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.
You're Gone
Marillion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like nightfall followed dawn without a day between
You're gone and suddenly I can't see
I'm in the shadow of you
I'm in the shadow of you
I can see you in my minds rose-tinted eye..
Somewhere you're drifting by
While here am I, left behind
Stunned and blind
But I can see you from here
I can see you so clear
You are the light
You are the light
You have the day
I have the night
But we have the early hours together
You're gone, and heaven cries.
A thunderstorm breaks from the northern sky
Chasing you back to the daily grind
You're gone. And where am I?
A haunted life
The ghost of your laughter
The half-empty glass
The half-empty glass
And I wait
'Til midnight tolls
Two souls almost touching in the dark
I'll be allright
You are the light
You are the light
You have the day
I have the night
But we have the early hours
We have the early hours
We have the early hours together
"You're Gone" by Marillion is a heart-wrenching song about the experience of losing a loved one, and the feelings of longing and emptiness that follow. The lyrics describe the abrupt departure of someone dear, leaving the singer feeling lost and alone. The opening lines, "You're gone. As suddenly as you came to me", highlight the suddenness of the loss as if it happened overnight, taking away the singer's ability to see anything beyond the shadow created by their partner's absence.
Further emphasizing the pain and loss, the song goes on to describe how the memory of the loved one remains the only reminder of what they once shared. The line "I can see you in my mind’s rose-tinted eye, somewhere you’re drifting by" implies that although the person is gone, they are not forgotten. The singer continues to hold on to their memories of the loved one, feeling the haunting presence of their laughter and the emptiness that comes with a half-empty glass.
Throughout the song, the lyrics repeatedly emphasize the mismatched schedules that the couple shares. They both work day and night, with the singer having only the early hours of dawn to share with the loved one. Despite this, in the chorus, the singer acknowledges the light that the loved one brings to their life and confesses their deep need for the person who has left. By the end of the song, the singer holds onto hope that they will eventually move on and thrive without their loved one. They wait for the midnight tolls, believing that it will allow them to finally move past the hurt and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
You're gone. As suddenly as you came to me
Your departure was as abrupt as your arrival in my life
Like nightfall followed dawn without a day between
Your leaving occurred without any warning or transition
You're gone and suddenly I can't see
Your absence has left me in a state of confusion and uncertainty
I'm in the shadow of you
I am constantly haunted by memories of you
I can see you in my minds rose-tinted eye..
My idealized perception of you still lingers in my imagination
Somewhere you're drifting by
You are likely moving on with your life
Your heels rolling sparks on the lucky street
Your footsteps were a source of excitement and optimism
While here am I, left behind
I am left alone with my regrets
Stunned and blind
I am in shock and unable to see the way forward
But I can see you from here
My memories of you are vivid and clear
I can see you so clear
My mental image of you is still vivid and detailed
You are the light
You brought joy and illumination into my life
You have the day
You possess the energy and confidence that comes with daylight hours
I have the night
I am resigned to the melancholic and introspective atmosphere of the night
But we have the early hours together
We shared moments of intimacy and connection during the early hours of the day
You're gone, and heaven cries.
Your departure is mourned by both myself and the universe
A thunderstorm breaks from the northern sky
The tempestuous weather mirrors my emotional state
Chasing you back to the daily grind
The commotion of everyday life is taking you away from me
And where am I?
I am lost and directionless without you
A haunted life
I am tormented by the memory of our time together
The ghost of your laughter
The echo of your laughter still echoes in my mind
The half-empty glass
My life feels incomplete without you
And I wait
I bide my time in the hopes of a reunion
'Til midnight tolls
I am restless and fixated on the events of the night
Two souls almost touching in the dark
We are separated by darkness, but our connection remains poignant
I'll be alright
I will survive and endure despite the pain of separation
We have the early hours
Our moments of union and joy occurred during the early hours of the day
We have the early hours together
Our shared moments of intimacy and joy remain potent in my memory
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN FRANCESKO MOSLEY, MARK COLBERT KELLY, PETER JOHN TREWAVAS, STEVE HOGARTH, STEVEN THOMAS ROTHERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucas Gregory
The bass line on this track is marvelous!
RS 59
So is the rest👍
carlos figueiredo
Yes it is very true. The bass makes this music getting live
Bryan Walker
Cannot stop playing this song - looking forward to seeing them in November.
Nádia Kalim Atieh
The bassline, the keyboards, the guitar solos, the drums and Hogarth passion! 😭🖤
Volker N
Wonderful,
one of the best bands ever.
cafedeltransit
I’ve always admired the varied catalogue of great songs this band produces,such excellent variance and probably one of the best live bands.
Elizabeth Ann Nelson
Absolutely love this, love h's crazy dance, they enjoy what their doing and it shows.
PK
Tears ran down my cheek during the gig at PZ and tears run down while watching this vid.... Thank you Marillion!!! <3
FlyingFox1987
love te passion in this performance <3 love it when artists feel their song and translate that to an audience, magic <3