Still Life - Live by Van der Graaf Generator Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Citadel reverberates to a thousand voices, now dumb:
What have we become? What have we chosen to be?
Now, all history is reduced to the syllables of our name -
Nothing can ever be the same now the Immortals are here
At the time, it seemed a reasonable course
To harness all the force of life without the threat of death
But soon we found
That borеdom and inertia are not negativеs
But all the law we know
And dead are Will and words like survival
[Verse 2]
Arrival at immunity from all age, all fear and all end...
Oh, why do I pretend? Our essence is distilled
And all familiar taste is now drained
And though purity is maintained it leaves us sterile
Living through the millions of years
A laugh as close as any tear...
And that is 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
[Break]
[Verse 3]
And so you take away the threat of death
And all you're left with is a round of make-believe;
Yes, you marshal every sullen breath
And though you're ultimately bored by endless ecstasy
Oh, that's still the ring by which you hope to be engaged
To marry the girl who will give you forever -
Well, that's crazy, and plainly
That simply is not enough
[Instrumental]
[Verse 4]
What is the dullest and bluntest of pains
Such that my eyes will never close without feeling it there?
What abject despair demands an end to all things of infinity?
If we have gained, how do we now meet the cost?
What have we bargained, and what have we lost?
What have we relinquished, never knowing it was there?
[Verse 5]
And what chance now of holding fast the line
Defying death and time
When everything we had is gone?
And everything we laboured for and favoured more
Than earthly things reveals the hollow ring
Of false hope and a false deliverance
[Verse 6]
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
[Outro]
I'm hers forever
Yes, I'm hers forever
Oh, yes, I'm hers forever
In still life
Citadel reverberates to a thousand voices, now dumb:
What have we become? What have we chosen to be?
Now, all history is reduced to the syllables of our name -
Nothing can ever be the same now the Immortals are here
At the time, it seemed a reasonable course
To harness all the force of life without the threat of death
But soon we found
That borеdom and inertia are not negativеs
But all the law we know
And dead are Will and words like survival
[Verse 2]
Arrival at immunity from all age, all fear and all end...
Oh, why do I pretend? Our essence is distilled
And all familiar taste is now drained
And though purity is maintained it leaves us sterile
Living through the millions of years
A laugh as close as any tear...
And that is 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
[Break]
[Verse 3]
And so you take away the threat of death
And all you're left with is a round of make-believe;
Yes, you marshal every sullen breath
And though you're ultimately bored by endless ecstasy
Oh, that's still the ring by which you hope to be engaged
To marry the girl who will give you forever -
Well, that's crazy, and plainly
That simply is not enough
[Instrumental]
[Verse 4]
What is the dullest and bluntest of pains
Such that my eyes will never close without feeling it there?
What abject despair demands an end to all things of infinity?
If we have gained, how do we now meet the cost?
What have we bargained, and what have we lost?
What have we relinquished, never knowing it was there?
[Verse 5]
And what chance now of holding fast the line
Defying death and time
When everything we had is gone?
And everything we laboured for and favoured more
Than earthly things reveals the hollow ring
Of false hope and a false deliverance
[Verse 6]
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
[Outro]
I'm hers forever
Yes, I'm hers forever
Oh, yes, I'm hers forever
In still life