1) Rosetta Stone i… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name, including:
1) Rosetta Stone is a British Goth band formed in the mid 1980s.
2) Rosetta Stone was a British pop band from the late 1970s.
3) Rosetta Stone was a pop band from the late 2000s.
1) Rosetta Stone is a British Goth band formed in the mid 1980s around members Porl King (Rosetta Stone, Miserylab) on guitar/vocals/keyboards and Karl North (Rosetta Stone, Dream Disciples) on bass, plus their drum machine and synthesizer rack nicknamed "Madame Razor." The band was named after the Rosetta Stone, an Egyptian historical artifact, and used ancient mythological imagery. Their early style and first album reflected the jangly-guitar sounds of 1980s gothic rock, and their first big break was supporting The Mission.
In 1991 the band released their most successful single Adrenaline, an indie dancefloor anthem which marked a change in direction for the band's sound and line-up. Porl Young (who had joined just after the recording of An Eye For The Main Chance) left to produce Children On Stun whilst Porl King and Karl North remained to take the band into a more industrial sound.
1992 saw a cover version of The Rattles 1970 hit The Witch take the band into the UK top 40 singles chart.
With the advance for 1995's The Tyranny of Inaction, Porl King purchased an Alesis ADAT multi-track digital recorder, the use of which substantially changed Rosetta Stone's sound. That album and most subsequent work featured a much more industrial sound, with extensive use of sampling
At some point in the late 1990s, Porl King lost part of his little finger in an accident, which changed his guitar style considerably. The band split up in 1998 for many reasons but which some say may have included an off-stage fracas with an act from Nightbreed Recordings at Whitby Gothic Weekend. Karl North joined Dream Disciples (their next album Asphyxia notably featured Carl's Rosetta-sounding bass). Porl King produced one more album (contractually) under the name Rosetta Stone for Cleopatra Records. Porl King went on to be a remix producer under the moniker "Miserylab," working for the likes of the mercury music award nominated Elbow and the Fluke side-project Syntax. As Miserylab, Porl has released several Singles, EPs, and Albums including the track Making A Bomb, his latest album From Which No Light Escapes, and singles Appeal To Fears {video} and Gods Amongst Your Friends {video}. Both singles are available for FREE download at miserylab.com.
Rosetta Stone was one of the largest names in the 1990s goth circuit, easily commanding audiences of over two thousand when headlining festivals, however they seemed to prefer to have a more direct relationship with their audience and in later years would usually book short tours of smaller 500+ capacity venues which then sold out. Porl King was one of the few big-name goth musicians to contribute to online discussions, such as Usenet's uk.people.gothic newsgroup. This dedication gained them a solid fanbase - the most loyal followers became known as Quarriers. Today Porl is frequently found on Facebook and Twitter.
Discography:
Chapter And Verse (1988)
Recreate and Emulate (1988)
Whispers (1988)
And How They Rejoice (1989)
Darkness And Light (1989)
Retribution (1989)
Adrenaline (1991)
An Eye For The Main Chance (1991)
Leave Me For Dead (1991)
Under The Rose (1991)
The Witch (1992)
Epitome (1993)
Foundation Stones (1993)
On The Side Of Angels (1993)
Nothing (1995)
The Tyranny Of Inaction (1995)
Hiding In Waiting (1996)
Playing God (as Complicity) (1997)
Chemical Emissions (1998)
Gender Confusion (1998)
Don't Blow Your Cover: A Tribute To KMFDM (2000) {KMFDM}
Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna, Volume 2 (2000) {Madonna}
Unerotica (2000)
Seems Like Forever (2019)
Cryptology (2020)
--- For More Releases By This Artist: See miserylab
Official Sites:
Porl King's Pages
http://www.miserylab.com
http://www.twitter.com/miserylab
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosetta-Stone/95004755522
http://www.facebook.com/miserylab
Porl Young's Pages
http://www.facebook.com/porlyoung
http://www.myspace.com/porlyoung
From Wikipedia Edited by Neferast on 18 Jun 2011
2) Rosetta Stone was a British pop band from the late 1970s.
3) Rosetta Stone was a pop band from the late 2000s.
Friends & Executioners
Rosetta Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fear you're too late
Note the damage I've already made
Painfully recalling all the words you never said
Can't take that feeling much more
Unless I'm coming up on chemicals and walking on shock corridor
No
Show no mercy no more
You need to learn to forget by remembering a little more
So typically destructive
And yes your judgment is unqualified
I really wish that I could believe you but the truth is never easy to find
And even harder to hide
In "Friends and Executioners" by Rosetta Stone, the singer is addressing someone who they consider both a friend and an executioner. They fear that this person has come too late to stop the damage that has already been done. The singer painfully recalls all the things that this person never said to them and can no longer bear the feeling of their absence. They suggest that they will turn to chemical means to numb themselves in order to avoid feeling the pain of their absence.
The singer tells this friend/executioner to show no mercy, implying that this person has the power to hurt them in ways that could be considered cruel. The singer then questions whether there is anything in life that is worth dying for, suggesting that they may be in a place of despair or hopelessness. The singer then tells this person that they need to learn to forget by remembering more, which is a paradoxical statement that could be interpreted in many ways. Finally, the singer labels themselves as "typically destructive" and recognizes that they are not easily convinced by others' perspectives.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling with feelings of pain and hopelessness, and is questioning whether there is anything in life that is worth the struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear friend and executioner
Addressing someone with conflicting roles in the singer's life, simultaneously trusted friend and feared authority figure
I fear you're too late
Implying that some damage has already been done and that the addressee cannot undo it
Note the damage I've already made
Acknowledging the consequences of past actions
Painfully recalling all the words you never said
Regretting the lack of communication, possibly with the addressee, and the missed opportunities that resulted from it
Can't take that feeling much more
Expressing distress and discomfort due to past events
Unless I'm coming up on chemicals and walking on shock corridor
Referencing the possible use of drugs to cope with emotional pain
No
Simple negation
Show no mercy no more
Advising to be ruthless rather than compassionate
Is there anything worth dying for
Questioning the value of life and human existence
You need to learn to forget by remembering a little more
Suggesting that one could overcome past trauma by revisiting it and processing it fully
So typically destructive
Admitting to having destructive tendencies or patterns of behavior
And yes your judgment is unqualified
Dismissing the addressee's opinion or advice as insufficient, unhelpful or biased
I really wish that I could believe you but the truth is never easy to find
Expressing hopelessness or cynicism with regards to seeking the truth or making sense of past events
And even harder to hide
Observing that the truth, once uncovered, would be difficult to conceal, revealing or painful
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind