As The Dragonfly Flies
The Icicle Works Lyrics


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As the dragonfly flies, as the flowers rise

As the sleeping streets of azure bend the fool

As the willow weeps, as the lizard peeps

Down tepid streams with dreams of passing through
You are what you are

You are what you are

You are what you are

You are what you are

As the hope expires, as the land conspires

As the lily-pads drift softly through a night

In the musty halls, where invention calls

With the voice of indecision filling fright

You are what you are

You are what you are

You are what you are

You are what you are

Watch it, feel it, hold me, thrill me

Give it, take it, as the dragonfly flies

You are what you are

You are what you are

You are what you are





You are what you are

Overall Meaning

"As The Dragonfly Flies" is a song by The Icicle Works that is filled with surreal and poetic imagery. The song is built around the metaphor of the dragonfly, a creature that flits back and forth between worlds, as a symbol of the transience of life and the fragility of the human experience. The opening lines suggest a peaceful and idyllic world, where flowers are blooming and streams are running gently. However, the imagery soon shifts to something more unsettling, with the "sleeping streets of azure" suggesting a sense of danger or impending doom.


Throughout the song, the lyrics continue to alternate between peaceful, idyllic imagery and darker, more foreboding images. The willow weeping and the lizard peeping through the tepid streams suggest a sense of loneliness and isolation, while the ideas of hope expiring and the land conspiring point to a world that is inhospitable and uncaring. The chorus repeats the line "You are what you are" over and over again, driving home the message that life is what it is, and there is little we can do to change it.


The final lines of the song are a call to action, urging the listener to "Watch it, feel it, hold me, thrill me/Give it, take it, as the dragonfly flies." This seems to suggest that, despite the adversities we may face in life, we should embrace them and live fully in the moment.


Line by Line Meaning

As the dragonfly flies, as the flowers rise
In the natural world, the dragonfly flies and the flowers grow.


As the sleeping streets of azure bend the fool
The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the street can cause foolishness.


As the willow weeps, as the lizard peeps
The willow tree sheds tears and the lizard peeking symbolize the emotions of nature.


Down tepid streams with dreams of passing through
The gentle streams represent a desire to move forward in life.


You are what you are
Be true to yourself.


As the hope expires, as the land conspires
When hope fades, the land seems to plot against us.


As the lily-pads drift softly through a night
The peaceful scene of lily-pads drifting at night.


In the musty halls, where invention calls
The places where creativity sparks are not always glamorous.


With the voice of indecision filling fright
Being indecisive can lead to fearful situations.


Watch it, feel it, hold me, thrill me
Be fully present in the moment and enjoy life.


Give it, take it, as the dragonfly flies
Follow the natural rhythm of life.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

dunkiep

Amazing. A very youthfull mcnabb plays open chords on his guitar with one hand and keyboard parts with the other while singing. If he stuck a brush up his arse, he could have cleaned the stage at the same time!

InParticularNobody

...whilst playing in the wide open, fully electrified, in the merseyside rain..
The Ian Mcnabb story could have been a whole lot shorter if the gods had been feeling less kind :)
What a genius.

The Ramblings of Bry

fantastic band

Andrew Levy

Wow..Icicle Works live? Amazing!! Never seen this before! That first album was brilliant, one of my most favorite of the era..thanks for the post! Very cool..

Richard Hills

Playing synth whilst strummimg the guitar !!! What a hero !! One of my favourite bands ever !

Bloop

I can't stop listening to this song...Love it! I also love the way you can see the old pier head bus station in the background!!

Dave Williams

Quite a treasure. Loved this band -- never understood why they didn't chart better.

tetrahedron3100

Although the Icicle Works were never my favourite band, their first LP made a strong impression on me. One highlight was the lyrics from this track 'You are what you are.....you are what you know you are' just at the time in my life when I most needed to hear them.

clarence47a

You are indeed my new hero weirandstubbs. Thanks for these AWESOME videos. Legend...

Roy T Bone

Sharrock was a fantastic drummer.

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