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.
Brave
Marillion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never lied before
Such a plain deceit
Everyone would eventually know
What a brave, brave girl
Never loved before
Placed herself in reach
So he tried
In his own way
To find the heart
Of the tight-packed rose
She's gone now
But oh, she aches
She aches
He will search until he's found
A way to take the days
See her sadness in your face
She's inside you
And she's crying
The lyrics of Marillion's song "Brave" tell the story of a brave and honest girl who tells a lie for the first time. However, this lie is quickly revealed and everyone finds out. The girl is also brave in the sense that she has never loved before, but she puts herself out there and becomes vulnerable. The song then talks about how a man tries to find a way into the girl's heart, but she is now gone and feeling a great deal of sadness.
The lyrics show the complex emotions of someone who is struggling with immense pain and the desire to be loved. The girl is brave in her honesty, but also brave in placing herself in a position where she could be hurt. The man's attempts to take the days suggest a sense of longing, while the girl's sadness is felt by those around her.
Overall, "Brave" is a song that explores the themes of honesty, vulnerability, and the desire for love. The lyrics are beautifully crafted and convey a sense of deep emotion that is easy to connect with.
Line by Line Meaning
What a brave, brave girl
This girl portrayed immense courage
Never lied before
She never indulged in deception
Such a plain deceit
The deception was transparent and easy to see through
Everyone would eventually know
The truth would eventually come to light
Never loved before
She had not experienced love previously
Placed herself in reach
She put herself within his reach
So he tried
He attempted to win her love
In his own way
He tried to do it in his unique style
To find the heart
To penetrate beyond the exterior
Of the tight-packed rose
Of the well-guarded and concealed inner-self
She's gone now
She is no longer here
But oh, she aches
She feels pain
He will search until he's found
He will continue to look until he succeeds
A way to take the days
A method to make his days better without her
See her sadness in your face
Her sorrow is reflected in your expression
She's inside you
Her memory is stored within you
And she's crying
Her sorrow lives on
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN THOMAS ROTHERY, IAN MOSELY, PETER TREWAVAS, MARK KELLY, JOHN HELMER, STEVE HOGARTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind