The poet and the painter, casting shadows on the water
As the sun plays on the infantry returning from the sea
The do-er and the thinker: no allowance for the other
As the failing light illuminates the mercenary's creed
The home fire is burning: the kettle almost boiling
But the master of the house is far away
The horses stampeding: their warm breath clouding
In the sharp and frosty morning of the day
And the poet lifts his pen while the soldier sheaths his sword
This is an excerpt from the brilliant poem by Ian Anderson and the subsequent album, Thick As A Brick from his band Jethro Tull. They were roughly contemporaries of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, from what I can discern.
ReplyDeleteI found this record in my father's collection and in my teetering curiosity found it to be a terrific work of art. As concept albums go, this is one of the finest, up there with The Who's Tommy, Rush's Hemispheres and Queen's Of The StoneAge's Songs For The Deaf.
Gus,
ReplyDeleteSome of us are old enough to remember, and maybe even own some vinyl, of Jethro Tull.
The name certainly takes me back.