Still Life
Van der Graaf Generator Lyrics

Citadel reverberates to a thousand voices, now
The imposing structure echoes with the voice of the people of the present time.

What have we become?
This phrase expresses deep concern regarding our current state of existence.

What have we chosen to be?
This is a rhetorical question that calls us to reflect on the path we have followed for ourselves.

Now, all history is reduced to the syllables of Our name-
This line implies that all our accomplishments will be merely remembered as the sound of our name.

Nothing can ever be the same:
This highlights the deep change and depravity our society is undergoing.

Now the Immortals are here.
This suggests that we are reaching a point where we transcend mortality.

At the time it seemed a reasonable course To harness all the force Of life without the threat of death,
The idea of avoiding death and harnessing all the force of life was initially an appealing idea.

But soon we found that boredom and inertia Are not negative, but all the law we know,
The realization of the lack of meaning in life without death led us to a state of boredom and inertia that defines us.

And dead are will and words like survival.
Our will to survive and thrive has disappeared leaving us with no purpose or drive.

Arrival at immunity from all age, all fear and All end
This line is an extension of the idea that we are reaching a point of immortality where we are free from age, fear, and death.

Why do I pretend?
This line suggests that perhaps our state of immortality is not real, and we are merely pretending.

Our essence is distilled And all familiar taste is now drained,
Our existence has become distilled and meaningless, and everything that was once familiar to us now has no taste or significance.

And though purity is maintained It leaves us sterile,
Even though we have achieved purity, we are left sterile and without any passion or emotion.

Living through the millions of years, A laugh as close as any tear; Living, if you claim that all That entails is breathing, eating, defecating, Screwing, drinking, Spewing, sleeping, sinking ever down and down And ultimately, passing away time Which no longer has any meaning.
Our existence has been reduced to simple acts of sustenance and relations, where we live without any purpose or meaning, and the only certainty is the passage of time.

Take away the threat of death and all you're Left with is a round of make-believe.
This line implies that without the possibility of death, we are now living in a world that is not what it seems.

Marshal every sullen breath and though you're Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy It's still the ring by which you hope to be Engaged To marry the girl who will give you forever- It's crazy, and plainly That simply is not enough.
This is a metaphorical statement that emphasizes that nothing is ever enough, and even though we are ultimately bored, we need more to keep ourselves engaged.

What is the dullest and bluntest of pains, Such that my eyes never close without feeling it There?
This is a metaphorical line that asks what is the most mundane and trivial of pains or struggles that we have to face.

What abject despair demands an end To all things of infinity?
This line is an expression of the despair that we often face that leads us to seek an end to everything lasting forever.

If we have gained, how do we now meet the Cost? What have we bargained, and what have we Lost?
This line questions what we have lost in our pursuit of immortality and what sacrifices we have made along the way.

What have we relinquished, never even knowing it Was there?
This line implies that we might have lost something significant but never realized its value.

What thoughts now of holding fast the line, Defying death and time?
This line is a call to our thoughts on defying the limits of mortality and the passage of time.

Everything we had is gone, Everything we laboured for and favoured more Than earthly things reveals the hollow ring Of false hope and false deliverance.
This line suggests that all our efforts to achieve immortality have led us to realize that it was not what we had hoped for, and the promise of everlasting life was empty.

But now the nuptial bed is made, The dowry has been paid: The toothless, haggard features of eternity Now welcome me between the sheets To couple with her withered body - my wife. Hers forever, Hers forever, Hers forever In still life.
This line symbolizes the inevitable union with death and the acceptance of the stillness of our lives.