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.
Answering Machine
Marillion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My feelings and I
I looked down on the city
From up in the sky
The sun was reflecting
From the roofs and the water
Spring had come early
In the parks and the old town
To patch up a dream
We walked and I talked and my words were absorbed
Into the answering machine
I came two thousand miles
Just to take a look at you
But you were broken and frozen
A heartbreak of a statue
In the bullet-proof mirrors
Where your eyes used to be
I stared at myself and I called for some help
Into the answering machine
The day slipped by and I tried and tried
You took me home and you said
"Goodnight, Sleep tight"
On the floor by the bedroom door
I watched you sleep and I left before first light
The bugs don't bite
The bugs don't bite
The bugs bite
From the land of the frozen
To the land of the low
We journeyed together
But we were always alone
So if I should come calling
Best not pick up the phone
Cause I'm no good for you and you're no good for me
Let me talk to the answering machine
I can cope with the answering machine
I'm a friend of the answering machine
The lyrics of Marillion's song "Answering Machine" portray the story of a person who traveled a long way to see their lover, hoping to patch up a dream. The singer provides vivid imagery of the city from up in the sky; where the sun reflects off rooftops, water and the memories of old towns. However, upon arrival, the singer finds their lover to be broken and frozen, turned into a heartbreak of a statue. The lyrics suggest that the singer called out for help, but alas, there was no response, just the answering machine.
Throughout the song, the singer struggles to come to terms with their feelings, but eventually, they leave before dawn without speaking to their lover. The lyrics suggest that their journey together was lonely, and the singer admits that they are no good for each other. In the end, the singer resigns themselves to the answering machine's comfort, knowing that it is better than the silence of the person they thought was their partner.
This song is a poignant reflection of how the singer's relationship changed, and how they sort solace from something entirely impersonal. The lyrics speak to the universal experience of unrequited love, the silent pain of longing for someone who can't reciprocate one's feelings. The music adds to the somber mood of the song, with a slow tempo, simple beats, and melancholic chords.
Line by Line Meaning
We flew here to see you
We traveled to this place just to meet you
My feelings and I
Both my emotions and I are present here
I looked down on the city
I gazed upon the city from a high altitude
From up in the sky
From a bird’s eye view
The sun was reflecting
The sun was shining and reflecting light
From the roofs and the water
The light reflected from both the surfaces of the roofs and the water
Spring had come early
Spring arrived before its expected time
In the parks and the old town
The signs of spring’s arrival were visible in the parks and the old town
I came with a mission
I arrived with a purpose
To patch up a dream
To repair and restore a lost dream
We walked and I talked and my words were absorbed
We strolled while I spoke, and my words were taken in
Into the answering machine
But my words were left unheard as they were recorded on the answering machine
I came two thousand miles
I traveled a long distance of two thousand miles
Just to take a look at you
Simply to see you in person
But you were broken and frozen
You were emotionally shattered and cold
A heartbreak of a statue
You were barely moving like a statue, being heartbroken
In the bullet-proof mirrors
You appeared indifferent and invincible, reflecting through unbreakable mirrors
Where your eyes used to be
In a place where your eyes previously held affection
I stared at myself and I called for some help
I looked at my own reflection and cried out for assistance
Into the answering machine
But once again, my plea went unheard as I poured out my heart to the answering machine
The day slipped by
The entire day passed quickly
And I tried and tried
I attempted with all my might
You took me home and you said
You brought me back to your place and told me
"Goodnight, Sleep tight"
"Goodnight, and sweet dreams"
On the floor by the bedroom door
I sat on the ground beside the bedroom entrance
I watched you sleep
I observed you while you were sleeping
And I left before first light
I departed before dawn
The bugs don't bite
The insects do no harm
The bugs don't bite
The insects do no harm (repeated)
The bugs bite
The insects are biting (a contrast to the previous lines)
From the land of the frozen
From a place where feelings are unresponsive
To the land of the low
To a place of sadness and despair
We journeyed together
We traveled alongside each other
But we were always alone
Despite traveling together, we both felt lonely
So if I should come calling
If I were to reach out to you in the future
Best not pick up the phone
It's best for you not to answer
Cause I'm no good for you and you're no good for me
Because we are not good for each other
Let me talk to the answering machine
If I reach out, I would prefer to talk to the answering machine
I can cope with the answering machine
Since my words are unheard anyway, I can bear it if it's just the answering machine
I'm a friend of the answering machine
The answering machine is the only friend who hears my pain and sorrow
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN FRANCESKO MOSLEY, MARK COLBERT KELLY, PETER JOHN TREWAVAS, STEVE HOGARTH, STEVEN THOMAS ROTHERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind