My first insertion of a Progressive Rock composition is Epitaph by King Crimson. The band is considered to be the foundation of Progressive Rock ( although they were inspired by orchestral sound of the Moody Blues – I will have an examle of their contribution at a later time). The song travels to the past, looks at the present and to the future as Greg Lake sings of a universal confusion stemming from the decay of time honored wisdom, to the imminent fear of nuclear demise ( a topic that was prominent in political discourse till mid 80’s). The song ends in the future ; “but I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying”.
Epitaph is from In the Court of Crimson King album, it was released in 1969.
I chose this particular video because it has the best recording of the song by the original vocalist.
The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams.
Upon the instruments of death
The sunlight brightly gleams.
When every man is torn apart
With nightmares and with dreams,
Will no one lay the laurel wreath
When silence drowns the screams?
Between the iron gates of fate,
The seeds of time were sown,
And watered by the deeds of those
Who know and who are known;
Knowledge is a deadly friend
When no one sets the rules.
The fate of all mankind I see
Is in the hands of fools.
Confusion will be my epitaph.
As I crawl a cracked and broken path
If we make it we can all sit back
and laugh.
But I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying,
Yes I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying.