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.
This Town
Marillion Lyrics
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Like burned-in long exposure pictures
The wheels spin slowly backwards
Strobing in the amber light
And the rain comes down and washes my brain
But it don't get clean
This town has turned me into what I have become
This town performs in the window like the ultimate gift
This town takes us down
I feel like I'm losing you to this town
We were saving our money for half of our lives
We were saving our dreams
And we came to this place to make the chances real
In the big city
But I've been counting the days
I've been watching you change
And I can feel it dying
The noise outside takes you in its arms
Like a lamb to a lion
And down there somewhere among the noise
The magazine dolls and the big money boys
Move silently on their easy heels
They move silently on their greasy wheels
This town has turned me into what I have become
This town dresses you up like a stranger
This town hangs around in the doorway and tells me I'm late
This town takes us down, takes us down
I feel like I'm losing you to this town
The morning breaks and I watch you awake
This town takes you down away from me again
The song "This Town" by Marillion is a lament to the effects of city life on the human psyche. The opening verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer describing his mind as a canvas upon which the city leaves its mark. The images of light and motion offer a sense of congestion and dissonance, while the rain symbolizes the futility of trying to escape the city's hold on his thoughts.
The second verse details the struggle of the singer and his partner to make a life for themselves in the big city. They came to find opportunity and a chance to realize their dreams, but over time they've become disillusioned and lost. The singer sees his partner slipping away into the city's grasp, and he feels a sense of hopelessness as he watches her change.
The chorus drives home the theme of the song, with the singer feeling like he's losing his partner to the city. This town has turned them both into strangers, and the city's pervasive presence is slowly eroding their relationship.
In summary, "This Town" is a poignant meditation on the destructive effect that cities can have on the human soul. It's a warning to those who seek to make their fortune in the big city, and a testament to the power of love in the face of urban decay.
Line by Line Meaning
The cars leave their trails of hot and cold light inside my head
The bright car lights create a lasting image in my mind
Like burned-in long exposure pictures
The mental image is like those created by long exposure photography
The wheels spin slowly backwards
The image in my mind seems to move backwards
Strobing in the amber light
The car lights flicker in the yellow glow
And the rain comes down and washes my brain
The rain makes me forget the image for a while
But it don't get clean
But the memory remains despite the rain
This town has turned me into what I have become
Living in this town has changed me fundamentally
This town dresses me up like a stranger
Living here makes me feel like an outsider
This town performs in the window like the ultimate gift
The town puts on a show for tourists
This town takes us down
The town brings us down physically and mentally
I feel like I'm losing you to this town
I fear that you're being consumed by this town
We were saving our money for half of our lives
We've been working hard to save money for many years
We were saving our dreams
We were saving our hopes for a better future
And we came to this place to make the chances real
We moved here to turn our dreams into reality
In the big city
In the hopes of finding more opportunity
But I've been counting the days
But lately I've been marking time
I've been watching you change
I've been noticing how different you've become
And I can feel it dying
I sense that our relationship is coming to an end
The noise outside takes you in its arms
The commotion of the city seems to have seduced you
Like a lamb to a lion
Like an innocent being led to a predator
And down there somewhere among the noise
In the midst of all the chaos and activity
The magazine dolls and the big money boys
The glamorous models and wealthy businessmen
Move silently on their easy heels
Appear to glide effortlessly in their fancy shoes
They move silently on their greasy wheels
Seem to maneuver around town with ease and slickness
This town hangs around in the doorway and tells me I'm late
The town seems to always be reminding me of my shortcomings
This town takes us down, takes us down
This town drags us down both physically and mentally
I feel like I'm losing you to this town
I fear that this town is winning you over and changing you
The morning breaks and I watch you awake
Watching you wake up as the sun rises
This town takes you down away from me again
This town separates us once more
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: S. HOGARTH, STEVEN THOMAS ROTHERY, MARK COLBERT KELLY, PETER JOHN TREWAVAS, IAN FRANCESKO MOSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind