Van Der Graaf Generator - La Rossa

A song written by Peter Hammill and David Jackson
Song: La Rossa
Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator
Album: Still Life
Year: 1976
Genre: Progressive Rock

Lyrics:

Lacking sleep and food and vision,
here I am again, encamped upon your floor,
craving sanctuary and nourishment,
encouragement and sanctity and more.
The streets seemed very crowded,
I put on my bravest guise -
I know you know that I am acting,
I can see it in your eyes.
In the harsh light of freedom I know
that I cannot deny that I have wasted time,
have frittered it away in idle boasts
of my freedom and fidelity
when simpler words would have profited me most...
...it isn't enough in the end,
when I'm looking for hope.
Though the organ monkey screams
as the pipes begin to spit
still he'll go through the dance routines
just as long as he thinks they'll fit,
just as long as he knows that it's dance,
smile - or quit.

Like the monkey I dance to a strange tune:
when all of these years I've longed to lie with you,
I've bogged myself down in the web of talk,
quack philosophy and sophistry -
at physciality I've always baulked,
like the man in the chair who believes it's
beyond him to walk.
I've been hiding behind words,
fearing a deeper flame exists,
faintly aware of the passage
of opportunities I have missed.

But the nearness and the smell of you,
La Rossa from head to toe....
I don't know what I'm telling you,
but I think you ought to know:
soon the dam wall will break,
soon the water will flow.
Though the organ-monkey groans
as the organ-grinder plays
he's hoping, at the most,
for an end to his dancing days...
still he hops up and down on his perch
in the usual jerky way.
Though this might mean an end to all friendship,
there's something I'm working up to say.

Think of me what you will:
I know that you think you feel my pain -
no matter if that's just the surface.
If we made love now would that change all that ahs gone before?
Of course it would, there's no way
it could ever be the same...
one more line crossed,
one more mystery explained.
Now I need more than just words,
though the options are plain
that lead from all momentary action.
If we make love now it will change all
that is yet to be...
never could we agree in the same way again.
One more world lost, one more heaven gained.

La Rossa, you kow me,
you read me as though I am glass;
though I know it
there's no way in which I can pass -
though it means that you'll finish my story
at last I'd trade all the clever talk,
the joking, the smoking and the quips, all the midnight conversations, all the friendship,
all the words and all the trips
for the warmth of your body,
the more vivid touch of your lips.

All bridges burning behind me,
all safety beyond reach:
the monkey feels his chains out blindly,
only to find himself released.
Take me, take me now and hold me deep
inside your ocean body,
wash me as some flotsam to the shore,
there leave me lying evermore!
Drown me, drown me now and hold me down
before your naked hunger,
burn me at the altar of the night--
give me life!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Van
• Der
• Graaf
• Generator
• La
• Rossa
• Still
• Life
• 1976
• Peter
• Hammill
• David
• Jackson
• Progreesive
• Rock

[emptyheadbrokenbones]

CHE GRUPPO DELLA MADONNA!

[pulsetsar]

Thank you so much for re-posting this with the lyrics (not sure if you had posted it before it disappeared).

So perfectly captures the power of love / obsession and the terror / relief / joy of commiting to it!

[VladimirPoussy]

Je me prends à comparer Van Der Graaf Generator au groupe the Doors. Un art d'occuper le moment présent par une poésie forte soutenue par des musiciens très talentueux. 

[thunderclap1]

Guy Evans, "lead drummer"!!!

[girugamesshu42]

Man i wish i'd been around when they still had Dave Jackson...i'm only 15 now, and i've seen them 3 times (lucky me), but I doubt it'll ever be quite the same as the old 4 piece...

[kettifrega]

@emptyheadbrokenbones

Ma veramente non sono di una religione particolare....

Sì. Sono proprio fantastici

[TheNegus58]

Je me suis fait mal comprendre.Peter hamil à sorti un album solo,très bel album que je détenais à l'époque,c'est album s'appelai aussi la rossa,et apparemment cet album est introuvable,ce que je me souviens il était accoustique.Celui que vous montrer est still life...

[Yeahnoa]

@TheNegus58 LA ROSSA se trouve sur l'album "Still life ", dernière plage face A.

[corvusmile]

give me liiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggghhhhhtttt­tttttt..........baby....lol

excellent track

[TheNegus58]

J'avais cette album, mais celui que vous présentez est stile life,la rossa est introuvable,peut etre un contrat ou il n'avait pas la main,cet album 33 tours vinyl que je possedait je l'ai revendu aves tous mes dis ques sur la place du ralliement à angers,suprise une jeune fille etait interessée par cet album,plus encore elle ma acheter l'album de kevin coyne "in living black and white.Dans ma vie je vais de surprises en suprises,bref la rossa est un formidable album,des melodies extra.regret

[TheNegus58]

J'avais cette album, mais celui que vous présenter est stille life,la rossa est entrouvable,peut etre un contrat ou il n'avait pas la main,cet album 33 tours vinyl que je possedait je l'ai revendu aves tous mes dis ques sur la place du ralliement à angers,suprise une jeune fille etait interessée par cet album,plus encore elle ma acheter l'album de kevin coyne "in living black and white.Dans ma vie je vais de surprises en suprises,bref la rossa est un formidable album,des melodies extra.regret

[dostosaba]

temasssoooo... Van Der Graaf Generator es un mutante del rock!!