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.
Now Wash Your Hands
Marillion Lyrics
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Do you see a face you hardly recognise
If you look into the sun too long
Do the things you see begin to burn your eyes
Paper lies
Just to express what he's thinking
Must a man take all the mail will bring?
It's a sign of the times ... we believe anything ... and nothing
Paper lies
When you kill the truth
You can make a killing
You might just make losing look like winning
You came to tell the people what's goin' on
But nobody knows whose side you're on
Seems like you're sailin' pretty close to the wind again
Paper lies
You have already won a prize!
I know something that you don't know
Something that you ought to know
It's burning a hole in my pocket book
Listen ... do you want to know a secret?
We can print our own money here
If you let us do a piece on you
We can take you to pieces
When you look into the money do you see a face you hardly recognise?
When you get behind the news of the world do the things you find begin to bend your mind?
Paper lies
Why don't ya let us take a piece outta you?
The lyrics to Marillion's song "Now Wash Your Hands" seem to be a commentary on the media and their manipulation of the truth. The opening lines of the song ask the listener to look in the mirror and question whether they recognize themselves. This could represent how the media presents a distorted version of reality that makes it hard for viewers and readers to distinguish what is real from what is not. The next lines ask if looking too long into the sun causes things to burn your eyes. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for how the media's constant barrage of information can be overwhelming and damaging.
The chorus of the song features the phrase "paper lies," suggesting that the media often fabricates stories to increase ratings and profit. The lines "when you kill the truth, you can make a killing / you might just make losing look like winning" implies that the media's subjective view of reality has a greater impact than merely informing the public, and that the consequences of this can be detrimental to society as a whole. The line "seems like you're sailin' pretty close to the wind again" suggests that the media operates in a precarious position, and that their manipulations could eventually cause harm to themselves.
The bridge of the song presents a conversation between a reporter and a subject, in which the reporter offers to make the subject famous in exchange for access to their personal and private life. The line "we can print our own money here" suggests that the media believes they have the power to create their own reality or manipulate the public's perception of reality.
Overall, "Now Wash Your Hands" seems to be a commentary on the dangers of media manipulation, and how it can affect our perceptions of ourselves, society and the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
When you look into the mirror
When you reflect on yourself
Do you see a face you hardly recognise
Do you have a sense of detachment from your own identity?
If you look into the sun too long
If you focus too much on something bright and alluring
Do the things you see begin to burn your eyes
Does it cause damage and discomfort?
Paper lies
Untruthful information distributed on printed material
Just to express what he's thinking
Sharing opinions regardless of whether they are factual or not
Must a man take all the mail will bring?
Does a person have to accept everything that comes to them?
Are we living only for today
Do we prioritize short-term satisfaction over long-term consequences?
It's a sign of the times ... we believe anything ... and nothing
It reflects the current state of society where we are easily swayed by false information, but at the same time, doubting everything
When you kill the truth
When honesty and facts are suppressed or ignored
You can make a killing
One can profit greatly from manipulating the truth
You might just make losing look like winning
Through deception, defeat can be masked as victory
You came to tell the people what's goin' on
Assuming a role as a source of information and authority
But nobody knows whose side you're on
Distrust towards the person's true intentions
Seems like you're sailin' pretty close to the wind again
Appears to be engaging in risky behavior
You have already won a prize!
You have gained something of value through manipulation and deceit
I know something that you don't know
Claiming to have exclusive knowledge or insight
Something that you ought to know
Implying that the information is important and relevant
It's burning a hole in my pocket book
An intense desire to share the information for personal gain
Listen ... do you want to know a secret?
An attempt to entice the listener with insider knowledge
We can print our own money here
Offering a bribe or compensation
If you let us do a piece on you
A request for cooperation in exchange for promised benefits
We can take you to pieces
The ability to bring someone down by exploiting their weaknesses or secrets
When you look into the money do you see a face you hardly recognise?
Reflecting on whether the allure of wealth and power has led to a loss of self-identity
When you get behind the news of the world do the things you find begin to bend your mind?
Questioning whether the media's version of events is accurate or manipulative
Why don't ya let us take a piece outta you?
An aggressive, coercive request for submission
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN MOSLEY, MARK KELLY, PETER TREWAVAS, STEVE HOGARTH, STEVE ROTHERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind