King Crimson '71        ISLANDS
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     --- SIDE ONE ---

FORMENTERA LADY                                       (9.55)

Houses iced in whitewash guard a pale shore-line
Cornered by the cactus and the pine.
Here I wonder where sweet sage and strange herbs grow
Down a sun-baked crumpled stony road.

Dusty wheels leaning rusting in the sun,
Snuff brown walls where spanish lizards run.
Here I'm shadowed by a dragon fig tree's fan
Ringed by ants and musing over man.

I'll unwind my old strings while the sun shine down
Won't climb any high thing while the sun shine.
Formenetera lady sing your song for me
Formenetera lady sweet lover.

Lamplight glows on old guitars the tavellers strum,
Incense children dance to an indian drum.
Here Odysseus charmed for dark Circe fell,
Still her perfume lingers still her spell.

Time's grey hand won't catch me while the sun shine down
Untie and unlatch me while the stars shine.
Formentera lady dance your dance for me
Formentera lady dark lover.

                                       (Fripp, Sinfield)

SAILOR'S TALE                                         (7.20)

                                       (Fripp)

THE LETTERS                                           (4.23)

With quill and silver knife
She carved a poison pen
Wrote to her lover's wife
"Your husband's seed has fed my flesh."

As if a leper's face
That tainted letter graced
The wife with choke-stone throat
Ran to the day with tear blind eyes.

Implated on nails of ice
And raked with emerald fire
The wife with soul like snow
With steady hand begins to write.

"I'm still, I need no life
To serve on boys and men
What's mine was your's is dead
I take my leave of mortal flesh."

                                       (Fripp, Sinfield)

     --- SIDE TWO ---

LADIES OF THE ROAD                                    (5.29)

A flower ladie's daughter
As sweet as holy water
Said, "I'm the school reporter
Please teach me," well I taught her.

Two-fingered levi'd sister
Said, "Peace," I stopped I kissed her.
Said, "I'm a male resister,"
I smiled and just unzipped her.

High diving chinese trender
Black hair and black suspender,
Said, "Please me no surrender
Just love to feel your Fender."

All of you know that the girls of the road
Are like apples you stole in your youth.
All of you know that the girls of the road
Been around but are versed in the truth.

Stone-headed Frisco spacer
Ate all the meat I gave her
Said would I like to taste her
And even craved the flavour.

"Like marron-glaced fish bones
Oh lady hit the road!"

All of you know that the girls of the road
Are like apples you stole in your youth.
All of you know that the girls of the road
Been around but are versed in the truth.

                                       (Fripp, Sinfield)

PRELUDE: SONG OF THE GULLS                            (4.14)

                                       (Fripp)

ISLANDS                                               (9.14)

Earth stream and tree encircled by sea
Waves sweep the sand from my island.
My sunsets fade.
Field and glade wait only for rain
Grain after grain love erodes my
High weathered walls which fend off the tide
Cradle the wind
 to my island.

Gaunt granite climbs where gulls wheel and glide
Mournfully cry o'er my island.
My dawn bride's veil, damp and pale,
Dissolves in the sun.
Love's web is spun - cats prowl, mice run
Wreathe snatch-hand briars where owls know my eyes.
Violet skies
Touch my island, touch me.

Beneath the wind turned wave
Infinite peace
Islands join hands
Neath heaven's sea.

Dark harbour quays like fingers of stone
Hungrily reach from my island.
Clutch sailors' words - pearls and gourds
Are strewn on my shore.
Equal in love, bound in circles.
Earth stream and tree return to the sea
Waves sweep the sand from my island,
 from me.

                                       (Fripp, Sinfield)

All lyrics (C) E.G. Music Ltd. 1971

Robert Fripp:           guitar, mellotron, Peter's Pedal
                        Harmonium and sundry implements.
Mel Collins:            flute, bass flute, saxes and vocals.
Boz:                    bass guitar, lead vocals and choreography.
Ian Wallace:            drums, percussion and vocals.
Peter Sinfield:         words, sounds and visions.

Featured players:
Keith Tippet:           piano.
Paulina Lucas:          soprano.
Robin Miller:           oboe.
Mark Charig:            cornet.
Harry Miller:           string bass.

Engineer Andy Hendrikson.
Cover Design & Painting Peter Sinfield.
Photographs Robert Ellis.
Equipment Vick & Mike.
Recorded at Command Studios, Picadilly, London.

Produced by King Crimson for E.G. Records Ltd.
All songs published by E.G. Music, Inc. (BMI)

Outer cover illustration "Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius" by
courtesy of The Institute of Technology and
Carnegie Institution of Washington

(P) 1971 E.G. Records Ltd.
(C) 1971 E.G. Records Ltd.

//Entered by Andrew O. Porokhnyak from disc cover  Wed  04-21-1993