Lyrics for The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles, and Fripp

Note: These lyrics were obtained from repeated listenings to the album. They are in no way connected with the actual lyrics, which may bear a very striking resemblance to the ones in this file. Anything which I consider questionable is marked with a (?). Thanks to Paul Merrit for some corrections.

All songs © 1968 Decca Record Co Ltd, London. With acknowledgements and special thanks to Pete Frame. Like me, you're incurable ...

The Saga Of Rodney Toady (Fripp, Oct 1967)

``North Meadow'' (P Giles, July 1967)

The breeze makes the trees wave at (?), 'Twas better for willow trees strong. When the red-eyed sun comes yawning, Wakes the meadow, makes the morning, There starts another day. Nature lends her subtle bounty, Seasoning this rustic county, Cares are a world away. The breeze ... One small meadow, four tall willows, Murmur as the autumn wind blows, Summer was everything. Hanging by the minnowed river, Winter makes the willow shiver, Suddenly there is spring.
Rodney was a sad young man because he was fat and ugly and no one liked him. Children ran up to him in the street and pointed and shouted, ``Rodney is a sad young man because he's fat and ugly,'' and then they ran away laughing. Rodney shouted, ``I will chase you and hit you and make you cry,'' but as Rodney was so fat he could not run fast enough, and the frustration of complete impotence made him even sadder.

``Newly-Weds'' (P Giles, Feb 1968)

Newlyweds playing at husbands and wives, Don't they know it's their lives they are gambling? They dive in the deep end of life With a weekend of nice "just what I've always wanted." But on the other hand, she's got a ring, Love conquers everything, Giving and taking a living and making it work (off to work). He worries all day about fools at his door, It's for sure there's no law against trying. But on the other hand ... Newlyweds playing at husbands and wives ... On the single version, the second verse is altered: Bearing the brunt of their Nuptual experiment, funny how everything's different. and fools at his door becomes wolves at his door.
Older people pointed at him as he walked by and whispered to each other, ``Rodney is a sad young man because he's fat and ugly,'' but they whispered loud enough so that Rodney could hear, and this made him even sadder. Rodney said, ``I can hear what you are whispering, because I have extraordinary powers of hearing,'' and the older people would tell him that his hearing was as poor as his face was grotesque and that they had whispered as loud as they had on purpose.

``One In A Million'' (M Giles, Nov 1965)

He runs a little shop with the room at the top, And a mortgage all around it. His little lady will be fifty-three on Monday, And his only son's in the navy. But he doesn't shout about it, No he doesn't shout about it, He's a one in a million, He's a one in a million. He runs a little shop with a room at the top, The advertisements surround it. He's very content with the things at the moment, Except the yellow line by the pavement. But he doesn't shout about it ... He's lucky and happy, just because The battle's not for him to fight. He doesn't have a cause, Perhaps he's wrong, perhaps he's right. He runs a little shop with a room at the top, And he parks his car behind it. He's insured for a couple of thousand, And he's almost due for a pension. But he doesn't shout about it ... He's lucky and happy, just because ... He runs a little shop with a room at the top, And a mortgage all around it. His little lady will be fifty-three on Monday, And his only son's in the navy. But he doesn't shout about it ...
Beautiful girls used to come to Rodney at dances and ask to dance with him. And when Rodney, happy and pleased, stepped onto the dance floor, the girls would run away and leave Rodney dancing on his own, to make him look even more foolish than Nature had intended. (Hm.) Rodney was a very sad young man.

``Call Tomorrow'' (P Giles, Mar 1968)

Call tomorrow, call tomorrow, not today. Judy, the vicar's daughter, is gonna have a baby, maybe, If it's true what people say, she's gone astray, And fallen by the wayside, I lied, Sunday-minded people in the parish say a prayer, Judy isn't there. Judy, the vicar's daughter, didn't like my sense of humor, rumor, Now the fading smile has gone to right the wrong, I'll never be the same me, shame me, Call tomorrow, not today.
Rodney's father was fat and ugly, and Rodney's mother was even fat-and-uglier. And his father used to tell him that one day Rodney would meet a fat and ugly girl, just like Rodney's mother, and they would get married. Rodney's mother told him that there were a lot of fat and ugly girls looking for fat and ugly men, just as she had done before she'd married Rodney's father, who was a roadsweeper and cleaned lavatories to earn more money.

``Digging My Lawn'' (P Giles, Jun 1967)

Early one Sunday, well any way, early for me, As I slid from by double-bed, what could I see? Standing outside as the night turned to dawn, There was a man who I didn't know, digging my lawn. Was it her husband, I pondered, or was he a crook, Why was he taking car numbers down in a book? I started to ring, and I rung ninety-nine, Nein, you must not, she said. She was half-German, half out of bed, Which half was which didn't have to be said, Turning her head, her face was red. "He is my husband," she whispered, I started to sweat, Just my luck when I'd only done this for a bet. Standing outside as the night turned to dawn, There was a man who I didn't know, digging my lawn.
But Rodney did not want to meet fat and ugly girls, and instead, he bought rude books (ooo) with rude pictures in them (ooo). ``Rodney, your tea's ready.''

``Little Children'' (Fripp, Apr 1967)

The innocence of little boys, the taste of love they don't enjoy, But when they look and they see, to where their loving will be, Live love, and then they'll learn to play. The innocence of little girls, their life a world of longtide curls, But when they look and they see, to where their loving will be, Live love, and then they'll learn to play. Taste of love with which they toy, Taste of life which never cloy, Children will learn and enjoy. Where in this world would they find truth and peace of mind, Except at Downshire Hill, And will they see liberty or feel love and charity? Not at Downshire Hill. Taste of love ...

``The Crukster'' (M Giles, Oct 1966)

You're ever in doubt about this world, with eyes cast in deep frown, Wheels of turbulence abound after sweet innocence, But no, not sweet innocence, just a bright color. A color so purposely painted, yet will not cover the stain, Nor stop the pounding rain, there is no shelter. There is no shelter for eyes that see Troubled stumblings to be but condemned. For to realize and suffer, that is the penalty for you, me, No sound can open their eyes, nor vision bring reality to gloom, darkness. But don't sit at ease, though the day is cold ,the searing gap may weld. And once again, while dew is wet, A bright color will cover that paint 'til silence is set. And then once again, you can hear Hell's heat.

``Thursday Morning'' (M Giles, Jun 1967)

Thursday morning ends another dream, yesterday goes away, Leaving only half a memory, yesterday goes away. Thursday morning and the sun is early, Thursday morning and the trees are singing, Thursday morning's here. Thursday morning, seven days ago, like today, every way, Windows of the dawn were very new, like today, every way. Thursday morning has no sense of time, seventeen evergreen, Hoping every day will always rhyme, seventeen evergreen. Thursday morning and the sun is early, ... Thursday morning ends another dream, seventeen evergreen, Leaving only half a memory, yesterday goes away.

Just George (M Giles, Mar 1967)

``How Do They Know?'' (M Giles, Mar 1967)

When you stop and ask, "which way do we go," And they all say, "follow me," How do they know? So you follow on and stumble and fall, And a voice says, "ah, who's he?" How do they know? How do they know? Now you're beginning to realize, The first will not be the last, Ask them please not to go so fast, 'Cause the dust is sucking your eyes, Dust is sucking your eyes. Tear yourself away and sit for a while, And the band goes marching on. How do they know? How do they know? Now you're beginning to realize ... When you stop and ask ... I know a man and his name is George. George is his name, and a man I know. Know I George, his name and a man? Man, his name is George and I know him.

``Elephant Song'' (M Giles, Jun 1967)

"Very, very nice," said a man in the crowd, As the elephant jumped through a hoop. "Who asked you?" the elephant cried As he stooped and took a bow. "Well, it's not every day you see something like that, And I thought it was jolly good." "How do you know," the elephant said, "You're a man, and a fat one at that." "Very, very nice," said a man in the crowd, When the golden voice appeared. She was gold alright, but then so is rust. "Such a shame about the beard." "How dare you say things like that," it said, "You ought to be ashamed." -- he was. "But I thought your voice was pretty good, And that beard is good for a goat." Very, very nice," said the same man in the crowd, The one the elephant said was fat. "(?)all nyet," someone said, with words, And I looked 'round with eyes. Hello, it's the peanut bride goosing the aisle, Her leather back towards the orchestra. "What d'you want, love," she said to a man, "A four-penny, please, and a six-penny bag." "Very, very nice," said a man in the crowd As they smelled his peanut teeth. "Would you like some?" I said, "Yes, please," We all had one tooth each. By now of course, the second half had started, "Let's all warm our hands," said aloud. "My feet aren't cold, (?) of the sheepskin gloves," "Ah, but we're burning all the artists." I know a man and his name is George. A man and his name is George I know. And his name is George, I know a man. Is George I know a man and his name?

``The Sun Is Shining'' (M Giles, Apr 1967)

The sun is shining, but it's raining in my heart, So please come back, dear, and we'll make a brand new start. Because of you, the flowers will not bloom (will not bloom), Because of you, the clouds obscure the moon (obscure the moon), The day will come, I hope it's very soon (hope it's very soon), The day that brings the sun right into June (right into June). The sun is shining ... I want to hear your voice so tenderly (tenderly), The voice that says you'll love no one but me (no one but me), My love is stronger than the raging sea (the raging sea), So tell me now, you hear this urgent plea (this urgent plea). The sun is shining ... I know a man and his name is George. His name is George, and the man I know. Is George I know a man and his name? The man, his name is George, I know.

``Suite No 1'' (Fripp, Feb 1968)

[Instrumental]
I know a man and his name is George. A man I know is George and his name. Know I name man George it is and? George is, I know, a man and his name.

``Erudite Eyes'' (Fripp, Feb 1968)

You whisper by with your mind in your eye, Seeing nothing that's there but the bones of the bed, Eyeing thoughts that would stare in your eye. I know nice men who have nothing to say, Except "What a nice day, may I say that today? And I stay, 'cause I have nothing to say." But the peace of mine is peace of mind, and eye a gift to all. But the things I see, I see with mind, and don't observe with eyes. Erudite eyes always bore me to cry, And the raining that flows is the pure-salty drain On the peace which I hold in my mind. But the peace of mine ...

``She Is Loaded'' (P Giles, 1968)

She's got so much of that decimal stuff, I'll fall in love if I try hard enough. Her kisses never get better, They just get wetter and wetter, I curse the day that I met her, But she is loaded. She says that I'm daft and I know, I threw her food on the lino, She hit me, felt like a rhino, But she is loaded. There was a time when she did ray(?)me content(?), Oh, she used to keep it cool, She used to give me anything I wanted, 'Till she won a football pool, Now she gives me Hell. I'll sue her, try to make this stick, The fact that she is sadistic, My nose was straight 'till she kissed it, But she is loaded. There was a time ... Her kisses never get better ...

``Under The Sky'' (Fripp, 1968)

Smile at the smiling man, tear in your eye, Laugh in the morning sun, under the sky. High on the hawthorn tree, bee and butterfly, Seek fortune in the leaves, under the sky. Follow the road that leads up to the sky, There's no reason, do not wonder why. Dappled green summer blades, where swallows fly, And laughing children play, under the sky. Follow the road ... Soft on a mossy bank, silently lie, Everything's everything, under the sky.
And now for the legal stuff:
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