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.
Assassing
Marillion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am the assassin, providing your nemesis
On the sacrificial altar to success, my friend
Unleash a stranger from a kiss, my friend
No incantations of remorse, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice, my friend
Who decorates the scarf with the fugi knot
Who camouflaged emotion in a thousand yard stare
Who hypnotised the guilt in career rhythm trance
Assassing, assassing, assassing, assassing
Listen as the syllables of slaughter cat with calm precision
Patterned frosty phrases rape your ears and sow the ice incision
Apocalyptic alphabet casting spell the creed of tempered diction
Adjectives of annihilation bury the point beyond redemption
Venomous verbs of ruthless candour plagiarise assassins fervour
A friend in need is a friend that bleeds
Let bitter silence infect the wound
You were a sentimental mercenary in a free fire zone
Parading a Hollywood conscience
You were a fashionable objector with a uniform fetish
Pavlovian slaver at the cash till ring of success
A non com observer - I assassin the collector - defector
So you resigned yourself to failure, my friend
And I emerged the chilling stranger, my friend
To eradicate the problem, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice
I am the assassin
I am the assassin
And what do you call assassins who accuse assassins anyway, my friend?
The lyrics to Marillion's song, "Assassing," depict a cold and calculating individual who identifies with the role of an assassin. The singer of the song asserts himself as the assassin, with a tongue forged from eloquence, providing the nemesis to those on the sacrificial altar of success. The lyrics also suggest a certain satisfaction that the singer takes in his craft, wielding his words like a blade, and deploying them with cold precision. The lyrics seem to implicate the subject of the song as being part of the problem, rather than the solution, resigned to failure while the assassin emerges as a chilling stranger to eradicate the problem.
The song itself is notable for its brooding and ominous tone, driven by a heavy bassline, and punctuated by guitar riffs and synth flourishes. The lyrics are delivered with a restrained intensity, and the haunting refrain of "assassing, assassing, assassing" lingers in the mind long after the song has ended. In many ways, the song reflects the ethos of Marillion's early work, which often dealt with themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the darker aspects of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the assassin, with tongue forged from eloquence
I am a person who can speak persuasively and convincingly, with the ability to manipulate people to achieve my goals
I am the assassin, providing your nemesis
I am the person who will bring your downfall by providing your enemy with the means to defeat you
On the sacrificial altar to success, my friend
I am willing to do anything, even sacrifice others, to achieve success and climb the ladder of power
Unleash a stranger from a kiss, my friend
I can manipulate people's emotions and desires, so much so that they may end up being betrayed and hurt by someone they least expect
No incantations of remorse, my friend
I have no feelings of regret or guilt for my actions, as they are necessary to achieve my goals
Unsheathe the blade within the voice, my friend
I have the power to use my words as a weapon, to cut down and defeat anyone who opposes me
Who decorates the scarf with the fuji knot
Who can hide the true emotions and intent behind their actions, to deceive others and manipulate them to their advantage
Who camouflaged emotion in a thousand yard stare
Who can hide their true feelings behind a blank, emotionless expression, to deceive and manipulate others
Who gouged the notches from the family tree
Who can hurt and betray those closest to them, even their own family, to achieve their goals and climb the ladder of power
Who hypnotised the guilt in career rhythm trance
Who can ignore any sense of guilt or remorse, and focus solely on their career and achieving success, at any cost
Assassing, assassing, assassing, assassing
The role of a killer, or someone who brings down others by any means necessary
Listen as the syllables of slaughter cat with calm precision
Hear the sound of my words, as I cut down and destroy my enemies with calm and methodical precision
Patterned frosty phrases rape your ears and sow the ice incision
My words are like a cold, sharp knife, cutting deep into your mind and emotions, leaving a lasting impression on you
Apocalyptic alphabet casting spell the creed of tempered diction
My words are powerful and persuasive, and can influence others to follow my lead and do my bidding
Adjectives of annihilation bury the point beyond redemption
The words I use are so strong and destructive, that they can destroy any counterargument or opposing point of view
Venomous verbs of ruthless candour plagiarise assassins fervour
My words are like a poisoned dagger, with a ruthless and merciless intensity, just like an assassin's determined focus
A friend in need is a friend that bleeds
I see those around me as tools to be used to achieve my goals, no matter the cost to them
Let bitter silence infect the wound
I will use silence and distance to hurt and betray those who stand in my way, causing them more pain and anguish
You were a sentimental mercenary in a free fire zone
You were once loyal and caring, but became a selfish, paid soldier in a world where anything goes
Parading a Hollywood conscience
You acted like a moral and ethical person, but in reality only cared about your own selfish interests
You were a fashionable objector with a uniform fetish
You pretended to be against the system and authority, but in reality only did it to fit in and seem cool
Pavlovian slaver at the cash till ring of success
You were only motivated by money and success, and would do anything to achieve it, even if it meant betraying others
A non com observer - I assassin the collector - defector
I am an outsider who observes and takes advantage of a situation to benefit myself, even if that means betraying someone
So you resigned yourself to failure, my friend
You gave up on ever achieving success, and stopped trying to move up the ladder of power
And I emerged the chilling stranger, my friend
I am the person who stepped in and took control, becoming a cold and mysterious stranger who controls everything
To eradicate the problem, my friend
I will do anything to remove any obstacles that stand in the way of my success, even if it means hurting or killing someone
Unsheathe the blade within the voice
I will use my words as a weapon to cut down and defeat anyone who opposes me
I am the assassin
I am the person who will bring down anyone who stands in the way of my goals, using any means necessary
And what do you call assassins who accuse assassins anyway, my friend?
I am calling out those who try to bring me down, but use the same tactics as me to achieve their own goals
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK WILLIAM DICK, MARK KELLY, PETE TREWAVAS, STEVE ROTHERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Exempl0
I am the assassin, with tongue forged from eloquence
I am the assassin, providing your nemesis
On the sacrificial altar to success, my friend
Unleash a stranger from a kiss, my friend
No incantations of remorse, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice, my friend
Who decorates the scarf with the fugi knot
Who camouflaged emotion in a thousand yard stare
Who gouged the notches from the family tree
Who hypnotised the guilt in career rhythm trance
Assassing, assassing, assassing, assassing
Listen as the syllables of slaughter cat with calm precision
Patterned frosty phrases rape your ears and sow the ice incision
Apocalyptic alphabet casting spell the creed of tempered diction
Adjectives of annihilation bury the point beyond redemption
Venomous verbs of ruthless candour plagiarise assassins fervour
A friend in need is a friend that bleeds
Let bitter silence infect the wound
You were a sentimental mercenary in a free fire zone
Parading a Hollywood conscience
You were a fashionable objector with a uniform fetish
Pavlovian slaver at the cash till ring of success
A non com observer - I assassin the collector - defector
So you resigned yourself to failure, my friend
And I emerged the chilling stranger, my friend
To eradicate the problem, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice
I am the assassin
I am the assassin
And what do you call assassins who accuse assassins anyway, my friend?
pfzt
They are more of an album band but this is somehow a very strong single. Fantastic song!
Tom Andre Tidemann
This album is a true masterpiece!!
Exempl0
I am the assassin, with tongue forged from eloquence
I am the assassin, providing your nemesis
On the sacrificial altar to success, my friend
Unleash a stranger from a kiss, my friend
No incantations of remorse, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice, my friend
Who decorates the scarf with the fugi knot
Who camouflaged emotion in a thousand yard stare
Who gouged the notches from the family tree
Who hypnotised the guilt in career rhythm trance
Assassing, assassing, assassing, assassing
Listen as the syllables of slaughter cat with calm precision
Patterned frosty phrases rape your ears and sow the ice incision
Apocalyptic alphabet casting spell the creed of tempered diction
Adjectives of annihilation bury the point beyond redemption
Venomous verbs of ruthless candour plagiarise assassins fervour
A friend in need is a friend that bleeds
Let bitter silence infect the wound
You were a sentimental mercenary in a free fire zone
Parading a Hollywood conscience
You were a fashionable objector with a uniform fetish
Pavlovian slaver at the cash till ring of success
A non com observer - I assassin the collector - defector
So you resigned yourself to failure, my friend
And I emerged the chilling stranger, my friend
To eradicate the problem, my friend
Unsheathe the blade within the voice
I am the assassin
I am the assassin
And what do you call assassins who accuse assassins anyway, my friend?
Anna McFly
Literally the only band that makes me cry while hearing a live performance. Thanks mom for sharing them with me <3
Allison Wright
Saw them on this tour at Hammersmith. I NEVER understood why this band did not become as big as Iron Maiden! They surely had what it takes to achieve that!
DaveKarloff
They lost Fish. That's why Allison.Shame.
John Drawing
It was the 80s...Radio did not want these long songs.....short 1-rythm tracks were fashion........
Mark Smith
lol no-one is big as iron maiden
Warren Kingston
Saw them at Brixton Academy
Robert Ballot
That's an easy one. They were too good. I am not being facetious.