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.
Alone Again In The Lap Of Luxury
Marillion Lyrics
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This is a photograph of who I might be
Man in a uniform, bride on his arm
Mum always was a fool for money and charm
He's been talkin' in his sleep again
Sayin' he's sorry, callin' my name
Sayin' how he's so ashamed
Alone again in the lap of luxury
Since it happened I had nothin' to say
It used to bother them but now it's okay
Mother cleans his dreadful house every day
Scrubbing at the stains that won't go away
They sent me away to the school in the park
They said it would be good for me
I still hear the other kids cry in the dark
Alone again in the lap of luxury
Is there no escape from the lap of luxury
I don't remember the last time I cried
I don't remember much except lies
See the little girl spirallin' down
This is a photograph of who she is now
"One day this will all be yours" he said
Tidy your room and straight to bed
Tidy up those thoughts in your head
Alone again in the lap of luxury
I could be anywhere right now
If I only had the nerve to leave this house
Maybe somewhere by the sea
Take me somewhere, anywhere please!
We could make a pillow of sand and sleep
We could roll
We could make
We could see
We could scream
Far, Father, Farthest
Oh daddy, you do not do anymore
For God's sake don't pretend to be concerned
Turn into nightmares in the end
Throw a party for all my friends
I. Now Wash your Hands
You give up hope
You settle down
With your favourite soap
Now wash your hands
The lyrics of Marillion's "Alone Again In The Lap Of Luxury" is a poignant commentary on the hollowness of a luxurious life that appears perfect on the surface, but in reality is filled with suffocating emotional voids. The song speaks of a person who is trapped in a life of luxury that is nothing but a cover-up for emotional emptiness. The singer is implied to be a wealthy person who is suffering from the absence of love and security.
The opening lines introduce the singer as a person who is looked after by a group of people while giving a sense of being alone. The succeeding lyrics reveal that the singer is trapped in a life that was predetermined, and that they have no escape. The person who is responsible for their luxury is the one causing the most pain, and the singer feels suffocated in this life. They are alone in a lavish lifestyle and find themselves wishing for something more.
The song then shifts its focus to the singer's childhood, where they were sent away to a school where others cried in the dark. The line "Is there no escape from the lap of luxury" emphasizes the feeling of being trapped. The chorus mentions the desire to break free from this suffocation, and the singer wishes to leave this emotionally empty life.
Overall, the song tells a story about the darkness that can be present behind the veneer of luxury. It highlights the importance of love and of finding true happiness, rather than just aiming for an outward show of riches.
Line by Line Meaning
See those people there? They look after me
I am a wealthy person whose picture is taken care of by my employees
This is a photograph of who I might be
The photo represents the version of myself that I want to project to the world
Man in a uniform, bride on his arm
My mother's attraction to male authority figures led her to marry someone in a position of power
Mum always was a fool for money and charm
My mother was easily swayed by wealth and charisma, which led to her marrying my stepfather
He's been talkin' in his sleep again
My stepfather has been confessing his feelings of guilt and remorse in his sleep
Sayin' he's sorry, callin' my name
He expresses his apologies and feels remorse for the emotional and physical abuse he inflicted on me
Sayin' how he's so ashamed
He feels guilty for his past behavior and is admitting his mistakes
Alone again in the lap of luxury
Despite having wealth and possessions, I still feel alone and unfulfilled
Since it happened I had nothin' to say
I haven't spoken about the traumatic event that happened to me
It used to bother them but now it's okay
My lack of communication about the event was once a concern, but now they have accepted it as a part of who I am
Mother cleans his dreadful house every day
My mother cleans my stepfather's house regularly, despite his bad behavior towards me
Scrubbing at the stains that won't go away
She tries to clean the physical messes, but can't get rid of the emotional scars that remain
They sent me away to the school in the park
I was sent to a therapeutic school in the park to help with my emotional trauma
They said it would be good for me
They believed that the school would aid my healing process
I still hear the other kids cry in the dark
I still remember the sadness and pain of other students dealing with their own emotional problems in the school
Alone again in the lap of luxury
Even with the help I received, I still feel lonely and disconnected from the world
Is there no escape from the lap of luxury
I wonder if there is no way to break free from my privileged lifestyle and finally be happy
I don't remember the last time I cried
Emotional suppression has been a coping mechanism for me
I don't remember much except lies
My memories are clouded by the lies that I've been told and the secrets that have been kept from me
See the little girl spirallin' down
I see my younger self, who was struggling to cope with the traumatic event and the world around her
This is a photograph of who she is now
The picture represents who I have become because of my past struggles and experiences
"One day this will all be yours" he said
My stepfather has made promises of inheritance, but they come with a price
Tidy your room and straight to bed
He uses discipline and control to keep me in line
Tidy up those thoughts in your head
He also wants to control my thoughts and beliefs
Alone again in the lap of luxury
Despite the promises of wealth and power, I still feel isolated and unhappy
I could be anywhere right now
I have the wealth and resources to go anywhere I want, but I feel stuck
If I only had the nerve to leave this house
I feel trapped and afraid to leave my privileged lifestyle behind
Maybe somewhere by the sea
I long for a place of peace and tranquility
Take me somewhere, anywhere please!
I am desperate for an escape from my current life
We could make a pillow of sand and sleep
I want to find simplicity and comfort in nature
We could roll
I want to have fun and be carefree
We could make
I want to create something meaningful and worthwhile
We could see
I want to explore and discover new things
We could scream
I want to release the pent-up emotions and scream out the pain
Far, Father, Farthest
I am longing for a father figure who is far away and out of reach
Oh daddy, you do not do anymore
My stepfather has failed to be a nurturing and protective father figure for me
For God's sake don't pretend to be concerned
I don't want to deal with false concern and hypocrisy anymore
Turn into nightmares in the end
The past traumas and secrets are becoming too much to bear, and are manifesting into nightmares
Throw a party for all my friends
I want to forget the pain for a moment and have a good time with my loved ones
I. Now Wash your Hands
This is a directive to engage in a mundane activity to distract from the overwhelming emotions
You give up hope
I feel hopeless and powerless in my current situation
You settle down
I try to find comfort and stability in small things, such as washing my hands
With your favourite soap
I use a familiar and comforting soap, perhaps to help soothe the pain
Now wash your hands
The repetition of this line further emphasizes the idea of finding mundane activities as a source of comfort
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVE HOGARTH, MARK KELLY, IAN MOSLEY, STEVE ROTHERY, PETER TREWAVAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind