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 World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum
King Crimson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A nail file suit your self-serviceman
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Autographed pictures of Shakespeare fishing
Gear head phone Madison Square Garden hose
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Get set, get wet, get fat, get fit, get a life
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Get sacked, get the facts, get a load of this
Get pissed, get real, get over it, get it over with, oh
The world's my oyster soup bowling ball of wax museum
Cannibal dog house plan be happy
As a lark's tongue in cheekbone china doll
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Don't ask why to cake and eat it too
Nothing lasts for evergreen thumbscrew
The world's my oyster soup kitchen door frame by frame
Get back, slap back, backtalk, halfback, back track, talkback
Back to back I'll be back to get you back
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Get bumped, get pumped, get dumped, get the funk
Get sick get fixed get jiggy with it, oh
The world's my oyster souffle mignon
Whatever
I'll get along little doggie
Get set, get wet, get fat, get fit
Get along little doggie, get it off of me
Oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Get sacked get the facts get a load of this, hey
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
The lyrics of King Crimson's "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum" are a series of nonsensical phrases and wordplay. The words don't seem to have any direct or logical connection, and they don't convey a clear message or story. Instead, they create a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere that encourages the listener to let go of rationality and enter a world of pure imagination.
The imagery in the song is filled with juxtapositions and unexpected combinations. For example, "autographed pictures of Shakespeare fishing" or "gear head phone Madison Square Garden hose" create a sense of playful absurdity. The repetition of the phrase "The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum" throughout the song reinforces the idea that anything and everything is possible in this world of the imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Hat bandanna Graham cracker jackhammer in
I have an eclectic mix of items that don't necessarily belong together
A nail file suit your self-serviceman
A pun on self-service; I have what I need to take care of myself and don't need anyone else
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
I can do whatever I want and go wherever I want; I have no restrictions or limitations
Autographed pictures of Shakespeare fishing
A combination of high and low culture; I appreciate both the intellectual value of literature and the simplicity of fishing
Gear head phone Madison Square Garden hose
Another mix of unrelated items; a play on words with 'headphones' and 'hose'
Get set, get wet, get fat, get fit, get a life
Encouragement to live life to the fullest without fear or hesitation
Get it on get it up get it off of me
Strong command to take action; do what needs to be done
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Reiteration of the feeling of freedom and endless possibilities
Get sacked, get the facts, get a load of this
Advice to be aware of what's going on around you and to stay informed
Get pissed, get real, get over it, get it over with, oh
Instructions to deal with obstacles or problems in a proactive way and not dwell on them
The world's my oyster soup bowling ball of wax museum
A nonsensical phrase that emphasizes the idea of having no boundaries
Cannibal dog house plan be happy
A bizarre combination of words that suggests finding happiness in unusual places or circumstances
As a lark's tongue in cheekbone china doll
Another quirky image that emphasizes the uniqueness of the situation
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Once again, the feeling of boundless possibility
Don't ask why to cake and eat it too
A warning not to try to have everything; you can't always get what you want
Nothing lasts for evergreen thumbscrew
A reflection on the impermanence of life and how everything eventually comes to an end, even things that seem eternal
The world's my oyster soup kitchen door frame by frame
A play on words with 'frame by frame'; another way of expressing the limitless nature of the world
Get back, slap back, backtalk, halfback, back track, talkback
A list of things to avoid when trying to move forward in life; don't let others hold you back
Back to back I'll be back to get you back
A promise to come back even stronger and better after being knocked down
The world's my oyster soup kitchen floor wax museum
Final reiteration of the idea that the world is open and full of possibilities
Get bumped, get pumped, get dumped, get the funk
Again, a reminder to stay positive and proactive even when things get tough
Get sick get fixed get jiggy with it, oh
Emphasis on the importance of taking care of oneself and having fun in life
The world's my oyster souffle mignon
A playful twist on the phrase; another way of expressing freedom and open possibilities
Whatever
An expression of indifference or nonchalance, suggesting that the artist doesn't need to worry about anything
I'll get along little doggie
A lighthearted way of saying goodbye or expressing determination to keep moving forward
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn, Pat Mastelotto
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrytonBand
Sounds like if the Talking Heads got deep fried.
@daniels7568
we live in a dermal-soaked. baryon-infused space wank gangrenous society
@Soft_Machine
Same with Discipline
@linguinisescapology7567
Am I the only person who always bursts out laughing at 'wooo' and 'get jiggy with it'?
@patchiemarx9628
haha! so true, bestie!
@forsenboyz
The band had a stroke not only playing this, but coming up with the title
@Dramalius
yep... and for a non-native english speaker this is quite a challenge to understand what this means !
@elsupermegan2079
@@Dramalius i dont think it means anything tbh
@happycamperds9917
@@Dramalius It's a "before and after" where each word creates a unique phrase with the word in front a behind it.
"The world's my Oyster"
"Oyster Soup"
"Soup Kitchen"
"Kitchen Floor"
"Floor Wax"
"Wax Museum"
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
6 minutes of pure madness and musical dexterity.