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  1. Tracks
  2. King Crimson
  3. Lizard
  4. Lizard
Lizard by King Crimson

TRACK

King Crimson

Lizard

Release date: 10th December 1970

From Lizard
Spotify

About This Track

"Lizard" is a track by King Crimson, from the album Lizard, released 10th December 1970. Full lyrics are available below.

About the Artist

King Crimson

King Crimson

Lyrics

Lizard

[Part I: Prince Rupert Awakes (0:00-4:31)]

[Verse 1: Jon Anderson]

Farewell, the temple master's bells

His kiosk and his black worm seed

Courtship solely of his word

With Eden guaranteed

For now, Prince Rupert's tears of glass

Make saffron sabbath eyelids bleed

Scar the sacred tablet wax

On which the lizards feed

[Chorus: Jon Anderson]

Wake your reason's hollow vote

Wear your blizzard season coat

Burn a bridge and burn a boat

Stake a lizard by the throat

[Verse 2: Jon Anderson]

Go Polonius or kneel

The reapers name their harvest dawn

All your tarnished devil's spoons

Will rust beneath our corn

Now bears, Prince Rupert's garden roam

Across his rain tree shaded lawn

Lizard bones become the clay

And there, a swan is born

[Chorus: Jon Anderson]

Wake your reason's hollow vote

Wear your blizzard season coat

Burn a bridge and burn a boat

Stake a lizard by the throat

[Bridge: Jon Anderson]

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na

[Verse 3: Jon Anderson]

Gone soon, piepowder's moss-weed court

Round which upholstered lizards sold

Visions to their leaden flock

Of rainbows' ends and gold

Now tales Prince Rupert's peacock brings

Of walls and trumpets thousand-fold

Prophets chained for burning masks

And reels of dreams unrolled

[Outro: Jon Anderson]

Ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah, ah-ah-ah

Ah, ah-ah-ah

[Part II: Bolero - The Peacock's Tale (4:32-11:04)]

[Instrumental]

[Part III: The Battle of Glass Tears (11:05-22:06)]

[A: Dawn Song (11:05-13:25)]

[Verse 4: Gordon Haskell]

Night enfolds her cloak of holes

Around the river meadow

Old moon-light stalks by broken ploughs

Hides spokeless wheels in shadow

Sentries lean on thorn wood spears

Blow on their hands, stare eastwards

[Verse 5: Gordon Haskell]

Burnt with dream, and taut with fear

Dawn's misty shawl upon them

Three hills apart, great armies stir

Spit oath and curse, as day breaks

Forming lines of horse and steel

By even yards, march forward

[B: Last Skirmish (13:26-19:32)]

[Instrumental]

[C: Prince Rupert's Lament (19:33-22:06)]

[Instrumental]

[Part IV: Big Top (22:07-23:20)]

[Instrumental]

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

Track details

From Lizard

1970
Listen
Album
Lizard
Lizard
King Crimson
Release year
1970

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  5. 21st Century Schizoid Man Bonus Track Radio Version
  6. 21st Century Schizoid Man Including Mirrors"
  7. A Man A City Bonus Track Live At the Fillmore West
  8. Big Top Pass I (Elemental Mix)
  9. Big Top Pass II (Elemental Mix)
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View full lyrics page →
—
Lady of the Dancing Water
  • —Happy Family
  • —Cirkus
  • —Lizard
  • —Indoor Games
    • I Talk to the Wind (Kc50), Vol. 48 - Single
    I Talk to the Wind (Kc50), Vol. 48 - Single
    2019
    Aichi Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Nagoya, Japan April 20, 2003
    2019
    Indoor Games (Elemental Mix)
  • Big Top Pass I (Elemental Mix)
  • Bolero - The Peacock's Tale (Elemental Mix)
  • Prince Rupert's Lament (Elemental Mix)
  • The Sheltering Sky (Live in Fréjus)
  • I Talk to the Wind
  • 21st Century Schizoid Man Including Mirrors"
  • A Man A City Bonus Track Live At the Fillmore West
  • 21st Century Schizoid Man Bonus Track Radio Version
  • The Court Of The Crimson King Including The Return of the Fire Witch" and "The Dance of the Puppets"
  • The Court of the Crimson King (Türkçe Çeviri)
  • Waiting Man (Live in Fréjus)
  • Red (Live in Fréjus)
  • The Sheltering Sky (Live in Cap d'Agde)
  • Indiscipline (Live in Fréjus)
  • Thela Hun Ginjeet (Live in Fréjus)
  • Matte Kudasai (Live in Fréjus)
  • Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II (Live in Fréjus)
  • Neal and Jack and Me (Live in Fréjus)
  • Elephant Talk (Live in Fréjus)
  • Heartbeat (Live in Fréjus)
  • In The Court Of The Crimson KingBBC 1969
  • Get Thy BearingsBBC 1969
  • EpitaphBBC 1969
  • 21st Century Schizoid ManBBC 1969
  • Virtuous Circle
  • Walk on... No Pussyfooting - Live (Pittsburgh, Pa - Stanley Warner Theatre: April 29th, 1974)
  • Introductory Soundscape (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
  • Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Pt. I - Live at The Anthem, Washington DC
  • Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Pt. II (Live at The Egg, Albany, NY, 22nd August 2021)
  • Red - Live at The Anthem, Washington DC
  • Pictures Of A City - Live at The Anthem, Washington DC
  • The Court Of The Crimson King - Live at The Anthem, Washington DC
  • Tony Cadenza Deals It Slitheryacious-To-The-Max - Live at The Anthem, Washington DC
  • Tony Cadenza Serves It Piping Hot - Live at The Egg, Albany, NY
  • The Hell Hounds Of Krim - Live at The Anthem, Washington DC
  • Red (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
    6:07
  • 21st Century Schizoid Man (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
    14:40
  • Tony Cadenza Deals It Slitheryacious - To - The - Max (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
    1:11
  • Tony Cadenza Serves It Piping Hot (Live at the Egg, Albany, Ny)
    1:19
  • The Court of the Crimson King (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
    9:46
  • Epitaph (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
    9:08
  • Starless (Live at the Anthem, Washington DC)
    15:22

    • View all tracks by King Crimson →

    Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp
    Producer
    Peter Sinfield, Robert Fripp
    Bass
    Gordon Haskell
    Drums
    Andy McCulloch
    Guitar
    Robert Fripp
    Cornet
    Mark Charig
    Lead Vocals
    Gordon Haskell, Jon Anderson
    Mellotron
    Robert Fripp
    Oboe
    Robin Miller (Oboe player)
    Piano
    Keith Tippett
    Trombone
    Nick Evans
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