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.)

The King Crimson Barber Shop
King Crimson Lyrics

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I'm Tony
I'm Billy
I'm Bobby
I'm Belew
We're here to sing and play for you
Oh we're the King Crimson band – and don't you know it
We're the best in all the land – all the land
We play bass and the drums and guitar for you

And if you really want we'll throw the Stick in too
Oh we're the King Crimson band (on EG Records)
And you know we think that's grand
So settle back to have some fun
And tap your foot in twenty-one
'Cause we're the King Crimson band – you better believe it
The King Crimson band – we don't do encores
The King Crimson band – no photos please
'Cause we're the King Crimson band

We don't do 21st Century Schizoid Man
But we're the King Crimson band

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to King Crimson's "The King Crimson Barber Shop" may seem like a playful introduction to the band, but they also capture the band's attitude towards their music and their place in the music industry. The opening lines mention each band member by name, emphasizing their individuality but also their collective identity as part of King Crimson. The repetition of "We're the King Crimson band" throughout the song reinforces this identity, and the assertion that they are "the best in all the land" adds a touch of confidence, perhaps even arrogance, to the lyrics.

The band's willingness to play multiple instruments ("We play bass and the drums and guitar for you / And if you really want we'll throw the Stick in too") reflects their versatility and musical skill. The references to their record label EG Records and their lack of interest in encores or taking photos further suggest a certain rebelliousness or aloofness towards the traditional trappings of the music industry. The final line, "But we're the King Crimson band," may be a nod to the band's refusal to conform to expectations or play by anyone else's rules.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm Tony
I, Tony Levin, am one of the band members of King Crimson, introducing myself to the audience.

I'm Billy
I, Bill Bruford, another member of the band, am introducing myself to the audience.

I'm Bobby
I, Robert Fripp, the leader of the King Crimson band, am introducing myself to the audience under the name Bobby.

I'm Belew
I, Adrian Belew, another band member, am introducing myself to the audience.

We're here to sing and play for you
We, the members of King Crimson, are here to perform music for the audience.

Oh we're the King Crimson band – and don't you know it
We proudly identify ourselves as the King Crimson band as we introduce ourselves to the audience.

We're the best in all the land – all the land
We believe that we are the most skilled and talented performers in the music industry.

We play bass and the drums and guitar for you
As musicians, we specialize in playing bass, drums, and guitar.

And if you really want we'll throw the Stick in too
In addition to bass, drums, and guitar, we can also play the Stick, another instrument commonly used in progressive rock music.

Oh we're the King Crimson band (on EG Records)
We acknowledge that we record under the EG Records label as the King Crimson band.

And you know we think that's grand
We are pleased and proud to be associated with EG Records as the King Crimson band.

So settle back to have some fun
We encourage the audience to relax and enjoy the performance we are about to give.

And tap your foot in twenty-one
We suggest that the audience tap their foot in time with the song, which is likely in the complex time signature of 21/8.

'Cause we're the King Crimson band – you better believe it
We reiterate that we are the King Crimson band and that the audience should not doubt our abilities as performers.

The King Crimson band – we don't do encores
As a band, we have decided not to perform encores after our live shows.

The King Crimson band – no photos please
We request that the audience refrain from taking photos of the band during the performance.

'Cause we're the King Crimson band
Once again, we proudly declare ourselves as the King Crimson band.

We don't do 21st Century Schizoid Man
We have decided not to include the song '21st Century Schizoid Man' in our setlist for this performance.

But we're the King Crimson band
Even though we are skipping that particular song, we are still the talented King Crimson band performing for the audience.

Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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