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.
Lords of the Backstage
Marillion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretend you never meant that much to me
Numb, a Valium child, bored by meaningless collisions
A lonely stretch of headlight, diamonds trapped in black ice
A mirror cracked among the white lines
I just wanted you to be the first one
I just wanted you to be the first one
Ashes are burning, burning
A lifestyle with no simplicities
But I'm not asking for your sympathy
Talk, we never could talk, distanced by all that was between us
A lord of the backstage, a creature of language
I'm so far out and I'm too far in
I just wanted you to be the first one
I just wanted you to be the first one
Bridges are burning, burning
Bridges are burning, burning
Now, now, now, now
The song "Lords of the Backstage" by Marillion appears to be a love song with a lot of pain and loss in it. The lyrics talk about a relationship that has gone awry, about two people who are unable to connect with each other, and have become distant. The singer of the song seems to be expressing his disappointment in the way things have turned out, but he is also resigned to his fate. At the same time, he's also angry and hurt that he has been rejected by the person he cared for.
The first stanza sets the tone of the song. The singer says that this is a love song with no validity. He seems to be saying that the love they shared was not real, and he feels used and discarded. He's numb, probably because he's been hurt and he's trying to protect himself. The line "A lonely stretch of headlight, diamonds trapped in black ice, a mirror cracked among the white lines" talks about how the world around him seems bleak, and how he's lost his way. He's unable to see any beauty in life because of the pain he's going through. The second stanza reveals a bit more about the singer's psyche. He seems to be lost in his own thoughts and is unable to communicate with the person he loves. He's a lord of the backstage, a creature of language, which suggests that he's an introverted person who finds it hard to express his emotions. He's too far out and too far in, which means he's struggling to connect with people around him, in his own way.
Overall, the song is about the pain of broken relationships and the inability to connect with people. It's a cry for help and an expression of the pain that the singer is going through.
Line by Line Meaning
A love song with no validity
This song is not about a real, genuine love.
Pretend you never meant that much to me
Act like you didn't matter to me, even though you did.
Numb, a Valium child, bored by meaningless collisions
Emotionally detached and unfeeling, unable to find meaning in trivial interactions.
A lonely stretch of headlight, diamonds trapped in black ice
Driving alone in the dark, headlights illuminating diamonds stuck in frozen puddles on the road.
A mirror cracked among the white lines
A shattered mirror lying on the white lines of the road, reflecting broken pieces of light.
I just wanted you to be the first one
I wished that you could have been the first person to truly understand me and my music.
Ashes are burning, burning
The remnants of a fire are still smoldering and burning.
A lifestyle with no simplicities
A complicated and difficult way of life, with no easy solutions or decisions.
But I'm not asking for your sympathy
I don't want your pity or feeling sorry for me.
Talk, we never could talk, distanced by all that was between us
We were never able to communicate, due to all the emotional barriers between us.
A lord of the backstage, a creature of language
A master of the music industry, fluent in the language of performance and expression.
I'm so far out and I'm too far in
I'm both too much of an outsider and too much of an insider to find my place in the world.
Bridges are burning, burning
All the connections and relationships I once had are falling apart and turning to ashes.
Now, now, now, now
Emphasizing the urgency and importance of the current moment in time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK WILLIAM DICK, IAN MOSLEY, MARK KELLY, PETE TREWAVAS, STEVE ROTHERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind