fear
It is okay to feel scared, as fear is a natural emotion.
Silhouettes like shivering ancient feelings
Memories and past experiences are haunting me like ghostly shadows.
They cover my foreign floors and walls
These memories and experiences are overwhelming me and surrounding me, causing me to feel like an outsider in my own mind.
Submarines are lurking in my foggy ceiling
Dangerous thoughts and emotions are hiding in the depths of my mind and causing me confusion and distress.
They keep me sleepless at night
These dangerous thoughts and emotions are preventing me from getting a good night's sleep.
Hey, can you picture the sight?
Can you imagine the image I am describing?
The figures on the beach in the searing night
I am imagining the scene of people suffering and struggling in a difficult situation.
And the roaring hurt of my silent fight
I am experiencing a great deal of pain and suffering in my private battle.
Can you pull me out?
Can you help me escape this state of sleeplessness and emotional turmoil?
Can you help me now?
I need your help right now to overcome my fears and anxieties.
Hey
I am calling out to you for help.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adrian Belew, William Scott Bruford, Robert Fripp, Anthony Charles Levin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@troloquimicoxd69
This is an epic Tony Levin moment
@wiseonwords
one of many.
@CnNation
Tony Levin
@sorcyboi2848
Tony Levin
@seemoore9175
Tony Levin
@arturocaissut1071
Tony Levin
@4ctmam
Tony Levin
@legosans926
Tony Levin
@mikkelol
How can this man be sleepless at night, moving wheels AND a dinosaur?
@memestealer2561
get a hold of yourself, don't fight it, it's over your head