1. THE ADVENT OF PANURGE

(The fabulous Rabelaisian giant, Pantagruel, discovers a lifelong friend and companion, Panurge.)

There coming over Charaton Bridge
Look do you see the man who is poor
But rich
What do you wish; and where do you go
Who are you, where are you from
Will you tell me your name ?
Rest awhile, call me your friend
Please stay with me I'd like to help

Then he said,
How can I speak when I'm dry and my
throat is burning. So bring me aid and I'll answer your doubts
Friend in need I'd like your help
Please take me home I'll stay with you

Then said he fair Pantagruel
My name is Panurge and I have come
From Hell

Look at my friend
Look all around you
Look at my friend
Take all round you
Hey, Friend

(Improvised foreign words in middle section)

So brotherhood was made as their bond
Carried him home and provide for his needs
And his shelter, this day was done as no other the like
Faithfully their vow was made and from that day they were as one

Then said he fair Pantagruel
My name is Panurge and I have come
From Hell


2. RACONTEUR TROUBADOUR

(Here we have tried to capture something of the medieval English troubadour, by the instrumentation, arrangement and lyrics.)

Gather round the village square
Come good people both wretched and fair
See the troubadour play on the drum
Hear my songs on the lute that I strum

I will make you laugh,
Revel, Merry-dance.
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of the story-telling half
There's no other chance,
Always move on
Raconteur, troubadour

Take the face that you see for the man,
Clown and minstrel, I am what I am
All my family, not of my kin
Home, wherever, the place that I'm in

Humors give me wage,
Favors for my art
Rising, falling
Everyone struggle on
All the world's a stage
All can play their part
I have chosen
Raconteur, troubadour

Dusk is drawing my story is spun
Dawn is falling my day's work is done
Morning, rested I set on my way
Find new faces to offer my play

I will make you laugh,
Revel, Merry-dance
Throw your pennies, then you'll hear
More of the story-telling half
There's no other chance
Always move on
Raconteur-Troubadour


3. A CRY FOR EVERYONE

(The lyric gives away something of the lyric thoughts of one or two members of the band, and is inspired by the literature and philosophy of Albert Camus.)

Run, why should I run away
When at the end the only truth certain
One day everyone dies
If only to justify life

Live, I've lived a thousand lives
And anyone is the right, the just life
If I could cry, I'd cry for everyone

Doubts, no doubt, is all I know
There is no fate, there's no luck,
What does that show
Showing is proof
But proving is nothing but fear

If I could cry, I'd cry then for everyone

Hope, I've hoped two thousand years,
But no one hears, so I've cried,
Crying vain tears
Always too late, too late to cry
Cry for everyone


4. KNOTS

(R.D. Laing, an eminent psychologist, has stimulated us by his intriguing, logical, poetic riddles into composing this latter-day madrigal - and something of a musical jigsaw.)

All in all each man in all men
All men in each man
He can see she can't, she can see, she can
See whatever, whatever
You may know what I don't know, but not that
I don't know it and I can't tell you so you will

To tell me all man in all men
All men in each man
He can see she can't, she can see
She can see whatever, whatever

You may know what I don't know, but not that
I don't know it and I can't tell you
so you will have to tell me all
It hurts him to think that she is
hurting her by him being hurt to think
that she thinks he is hurt by making her
feel guilty at hurting him by her thinking
she wants him to want her. Her wants her to
want him to get him to want him to get
him to want her she pretends
He tries to make her afraid by not
being afraid

You may know what I don't know, but not
that I don't know it and I can't
tell you so you will have to tell me all
I get what I deserve. I deserve what I
get. I have it so I deserve it. I deserve
it for I have it. I get what I deserve
What I deserve - what I deserve what I get
I have it so I deserve
He tries to make her afraid by not being afraid


5. THE BOYS IN THE BAND

(Not to be confused with the play of the same name - at least not the characters, we hope. This piece is for Gentle Giant as a whole - our engineer, Martin Rushant, included.)

(Instrumental)


6. DOG'S LIFE

(A backhanded tribute to our roadies ; our musical parody could only be drawn to a wily old dog. Surely two more unmatched sounds as the Regal (a medieval reed organ) and string section could not be found, but they seem to successfully convey the whine of both dog and roadie.)

Shuffling down the street with his sideways feet,
Stopping now and then and he'll stop again,
No doubt in his mind where he's going

He doesn't care for his hair or his teeth
And if the truth were known he's a bit of a thief,
Innocently lies, and it's showing

Who'd imagine he's man's best friend
Knowing he's your friend in the end

Won't be around when you shout or swear
Not very sorry, he doesn't care
God knows why we call him old faithful

Pat him on the head, give the dog a bone
Use a friendly tone, he won't leaveyou alone
No one understands like old faithful

Early rise, is it wise?
Wonders happen now and then
Eats his fill, time to kill,
Then goes back to sleep again
Trusty slave, bold and brave,
And he roars like a lion
But in fact, it's an act,
And the truth is that he isn't
No one understands it's a dog's life

Chases dreams, so it seems
He shines in his master's light
Looking good, so he should
For the choice is very narrow
No one understands it's a dog's life

Shuffling down the street with his sideways feet,
Stopping now and then and he'll stop again,
No doubt in his mind where he's going

He doesn't care for his hair or his teeth
And if the truth were known he's a bit of a thief,
Innocently lies, and it's showing


7. THINK OF ME WITH KINDNESS

(A personal song. It has been kept simple to retain the essentially intimate mood of the piece.)

Why am I using words, no more to say without you
Close the door, put out the lights and go

Late in the night, in the night your shadow falls between us
Nevermore, never know

There, memories are sorrow
When there's no tomorrow

Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my daydream
Sleep while you think of me with kindness
Please remember former days
Sweet the song that once we sang, the silent parting ways
And you know, and you know

And you know, long ago when first we made our promise
Empty words, I wonder did you know

The laugh that love could not forgiv,
Is gone and tells no more to live
And we who look in beauty's love
Must now, through all, look back on before

The tears that first I cried, no more
Your love has come and gone, no more
And we who look in beauty's love
Must now through all think back on before

Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my daydream
Sleep while you think of me with kindness
Please remember former days
And you know, and you know

And you know, when we two parted in tears
And silence past the days, the parting ways.
Fare thee well, fare thee well, you that was once dear to me
Think of me with kindness
Think of me


8. RIVER

(We have tried to create several atmospheres within the boundaries of one song by using the various electronic devices at our disposal in the recording studio.)

Touching the last of what is past
Moving silent water fell the first that comes
Slow and winding, flowing free
Peaceful music in its sound of distant drums
Trust the shallow virgin stream
Danger wild, beware the deeper it becomes

Moving highway, twisting byway
Can't turn back
Singing in the summer rain
Rain that's caught in its flow

Spreading, shining, silver lining
Gold on black
Echoes moods of the moon and sun
Sun that shines from below

Makes a soft and easy way
Left to choose its path will always be a friend
Touch the last of what has past
Never idle river drifting to the end