The Fish era is often categorized as neo-progressive. They originally started as "Silmarillion" (from Tolkien's book) with heavy influences from classic Genesis but went on to develop their own distinctive sound. The band was formed in 1979 by Mick Pointer (drums), Steve Rothery (guitar), Doug 'Rastus' Irvine (bass), and others, soon adding vocalist Fish (real name Derek W. Dick), Diz Minitt (bass), and Brian Jelliman. By the time of their first album, 1983's Script for a Jester's Tear, the bass position had been taken over by Pete Trewavas and keyboards by Mark Kelly.
The studio albums Fugazi (1984), Misplaced Childhood (1985), and Clutching at Straws (1987), as well as the 1984 live album Real to Reel all sold respectably, and the band scored a hit single in Britain with Kayleigh in 1985.
When Fish left the band in 1988 after four albums he was replaced by Steve Hogarth. A former member of The Europeans and some-time collaborator with The The and Julian Cope, Hogarth brought a new energy to the band.
Across a further ten albums, Hogarth – along with existing members Rothery, Kelly, Trewavas, and Mosley – have reinvigorated and constantly redefined Marillion’s sound. They forged into new musical territories with a succession of inventive, emotional albums, displaying little regard to the vagaries of hit charts or radio playlists.
After the release of 1999’s marillion.com the band freed themselves from record company pressure once and for all by launching their own record label, the Intact imprint.
Thanks to their pioneering embrace of the Internet through their website http://marillion.com, Marillion have developed a unique and intimate relationship with their fans. From sponsoring entire tours of the USA to funding the recording of recent albums, Marillion’s global fan-base is unique in its affection and dedication. As a result, such passionate, wholesale support has allowed Marillion to step outside of the conventional music industry and find their own path.
In 2001 Anoraknophobia saw Marillion take the groundbreaking step of asking fans to pre-order an album 12 months before release. An amazing 12,000 people signed up, helping to finance the recording. The band once again took pre-orders for the 2004 release Marbles, but this time the money was channelled into a campaign fund to promote its launch. The success of singles Don't Hurt Yourself and You're Gone – the latter making it all the way to number 7 – vindicated the band's independent strategy.
Their 2007 album Somewhere Else reached number 24 in the UK album chart with their most recent single Thankyou Whoever You Are hitting the UK singles chart at number 15. The band shows no signs of fading away after more than 25 years of activity.
Their 15th album, "Happiness is the road", was physically released in October 2008 but was originally available exclusively from the band's website. It was released with little promotion and a deluxe pre-order package was made available as with Marbles. 'Happiness is the Road' is the second studio double album of a long career (2004's Marbles was the other). A UK and European tour followed the album's release, and the band is taking special effort to record every show in the "Happiness on the Road" tour, making the recordings available from the band's website.
Afraid Of Sunlight
Marillion Lyrics
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Time comes around... out of my hands
Small boats on the beach at the dead of night
Come and go before first light
Leave me running in the wheel
King of the world
How do you feel?
So how do we now come to be
Afraid of sunlight?
Tell me girl why you and me
Scared of sunlight?
Been in pain for so long
I can't even say what hurts anymore
I will leave you alone
I will deny
I will leave you to bleed
I will leave you with your life
So how do we now come to be
Afraid of sunlight?
Tell me girl why you and me
Scared of sunlight?
All your spirit rack abuses
Come to haunt you back by day
All your Byzantine excuses
Given time, given you away
Don't be surprised when daylight comes
To find that memory prick your thumbs
You'll tell them where we run to hide
I'm already dead
It's a matter of time
So how do we now come to be
Afraid of sunlight
How do we now come to be
Afraid of sunlight
Day-Glo Jesus on the dash
Chalk marks on the road ahead
Friendly fire in hostile waters
Keep the faith
Don't lose your head
So how do we now come to be?
In Marillion’s song “Afraid of Sunlight,” the lyrics are introspective and haunting, as they explore the reasons for why one might be afraid of sunlight. The song is filled with powerful imagery, as the lyrics depict a person on a road to surrender, surrounded by small boats on a beach at dead of night. The lyrics of the song suggest that time has come around and is out of the singer’s hands as they are left running in the wheel, king of the world, questioning what there is left to feel.
The song portrays a sense of confusion and disorientation, as the singer reflects that he has been in pain for so long that he can no longer distinguish what it is that is hurting. The lyrics reveal the singer’s pain and confusion while presenting a sense of despair and a longing for connection. The song suggests that there are things that we keep hidden and buried within us that contribute to our fear of the light.
Overall, the song speaks to the human condition and the fear of transparency, the fear of exposure, and the fear of judgment. In "Afraid of Sunlight," Marillion has created an evocative piece that delves into humanity's existential angst.
Line by Line Meaning
Drive the road to your surrender
You are willingly giving up control and accepting defeat
Time comes around... out of my hands
Time waits for no one and cannot be altered by any one person
Small boats on the beach at the dead of night
The insignificance of life's details in the grand scheme of things
Come and go before first light
Things happen quickly and without warning
Leave me running in the wheel
Feeling trapped and going nowhere in life
King of the world
A feeling of power and control over one's life and surroundings
How do you feel?
Questioning one's emotions and state of mind
What is there to feel?
Feeling numb and devoid of emotion
So how do we now come to be
Questioning how we arrived at our current state of mind
Afraid of sunlight?
Fearful of facing reality and the consequences of one's actions
Tell me girl why you and me
Questioning why we are in this state of mind
Scared of sunlight?
Terrified of confronting the truth and accepting responsibility for one's actions
Been in pain for so long
Suffering from emotional or physical pain for an extended period of time
I can't even say what hurts anymore
Feeling so numb that emotional or physical pain is difficult to articulate
I will leave you alone
Choosing to separate oneself from others
I will deny
Refusing to acknowledge or accept the truth
I will leave you to bleed
Abandoning someone in their time of need
I will leave you with your life
Granting someone the ability to continue living but denying them any support or care
All your spirit rack abuses
Torturing oneself mentally or emotionally
Come to haunt you back by day
One's past mistakes and traumas have come back to haunt them
All your Byzantine excuses
Complicated and convoluted explanations or justifications for one's actions
Given time, given you away
With enough time, one's true self will be revealed
Don't be surprised when daylight comes
One should expect the truth to be revealed eventually
To find that memory prick your thumbs
Memories and past traumas can resurface unexpectedly
You'll tell them where we run to hide
In times of trouble or conflict, people tend to reveal their true character and motives
I'm already dead
Feeling a loss of purpose or drive in life
It's a matter of time
The inevitability of death or failure
Day-Glo Jesus on the dash
Religious symbolism often found in everyday life
Chalk marks on the road ahead
Signs pointing to the future or impending danger
Friendly fire in hostile waters
Being hurt or betrayed by someone who was once considered an ally
Keep the faith
Maintain hope and belief in oneself even in the face of adversity
Don't lose your head
Remaining calm and level-headed in difficult situations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN HELMER, STEVE HOGARTH, MARK KELLY, IAN MOSLEY, STEVE ROTHERY, PETER TREWAVAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind