Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull
Minstrel In The Gallery is a complex but thoroughly
listenable masterpiece. The band was challenging themselves to write advanced rock music, never following any trends.
The song begins with Ian Andersen on acoustic guitar and telling the tale of a travelling minstrel entertaining a lord and lady. H...
(My lord and lady, we have – fortuitously happened upon these, er, strolling players, who will provide you with, er, goodly tunes whilst you set about your, errr, prandial delights, albeit in the lamentable absence of your guests. So, my lord and lady, for your entertainment!)
['So we're going to through with this?' 'Yeahh, suppose we better had. I can't see down there all right. I don't think they're going to like this much though.']
The minstrel in the gallery
Looked down upon the smiling faces
He met the gazes observed the spaces
Between the old men's cackle
He brewed a song of love and hatred
Oblique suggestions and he waited
He polarised the pumpkin-eaters
Static-humming panel-beaters
Freshly day-glow'd factory cheaters
Salaried and collar-scrubbing
He titillated men of action
Belly warming, hands still rubbing
On the parts they never mention
He pacified the nappy-suffering, infant-bleating
One-line jokers, T.V. documentary makers
Overfed and undertakers
Sunday paper backgammon players
Family-scarred and women-haters
Then he called (and he called) the band down to the stage
And he looked at all the friends he'd made
[Instrumental interlude]
The minstrel in the gallery
Looked down upon the smiling faces
He met the gazes, observed the spaces
In-between the old men's cackle
Then he brewed a song of love and hatred
Oblique suggestions, and he waited
He polarised the pumpkin-eaters
Static-humming panel-beaters
The minstrel in the gallery
Looked down on the rabbit-run
Then he threw away his looking-glass
Saw his face in everyone
(Hey!)
He titillated men of action
Belly warming, hands still rubbing
On the parts they never mention
Salaried and collar-scrubbing
(Yeah)
He pacified the nappy-suffering
Infant-bleating, one-line jokers
T.V. documentary makers
Overfed and undertakers
Sunday paper backgammon players
Family-scarred and women-haters
Then he called the band down to the stage
And he looked at all the friends he'd made
The minstrel in the gallery
Looked down on the rabbit-run
Then he threw away his looking-glass
And saw his face in everyone
(Hey!)
The minstrel in the gallery, ye-e-es
Looked down upon the smiling faces
He met the gazes, yeah
Mm, the minstrel in the gallery
Minstrel in the Gallery was written by Ian Anderson.
Minstrel in the Gallery was produced by Ian Anderson.
Jethro Tull released Minstrel in the Gallery on Fri Sep 05 1975.