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.
Falling From The Moon
Marillion Lyrics
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You wouldn't understand
You're asking the wrong questions
You couldn't understand
A bridge is not a high place
The fifty second floor
Icarus would know
When you've fallen from the moon
There's murder on the street
I'm ashes on the water now
Somewhere far away
I have fallen, fallen, from the moon
Falling
From the Moon by Marillion is a song that explores themes of existentialism, depression, and the feeling of falling from grace. The opening lines "Don't ask me why I'm doing this, You wouldn't understand" set the tone for the song, as the singer feels isolated and misunderstood. They continue to explain that others are "asking the wrong questions" and that they "couldn't understand" even if they tried. This highlights the separation the singer feels from the rest of the world and the inability of others to truly empathize with their struggles.
The chorus of the song presents the imagery of falling from the moon, a long and lonely descent with no end in sight. The reference to Icarus, who famously fell from the sky after flying too close to the sun, draws upon the idea of hubris and the punishment for trying to reach too far. The line "a mountain isn't far to fall" represents how small and insignificant everything feels when you're falling, even something as daunting as a mountain becomes just another obstacle on the way down.
The second verse introduces an element of danger, with the mention of "murder on the street" and the realization that the singer has become "ashes on the water". This could be seen as a metaphor for the destruction and chaos that comes with mental illness, and the idea that one can be easily swept away in the current.
Overall, Falling From the Moon is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the struggles of the human condition and the feeling of being lost and alone in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't ask me why I'm doing this
I don't have an answer as to why I am doing this action
You wouldn't understand
You do not have the necessary knowledge or perspective to comprehend my reasoning for this action
You're asking the wrong questions
Your questions are irrelevant and do not address the true purpose or cause of my actions
You couldn't understand
Even if you tried to understand, you would not be able to grasp the true nature of my actions
A bridge is not a high place
A bridge does not have a significant height in comparison to other structures or landmarks
The fifty second floor
Floor number fifty-two in a building or skyscraper
Icarus would know
A reference to the Greek myth of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and fell to his death, implying a sense of familiarity with falling and the consequences of daring actions
A mountain isn't far to fall
When one is already in a state of falling, the distance from a mountain to the ground is relatively close and insignificant
When you've fallen from the moon
A hyperbolic expression of the artist's current state of falling and the perceived height from which they have fallen
There's murder on the street
There has been an act of violence or illegal activity occurring in the nearby area
I'm ashes on the water now
The singer has reached a point of complete defeat or insignificance, as if reduced to nothing more than ashes floating on water
Somewhere far away
The exact location of the artist's current state is unknown and distant
I have fallen, fallen, from the moon
Repetition of the action of falling, emphasizing the singer's current state of descent and the distance from which it began
Falling
A single word repeated to further emphasize the central theme and state of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN HELMER, STEVE HOGARTH, MARK KELLY, IAN MOSLEY, STEVE ROTHERY, PETE TREWAVAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind