Porcupine Tree started out as a "fake" band, the only real member being multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson. Wilson's first two releases, Tarquin's Seaweed Farm (1989) and The Nostalgia Factory (1990), were both released on cassette tapes. In addition to the band's trademark psychedelic sound, these two tapes also contained heavy ambient and pop influences. Wilson's favorite tracks were then compiled into the CD On the Sunday of Life... (1991), while the more ambient-leaning tracks were also collected in Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape (1994). The first of these two featured many new versions of songs.
Wilson then went on to release Voyage 34 (1992) and Up the Downstair (1993), which refined the sound of the previous albums and removed the pop influences. Both of these were later re-released, the first as Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (2000), which included an extra two remixes (a total of four), while Up the Downstair was remastered at 2005 with real drums added in place of the drum-machine beats.
The Sky Moves Sideways (1995), often considered the band's best album by long-time fans, largely uses the spacey nature of previous albums. By the time of Signify (1996) Wilson had a full band at his disposal: Chris Maitland (drums), Colin Edwin (bass), and Richard Barbieri, formerly of Japan, on keyboards.
The band's next two albums, Stupid Dream (1999) and Lightbulb Sun (2000), saw them take on a more alternative rock-oriented sound, while still drawing influence from as far back as Up the Downstair. During this period, the band garnered increasing recognition, both in their home country and abroad. Finally, they were signed to Lava Records (a major American record label) in time for the release of In Absentia, with Gavin Harrison replacing Chris Maitland on drums. This album shows high metal influences, due in part to Wilson's work with Opeth on their album Blackwater Park. The band continued this sound for their 2005 release, Deadwing, which has the heaviest and most noticeable metal influences.
In April 2007, the band released Fear of a Blank Planet, an album clearly influenced by the post-rock genre, but also sees them expanding the metal side of their music, yet still remaining true to older facets of the band's sound.
In April, 2007, the band embarked on a six-month world tour in support of Fear of a Blank Planet, one that included Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. The new album was featured, and the show featured the films and projections by the band's long-time visualist Lasse Hoile.
Fear of a Blank Planet is already the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album of the band's career, charting high in most countries (even giving the band their first top-forty album in their home country). Porcupine Tree spent most of 2007 on tour promoting the album, and a new EP Nil Recurring containing material left over from the album-writing sessions was released on the band's own label Transmission in September.
The band started recording their tenth studio album The Incident in February 2009. This was confirmed by the band, posting this message on their official website: "Writing for the next PT studio record is well underway, with the band recently spending two weeks scheduled in the English countryside working on new tracks. Recording of these pieces and a new 35 minute SW song cycle were due to start in February..." A tour was announced on the band's website and MySpace, along with dates, following release of the new album. Around March and April, Wilson commented the 35-minute song kept evolving and now it has become a 55-minute song, occupying the entire disc.
On 20 May 2010, Porcupine Tree released their second live concert film on DVD and Blu-ray, titled Anesthetize. It was recorded live on 15 and 16 October 2008 in the Netherlands at the 013 Tilburg venue.
On 17 June 2010, the band announced on their website that a new live album titled Atlanta, recorded during the tour of Fear of a Blank Planet at the Roxy theatre, Atlanta, on 29 October 2007, would be released in a near future. This album was released via online distribution only, without any class of physical format; all the sale proceeds were donated to Mick Karn for his treatment against cancer.
In June 2012, Wilson re-emphasised his continued focus on his solo career.
On November 1st, 2021, the band announced their eleventh studio album Closure / Continuation, to be released in June 2022 on Music For Nations, along with their first single in over 12 years, Harridan. The release is the first without bassist Colin Edwin since he joined the band in 1993.
Prodigal
Porcupine Tree Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't think that I belong round here
If I left the stage would that be wrong ?
I tried to find myself a better way
I got religion but I went astray
They took my money and I lost my faith
The good times never seem to last
Close your eyes and let the thought pass
I tried the capsule and I tried the smoke
I tried to aid escape like normal folk
But I never seemed to get the joke
These are my old clothes
This is a new low
This is my blood flow
This is my headstone
I spend my days with all my friends
They're the ones on who my life depends
I'm gonna miss them when the series ends
Rain keeps crawling down the glass
(Pull yourself together)
The good times never seem to last
(You know it's not so bad)
Close your eyes and let the thought pass
(Close your eyes and let it pass)
The lyrics of Porcupine Tree's "Prodigal" are a reflection of someone who is lost and struggles to find their place in the world. The opening lines, "I don't know whose side I'm on, I don't think that I belong round here," convey a sense of detachment and alienation. The individual is questioning their own identity and whether they fit into the society they live in. The line "If I left the stage would that be wrong?" suggests that the individual is contemplating leaving their current situation or perhaps even life itself.
Throughout the song, the individual talks about their failed attempts to find meaning and purpose in their life. They tried religion but were let down by it. The line "They took my money and I lost my faith" indicates that the individual was disillusioned by the religious institutions they were involved with. They also experimented with drugs and other escape mechanisms but found no solace in them. The line "But I never seemed to get the joke" suggests that the individual feels like an outsider who cannot understand the world around them.
The repetitious use of the rain metaphor suggests a sense of hopelessness and despair, as if the individual is stuck in a perpetual cycle of disappointment. However, the song ends on a somewhat optimistic note with the line "Close your eyes and let the thought pass" suggesting that the individual can move beyond their struggles and find some peace within themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know whose side I'm on
I'm confused and unsure of which group to support
I don't think that I belong round here
I feel like I don't fit in with my surroundings
If I left the stage would that be wrong ?
Wondering if it's a mistake to leave a situation
I tried to find myself a better way
I attempted to improve my life
I got religion but I went astray
I joined a faith but then lost my path
They took my money and I lost my faith
I was taken advantage of and lost my trust in something I believed in
Rain keeps crawling down the glass
It's raining and the droplets are moving down a window
The good times never seem to last
Pleasant experiences always end too soon
Close your eyes and let the thought pass
Don't dwell on negative thoughts; let them fade away
I tried the capsule and I tried the smoke
I experimented with drugs for a way out
I tried to aid escape like normal folk
I tried to find a way out of my troubles like others do
But I never seemed to get the joke
I didn't understand how to free myself from my problems
These are my old clothes
These clothes are outdated and not me anymore
This is a new low
My situation has become worse than ever before
This is my blood flow
My body is functioning normally
This is my headstone
This marks where I will be buried after I die
I spend my days with all my friends
I enjoy time with my companions
They're the ones on who my life depends
I rely on them heavily for support and happiness
I'm gonna miss them when the series ends
I'll regret not having them around after they're gone from my life
(Pull yourself together)
Telling oneself to regain composure
(You know it's not so bad)
Reminding oneself that the situation isn't entirely terrible
(Close your eyes and let it pass)
Encouraging oneself to let negative thoughts disappear
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN EDWIN BALCH, GAVIN RICHARD HARRISON, RICHARD BARBIERI, STEVEN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind