Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick (Part 1) Lyrics






Really don't mind if you sit this one out
My words but a whisper, your deafness a shout
I may make you feel, but I can't make you think
Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink

So you ride yourselves over the fields
And you make all your animal deals
And your wise men don't know how it feels
To be thick as a brick

And the sand-castle virtues are all swept away
In the tidal destruction the moral melee
The elastic retreat rings the close of play
As the last wave uncovers the new-fangled way

But your new shoes are worn at the heels
And your suntan does rapidly peel
And your wise men don't know how it feels
To be thick as a brick

And the love that I feel is so far away:
I'm a bad dream that I just had today
And you shake your head and said, "It's a shame."

Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth
Draw the lace and black curtains and shut out the whole truth
Spin me down the long ages: let them sing the song

See there! A son is born
And we pronounce him fit to fight
There are black-heads on his shoulders
And he pees himself in the night

We'll make a man of him
Put him to a trade
Teach him to play Monopoly
Not to sing in the rain

The Poet and the Painter casting shadows on the water
As the sun plays on the infantry returning from the sea
The doer and the thinker. No allowance for the other
As the failing light illuminates the mercenary's creed

The home fire burning, the kettle almost boiling
But the master of the house is far away
The horses stamping, their warm breath clouding
In the sharp and frosty morning of the day

And the poet lifts his pen
While the soldier sheaths his sword
And the youngest of the family
Is moving with authority
Building castles by the sea
He dares the tardy tide
To wash them all aside

The cattle quietly grazing at the grass down by the river
Where the swelling mountain water moves onward to the sea
The builder of the castles renews the age-old purpose
And contemplates the milking girl whose offer is his need

The young men of the household have all gone into service
And are not to be expected for a year
The innocent young master, thoughts moving ever faster
Has formed the plan to change the man he seems

And the poet sheaths his pen
While the soldier lifts his sword
And the oldest of the family
Is moving with authority
Coming from across the sea
He challenges the son
Who puts him to the run

What do you do when the old man's gone?
Do you want to be him?
And your real self sings the song
Do you want to free him?

No one to help you get up steam
And the whirlpool turns you way off-beam

I've come down from the upper class to mend your rotten ways
My father was a man of power whom everyone obeyed

So, come on, all you criminals! I've got to put you straight
Just like I did with my old man twenty years too late

Your bread and water's going cold
Your hair is short and neat
I'll judge you all and make damn sure
That no-one judges me

You curl your toes in fun
As you smile at everyone
You meet the stares
You're unaware that your doings aren't done

And you laugh most ruthlessly
As you tell us what not to be
But how are we supposed to see
Where we should run?

I see you shuffle in the courtroom
With your rings upon your fingers
And your downy little sidies
And your silver-buckle shoes

Playing at the hard case
You follow the example
Of the comic-paper idol
Who lets you bend the rules

So, come on, ye childhood heroes!
Won't you rise up from the pages of your comic-books
Your super crooks
And show us all the way

Well, make your will and testament
Won't you join your local government
We'll have Superman for president
Let Robin save the day

You put your bet on number one
And it comes up every time
The other kids have all backed down
And they put you first in line

And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are
And you take your place in a wiser world of bigger motor cars
Now you wonder who to call on

So, where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday?
And where were all the sportsmen who always pulled you through?

They're all resting down in Cornwall
Writing up their memoirs
For a paper-back edition
Of the Boy Scout Manual





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick (Part 1) Comments
  1. J.... H....

    this band sounds just as good live as they do in the studio.

  2. A.... ....

    title pretty much describes my last number two

  3. P.... A....

    To me, this is the pinnacle of all popular music that came out the last sixty or so years. For those who prefer the other prog giants (that I love as well), I'll settle with this album being the best work of the seventies.

  4. j.... o....

    Hats off to Mr. Barlow. A fine performance sir.

  5. S.... S....

    I loved listening to this face up lying in bed with the lights out. Layers of sound.

  6. H.... W....

    Jethro Tull's masterpiece!
    Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth.

  7. A.... W....

    I still can't even comprehend how this was written. Brilliance!

  8. D.... R....

    Superlative!

  9. k.... ....

    The bass of the minute 5:05 its so fucking great.!

  10. B.... D....

    My first rock concert was Jethro Tull, Aqualung tour, at the Virginia Beach Dome.

  11. G.... J....

    There but by the wrath of time, and luck go i.. (did i leave out john barley corn?) Theres nothing sweeter than the chimes and soothing growl of an electrified orchestral nature of the chirping bird lead breaks and thunders metronome

  12. B.... L....

    Now you people know why we are nostalgic, and some of us want to keep living in the past.

  13. D.... D....

    Hahaaa wait my lil millennial morons

  14. R.... 2....

    i love freddy mercuries bass playing in this

  15. P.... V....

    448 people are resting down in Cornwall...!!!!!!!!!!!!

  16. J.... M....

    Monument de nos seventies..... JM

  17. b.... ....

    I snagged a copy of this album from the year it was printed for 5 bucks at a record store a few years ago.
    Best album I ever bought

  18. Y.... D....

    П О М Н И М ...................................................

  19. M.... T....

    Really don't mind if you sit this one out.

  20. K.... B....

    Mongrel dog soils actors foot..hehe, priceless

  21. J.... H....

    I recall that this Record caused headaches for radio programers! How to smoothly select a sec

  22. J.... H....

    Truly a Classic recording!

  23. S.... S....

    Just listen to the musicality and pure inventiveness of the songs.... The counterpoints of guitar, flute and keyboards, exquisite bass playing and Barriemore Barlow's incredibly adept drumming...
    This remastered recording is superbly engineered, a
    yet keeps that early 70's analogue depth and presence.. I bought the vinyl back in 1972, gave it endless repeats, then put it to bed for many years, listening to it again, it still hold strong as one of the best albums of the era...

  24. M.... z....

    Featured vocalist : Jethro Tull

    Ian Anderson : am i a joke to you?

  25. C.... 1....

    They won't induct Jethro Tull into the rock hall of fame. But, rappers, well sure. That is insanity. BTW does anyone remember they used the flute part of this in old Hyundai commercials?

  26. P.... L....

    I think they were asked to do a concept album and they just
    through this one out there . Still have the original album and didn't do the dot to dot on the album cover

  27. l.... ....

    "I've come down from the upper class to mend your rotten ways"

  28. S.... M....

    Anyone else sense a medieval ambiance to Jethro Tull's music?

  29. C.... G....

    The best that they have ever done. Robbie Burns would be damn right proud. Take care and all the best for 2020. Love it.

  30. R.... P....

    i've asked this before but what was the "bad word" in the poem?

  31. R.... B....

    Rock n Roll HoF isn't about talent so much as 💰

  32. b.... ....

    Funny how the line "spin me back down the years and the days of my youth" apply to this 61 year old man looking back now across the decades to the early 70s where I first started listening to this masterpiece as teenager. Remember how the album opened up like a newspaper? Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRRf_l71Zvw

  33. 1.... ....

    The newspaper story was a complete fabrication, created as the cover art for the Jethro Tull album 'Thick as a Brick', released in 1972.

  34. C.... H....

    Clive Bunker was a great drummer, but damn, Barrie Barlow was on another level...

  35. P.... K....

    I love how the chic at bottom right of the photo is lifting up her dress!!!

  36. T.... 5....

    This band has forever cemented its place in time and space as one of the most interesting and creative sound-creators to come from our species. I bet even the aliens rock to this shit.

  37. R.... N....

    ian you come from another planet

  38. J.... M....

    Un chef d'oeuvre tout simplement. JM

  39. D.... H....

    4:26 - 7:29
    👏

  40. H.... M....

    apparently Not the politically motivated people at the HOF

  41. S.... R....

    DEFINITELY ONE OF A KIND AND DESERVING OF THE HOF! Who else do you know composes like Ian and can play 16 distinct instruments (each recorded on at least one song)?

  42. R.... C....

    The Tulls and Yesses and ELP's are held up by Ramoneque critics as the antithesis of rock and roll. I seem to recall a shallow couple of decades when artists were culled, corralled, neutered and censored...when songs had to be exactly 2 minutes 50 seconds in a standard simple form, and of course, danceable. And I like that stuff too. And I like the concertesque forms, the exercise of freedom. And I frankly think the Ramones suck, even for the form they promote. But more power to you if you like them. It's all good for someone.

  43. T.... ....

    now i know where did Zelda tune come from..

  44. H.... T....

    Barry Barlow is a vastly underrated drummer. He was so suptle at changing tempo. It would be maddening for most rock drummers.

    H.... T....

    ✅🇬🇧

  45. T.... ....

    Aqualung was the very first LP I bought as a kid. Band on the Run was the second.

  46. D.... P....

    Among the great LP packaging concepts, truly. As a CD, it's useless.

  47. P.... ....

    TRULY ENLIGHTENED WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HEARTS AND MINDS TO HEAR WITH,... AS KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM ARE RARELY THE SAME THING, EVEN THOUGH MANY "EITE" MEDIA MORONS GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT THEIR "SUBSCRIBERS" ARE TOO STUPID TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND REQUIRE THAT THEY DO THEIR THINKING FOR THEM, RATHER THAN JUST GIVING THEM THE TRUTH AND FACTS AND ALLOWING THEM TO DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. GUESS THAT THAT'S THE TRUE PURPOSE OF "FAKE NEWS FOOLS'.

  48. a.... ....

    The keyboard work on this album, really makes it "pop!"

  49. G.... M....

    Love the organ part that starts at 12 minutes in. One of the best ever!

  50. K.... M....

    Ian rehearsed in East London.

  51. A.... B....

    I may make you feel but i cant make you think

  52. F.... A....

    DECEMBER 2 2019, WHO LISTENING THICK AS A BRICK. TODAY IS FIRST TIME I'M LISTENING IT. GREAT ALBUM. I SAW THEM IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL 🇧🇷🇧🇷❤️❤️👍👍 WAS A WONDERFULL NIGHT AND A UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT.

    F.... A....

    Aloha from FL. I remember Tull music in 70s. Life was good.

  53. p.... ....

    Quant j'entend ça, je me laisserai bien pousser les cheveux jusqu'à la raie du c.. si je n'avais pas l'age de les perdres. Que de bons souvenirs...

  54. J.... C....

    Ian Anderson is genius of musical composition and prose! Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!🌞🌜✨🙏

  55. b.... b....

    The time is over due.......Sir Ian Scot Anderson............a Master Musician ......joining Mozart, Beethoven,Schubert,Bach +

  56. T.... C....

    probably the most beautiful 20 + minutes of music I've ever heard and to think I've been listening to this since it was released .😸😀

  57. B.... C....

    Tull forever. Last and only rock flutest. Been listening to Ian since I was 10 years old. Im 56

    B.... C....

    check Focus Hocus Pocus on youtube- there's a crazy version...

  58. N.... ....

    Looks like the Doobie Bros are getting in. NOW, we need Jethro Tull in there and we can all rest easy..

  59. M.... S....

    dumm wie Bohnenstroh - so der Titel auf deutsch dieses ausgezeichneten Konzeptalbums aus dem Jahre 1972

  60. S.... A....

    I've listened to Metal Machine Music all the way through, but I've never read this newspaper cover to cover.

  61. J.... I....

    Saint CLEVE Chronicle

  62. G.... R....

    maybe only Tubular Bells... can't think of that 3rd 1.

  63. G.... R....

    man, how many records were there that had only 1 song.... like 3!!!

  64. G.... M....

    Born in 1947... I was fortunate to have lived through the 1960's... this is the music of my youth !! That's when "ugly people wrote beautiful music"... whereas now "Beautiful people write ugly music" Our band "the chequers" played support to many of the big names at the time... and what a time it was !! A lifetime of memories !!

  65. G.... V....

    Traditional Music Created By Natural Means Will Always Out Last All The Others... Jethro Tull, Is A Modern Day Fusion Of Almost Every Form Of All Know Music That's Its Strength.

  66. S.... K....

    I LOVE this music. Burned holes in the vinyl listening so often when I was a kid!

  67. C.... ....

    This band is great, they deserve a Grammy or something

  68. p.... w....

    Not a bad tune have to say songs from the wood is my fav album.

  69. G.... M....

    Amo questa canzone non mi stancherò mai di ascoltarla

  70. B.... G....

    Thick as a Brick: Part 1
     
    I.   Thick as a Brick [0:00]
    II.    See There: A Son is Born [3:05]
    III.   The Poet and the Painter [5:05]
    IV.    What Do You Do When the Old Man’s Gone? [11:20]
    V.     You Curl Your Toes in Fun [16:24]
    VI.   I See You Shuffle in the Courtroom [17:34]

  71. S.... R....

    This might Sound corny but this is def a masterpiece. A one Track Album with a strange story on the cover. Musically superb. And the lyrics are worth read more than only accompanied by the band

  72. R.... I....

    And nowadays we have songs that are 2 mins long and 5 mins is too long 😥

    R.... I....

    Actually we are very lucky that today’s songs are only 2 mins long cause they’re all caca!

    R.... I....

    @Spinman Corner ya listeningnton25 minutes of today's song would probably make us insane!!

  73. M.... S....

    He definitely should be in the hall of fame

  74. M.... S....

    Oh well thank god he's not in the hall of shame

  75. c.... l....

    One of the Best Progressive Song ever , Along with Tarkus from ELP

  76. B.... A....

    I can't remember what musician said it, but he criticized Ian for writing short songs, or something like that. Ian said FU I'll write one song for an entire album.

    B.... A....

    Except Ian wouldn't swear..........he's a Gentleman........but your point is well taken !

  77. G.... J....

    Tull and Gentle Giant sprinkled by a bit of King Crimson. I can only imagine the direction Hendrix would of went had he lived

  78. g.... F....

    Best sound quality I've heard at a live gig, to date (Birmingham NEC c.'88).

  79. S.... F....

    To be thick as a brick absolutely awesome takes me back to when my old man said i was thick as a bick as he one day wanted to have a head butting comp and i said to him thats not a headbutt i turned around and ran full ball into the brick wall and then turned back around to my father and procedured to say NOW THATS A HEADBUTT

  80. J.... L....

    Tull is such a unique song sensation,worthy of much praise and respect,this song is one of the best ever!

  81. R.... ....

    the first time that i've seen the album cover i thought that the man in front of the cover it was Churchill, oh childhood.

  82. C.... B....

    Thought provoking as usual 🙏❤️

  83. u.... ....

    Currently having a 'rediscover' of how awesome early and mid 70s Phil Collins was behind a kit. But Barrie Barlow is STILL the man. Adore his snare work.

  84. O.... C....

    Hail the Hemiola!

  85. B.... L....

    I was 16 when this album came out. I lived in a tiny town in rural Pennsylvania that had no stop lights. Tull opened up my world, along with the rest of the usual suspects of the time period (Cream, The Who, Bowie, etc.) I still listen to this album once or twice a year and it somehow does me some good.

  86. D.... H....

    Anderson never missed an opportunity to mock the elite! In this song he manages to take their abuse of power to a new level by exposing the reality of family blood, and its control over those they can never know!
    Power is now being returned to the people! For the first time in history, we have a true leader! His name is Donald Trump!
    Dark to Light!
    Patriots in Control!
    Enjoy the show!
    😁🍿🇺🇲🙏

    D.... H....

    Out of control national debt,childish President,He is such a narcissist,the truth about his ability to handle the most simple documents and presentations in his office with staff shows he is a security risk to our nation,and the world.He throws tantrums,lies all the time,and those tax returns he promised? What is he hiding??,and with all his cohorts arrested,and or about to be,really look at what you think is a good thing for America....oh not any single project to rebuild America's infrastructure,love letters from Kim Long Young..really now? And he said he is the chosen one,turns on anyone who says anything against him.... he is not King of America,,, he needs to go ..will be seen as worst President in our history..hateful ,arrogant,and mentally unstable and also said when President he would not have time to play golf oh gee...... check the facts,as in the real news..it is out there .....look and you shall see....also Tariffs...look at the facts....

    D.... H....

    @Joseph Lafond
    Brainwashed moron!
    😁🇺🇲

  87. J.... F....

    Still the best music of that era.

  88. J.... B....

    They put a lot of work into the fake newspaper including writing articles that have absolutely nothing to do with the song.

  89. J.... B....

    "Little Milton" must be in his 50s now! 🤣

    J.... B....

    Jack Burdock aren't we all?

  90. L.... R....

    Muy buena portada, solo faltó que la chica sentada de blanco abriera más las piernas, para verle más los calzones.

  91. j.... m....

    Really don't mind if you sit this one out
    My word's but a whisper, your deafness a shout
    I may make you feel but I can't make you think
    Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink
    So you ride yourselves over the fields
    And you make all your animal deals
    And your wise men don't know how it feels

    [Refrain]
    To be thick as a brick

    [Verse 2]
    And the sand-castle virtues are all swept away
    In the tidal destruction, the moral melee
    The elastic retreat rings the close of play
    As the last wave uncovers the newfangled way
    But your new shoes are worn at the heels
    And your suntan does rapidly peel
    And your wise men don't know how it feels

    [Refrain]
    To be thick as a brick

    [Verse 3]
    And the love that I feel
    Is so far away
    I'm a bad dream
    That I just had today
    And you shake your head
    And say it's a shame

    [Verse 4]
    Spin me back down the years
    And the days of my youth
    Draw the lace and black curtains
    And shut out the whole truth
    Spin me down the long ages
    Let them sing the song

    [Verse 5]
    See there! A son is born
    And we pronounce him fit to fight
    There are black-heads on his shoulders
    And he pees himself in the night
    We'll make a man of him
    Put him to a trade
    Teach him to play Monopoly
    And how to sing in the rain

    [3:36 - 5:00 - Instrumental]

    [2. The Poet and the Painter (5:00 - 10:29)]

    [5:00 - 6:09 - Instrumental]

    [Verse 6]
    The Poet and the Painter
    Casting shadows on the water
    As the sun plays on the infantry
    Returning from the sea
    The do-er and the thinker
    No allowance for the other
    As the failing light illuminates
    The mercenary's creed
    The home fire burning
    The kettle almost boiling
    But the master of the house
    Is far away
    The horses stamping
    Their warm breath clouding
    In the sharp and frosty morning
    Of the day
    And the poet lifts his pen
    While the soldier sheaths his sword

    [Refrain 2]
    And the youngest of the family
    Is moving with authority
    Building castles by the sea
    He dares the tardy tide
    To wash them all aside, oh

    [7:21 - 9:21 - Instrumental]

    [Verse 7]
    The cattle quietly grazing
    At the grass down by the river
    Where the swelling mountain water
    Moves onward to the sea
    The builder of the castles
    Renews the age-old purpose
    And contemplates the milking girl
    Whose offer is his need
    The young men of the household
    Have all gone into service
    And are not to be expected
    For a year
    The innocent young master
    Thoughts moving ever faster
    Has formed the plan
    To change the man he seems
    And the poet sheaths his pen
    While the soldier lifts his sword

    [Refrain 2]
    And the oldest of the family
    Is moving with authority
    Coming from across the sea
    He challenges the son
    Who puts him to the run

    [3. What Do You Do When the Old Man's Gone? / From the Upper Class (10:29 - 15:54)]

    [Verse 8]
    What do you do when the old man's gone
    Do you want to be him?
    And your real self sings the song
    Do you want to free him?
    No one to help you get up steam
    And the whirlpool turns you way off-beam

    [11:52 - 13:16 - Instrumental]

    [Verse 9]
    I've come down from the upper class
    To mend your rotten ways
    My father was a man-of-power
    Whom everyone obeyed

    [Verse 10]
    So come on all you criminals!
    I've got to put you straight
    Just like I did with my old man
    Twenty years too late

    [14:00 - 15:26 - Instrumental]

    [Verse 11]
    Your bread and water's going cold
    Your hair is too short and neat
    I'll judge you all and make damn sure
    That no-one judges me

    [4. You Curl Your Toes in Fun / Childhood Heroes / Stabs Instrumental (15:54 - 22:40)]

    [Verse 12]
    You curl your toes in fun
    As you smile at everyone
    You meet the stares, you're unaware
    That your doings aren't done
    And you laugh most ruthlessly
    As you tell us what not to be
    But how are we supposed to see
    Where we should run?

    [Verse 13]
    I see you shuffle in the courtroom with
    Your rings upon your fingers
    And your downy little sidies
    And your silver-buckle shoes
    Playing at the hard case
    You follow the example
    Of the comic-paper idol
    Who lets you bend the rules

    [Verse 14]
    So, come on ye childhood heroes!
    Won't you rise up from the pages
    Of your comic-books, your super crooks
    And show us all the way
    Well! Make your will and testament
    Won't you join your local government?
    We'll have Superman for president
    Let Robin save the day

    [Verse 15]
    You put your bet on number one
    And it comes up every time
    The other kids have all backed down
    And they put you first in line
    And so you finally ask yourself
    Just how big you are
    And you take your place in a wiser world
    Of bigger motor cars
    And you wonder who to call on

    [Verse 16]
    So! Where the hell was Biggles
    When you needed him last Saturday?
    And where were all the sportsmen
    Who always pulled you though?
    They're all resting down in Cornwall
    Writing up their memoirs
    For a paper-back edition
    Of the Boy Scout Manual

    [20:23 - 22:40 - Instrumental]

    [PART TWO]

    [5. See There a Man Is Born / Clear White Circles (22:40 - 28:38)]

    [Verse 17]
    See there! A man is born
    And we pronounce him fit for peace
    There's a load lifted from his shoulders
    With the discovery of his disease
    We'll take a child from him
    Put it to the test
    Teach it to be a wise man
    And how to fool the rest

    [24:04 - 26:11 - Instrumental]

    [Verse 18: Spoken]
    We will be geared to the average, rather than the exceptional
    God is an overwhelming responsibility
    We walked through the maternity ward
    And saw 218 babies wearing nylons
    It says here that cats are on the upgrade
    Upgrade? Hipgrave
    Oh, Mac

    [Verse 19]
    In the clear white circles of morning wonder
    I take my place with the lord of the hills
    And the blue-eyed soldiers stand slightly discoloured
    In neat little rows sporting canvas frills
    With their jock-straps pinching, they slouch to attention
    While queuing for sarnies at the office canteen
    Saying: "How's your granny?" and good old Ernie
    He coughed up a tenner on a premium bond win

    [6. Legends and Believe in the Day (28:38 - 35:13)]

    [Verse 20]
    The legends worded in the ancient tribal hymn
    Lie cradled in the seagull's call
    And all the promises they made
    Are ground beneath the sadist's fall

    [Verse 21]
    The poet and the wise man stand
    Behind the gun, behind the gun
    And signal for the crack of dawn
    Light the sun, light the sun

    [Refrain 3]
    Do you believe in the day?
    Do you believe in the day?

    [Verse 22]
    The Dawn Creation of the Kings
    Has begun, has begun
    Soft Venus, lonely maiden brings
    The ageless one, the ageless one

    [Refrain 3]
    Do you believe in the day?
    Do you believe in the day?

    [Verse 23]
    The fading hero has returned
    To the night, to the night
    And fully pregnant with the day
    Wise men endorse the poet's sight

    [Refrain 3]
    Do you believe in the day?
    Do you believe in the day?

    [33:37 - 35:13 - Instrumental]

    [7. Tales of Your Life (35:13 - 40:37)]

    [Verse 24]
    Let me tell you the tales of your life
    Of your love and the cut of the knife
    The tireless oppression, the wisdom instilled
    The desire to kill or be killed
    Well, let me sing of the losers who lie
    In the street as the last bus goes by
    The pavements are empty: the gutters run red
    While the fool toasts his god in the sky

    [Refrain 4]
    So come all ye young men who are building castles!
    Kindly state the time of the year
    And join your voices in a hellish chorus
    Mark the precise nature of your fear

    [Verse 25]
    Let me help you pick up your dead
    As the sins of the father are fed
    With the blood of the fools and the thoughts of the wise and
    From the pan under your bed
    Well, let me make you a present of song
    As the wise man breaks wind and is gone
    While the fool with the hour-glass is cooking his goose
    And the nursery rhyme winds along

    [Refrain 4]
    So! Come all ye young men who are building castles!
    Kindly state the time of the year
    And join your voices in a hellish chorus
    Mark the precise nature of your fear
    See! The summer lightning casts its bolts upon you
    And the hour of judgement draweth near
    Would you be the fool stood in his suit of armour
    Or the wiser man who rushes clear

    [8. Childhood Heroes Reprise (40:37 - 43:46)]

    [Verse 14 Reprise]
    So, come on ye childhood heroes!
    Won't you rise up from the pages
    Of your comic-books, your super crooks
    And show us all the way
    Well! Make your will and testament
    Won't you join your local government?
    We'll have Superman for president
    Let Robin save the day

    [Verse 16 Reprise]
    So! Where the hell was Biggles
    When you needed him last Saturday?
    And where were all the sportsmen
    Who always pulled you though?
    They're all resting down in Cornwall
    Writing up their memoirs
    For a paper-back edition
    Of the Boy Scout Manual

    [Verse 1 Reprise]
    So you ride yourselves over the fields
    And you make all your animal deals
    And your wise men don't know how it feels

    [Refrain]
    To be thick as a brick

  92. S.... L....

    This has aged beautifully... a masterpiece by any standard.

  93. A.... V....

    When I was at an early 70s concert with Till headlining,I just could not get over Ian Anderson on stage boogie both with flute and without. The man was great at getting the crowd into the music. Still remember that concert .what a rush

  94. K.... D....

    Where are all of the non rabbits?

  95. K.... D....

    My youth, I miss it

  96. R.... S....

    This Album is dedicated to all Parasite Politicians worldwide > THICK AS A BRICK mainly Wee Krankie > Scottish COMMUNIST Party.

  97. J.... S....

    And I finally got a copy of their Christmas Album. It's so Tull. I love it. Classic Christmas songs with that touch of Tull

  98. K.... M....

    I found a pristine copy of this on vinyl the other day... still had the newspaper in it! Prog fans always took great care of their vinyl!

    K.... M....

    Keith Mendez Whoa!! A mighty score indeed!!

    K.... M....

    Keith.....a rich find indeed........keep it safe......!

    K.... M....

    Keith Mendez .

  99. D.... R....

    Thick as a Brick (Pt. 1) -- Lyrics

    Really don't mind if you sit this one out
    My word's but a whisper, your deafness a SHOUT
    I may make you feel, but I can't make you think
    Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink
    So you ride yourselves over the fields
    And you make all your animal deals
    And your wise men don't know how it feels
    To be thick as a brick
    And the sand castle virtues are all swept away
    In the tidal destruction, the moral melee
    The elastic retreat rings the close of play
    As the last wave uncovers the newfangled way
    But your new shoes are worn at the heels
    And your suntan does rapidly peel
    And your wise men don't know how it feels
    To be thick as a brick
    And the love that I feel is so far away
    I'm a bad dream that I just had today
    And you shake your head
    And say that it's a shame
    Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth
    Draw the lace and black curtains and shut out the whole truth
    Spin me down the long ages, let them sing the song
    See there, a son is born
    And we pronounce him fit to fight
    There are blackheads on his shoulders,
    And there he pees himself in the night
    We'll make a man of him, put him to a trade
    Teach him to play Monopoly, and how to sing in the rain
    The poet and the painter casting shadows on the water
    As the sun plays on the infantry returning from the sea
    The doer and the thinker, no allowance for the other
    As the failing light illuminates the mercenary's creed
    The home fire burning, the kettle almost boiling
    But the master of the house is far away
    The horses stamping, their warm breath clouding
    In the sharp and frosty morning of the day
    And the poet lifts his pen, while the soldier sheaths his sword
    And the youngest of the family is moving with authority
    Building castles by the sea, he dares the tardy tide
    To wash them all aside
    The cattle quietly grazing at the grass down by the river
    Where the swelling mountain water moves onward to the sea
    The builder of the castles renews the age-old purpose
    And contemplates the milking girl whose offer is his need
    The young men of the household have all gone into service
    And are not to be expected for a year
    The innocent young master, thoughts moving ever faster
    Has formed the plan to change the man he seems
    And the poet sheaths his pen while the soldier lifts his sword
    And the oldest of the family is moving with authority
    Coming from across the sea, he challenges the son
    Who puts him to the run
    What do you do when the old man's gone?
    Do you want to be him?
    And your real self sings the song
    Do you want to free him?
    No one to help you get up steam
    And the whirlpool turns you way off beam
    I've come down from the upper class to mend your rotten ways
    My father was a man of power, whom everyone obeyed
    So come on all you criminals! I've got to put you straight
    Just like I did with my old man, twenty years too late
    Your bread and water's going cold, your hair is short and neat
    I'll judge you all and make damn sure that no one judges me
    You curl your toes in fun, as you smile at everyone
    You meet the stares, you're unaware that your doings aren't done
    And you laugh most ruthlessly, as you tell us what not to be
    But how are we supposed to see where we should run?
    I see you shuffle in the courtroom, with your rings upon your fingers
    And your downy little sidies and your silver-buckle shoes
    Playing at the hard case, you follow the example
    Of the comic-paper idol, who lets you bend the rules
    So, come on you childhood heroes, won't you rise up from the pages
    Of your comic-books, your super crooks, and show us all the way?
    Well, make your will and testament,
    won't you join your local government?
    We'll have Superman for president, let Robin save the day
    You put your bet on number one and it comes up every time
    The other kids have all backed down and they put you first in line
    And so you finally ask yourself just how big you are
    And you take your place in a wiser world of bigger motor cars
    (And you wonder who to call on ...)
    So, where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday?
    And where are all the sportsmen who always pulled you through?
    They're all resting down in Cornwall, writing up their memoirs
    For a paperback edition of the boy scout manual