2386 – Marillion – He Knows You Know (1983)

 

Escrita coletivamente pelos membros da banda (Fish, Steve Rothery, Mark Kelly, Pete Trewavas e Mick Pointer) e gravada no final de 1982 no The Manor Studios, “He Knows You Know” foi lançada primeiramente como um compacto simples (single) de 7 polegadas no dia 31 de janeiro de 1983 pela EMI Records. Este foi o segundo single da carreira do Marillion. O Lado B do compacto trazia a canção instrumental “Charting the Single”. Posteriormente, a faixa foi incluída como a segunda música do álbum de estúdio de estreia da banda, Script for a Jester's Tear, lançado em 14 de março de 1983. A produção da faixa e do álbum ficou a cargo de Nick Tauber. Musicalmente, a canção é um exemplo clássico do Rock Progressivo da década de 1980, com uma atmosfera densa, sombria e teatral, caracterizada pelos teclados texturizados de Mark Kelly e pelos vocais expressivos e dramáticos de Fish. A letra, altamente metafórica e sombria, aborda temas como depressão, paranoia, alienação e a luta contra o vício em drogas, sugerindo uma figura (possivelmente o "Jester" ou Bobo da Corte, mascote da banda) que está ciente e consome as dores e segredos do protagonista (“He knows you know, he’s got your number, he’s got your address”). O personnel da gravação inclui Fish (vocais principais), Steve Rothery (guitarras), Mark Kelly (teclados), Pete Trewavas (baixo) e Mick Pointer (bateria). Nos charts mundiais, o compacto obteve um desempenho modesto, mas importante para consolidar a base de fãs da banda: alcançou o 35º lugar na UK Singles Chart (Reino Unido) e o 9º lugar na parada de singles da Holanda. O álbum correspondente, Script for a Jester's Tear, alcançou o 7º lugar na UK Albums Chart.

A letra:

Light switch, yellow fever, crawling up your bathroom wall
Singing psychedelic praises to the depths of a china bowl
You've got venom in your stomach, you've got poison in your head
You should have listened to the priest at the confession
When he offered you the sacred bread
He knows, you know, he knows, you know
H e knows, you know, but he's got problems
Fast feed, crystal fever, swarming through a fractured mind
Chilling needles freeze emotion, the blind shall lead the blind
You've got venom in you stomach, you've got poison in your head
When your conscience whispered, the vein lines stiffened
You were walking with the dead
He knows, you know, he knows, you know, he knows, you know
He's got experience, he's got experience, he knows, you know
But he's got problems, problems, problems
He knows... slash wrist, scarlet fever, crawled under your bathroom door
Pumping arteries ooze their problems through the gap that the razor tore
You've got venom in your stomach, you've got poison in your head
You should have listened to your analyst's questions
When you lay on his leather bed
He knows, you know, he knows, you know
H he knows, you know, but he's got problems
Blank eyes, purple fever, streaming through the frosted pane
You learned your lesson far to late from the links in a chemist chain
You've got venom in your stomach, you've got poison in your head
You should have stayed at home and talked with father
Listen to the lies he fed
He knows, you know, he knows, you know,
He knows, you know, but he's got problems
He knows, you know, he knows, you know, he knows, you know
He's got experience, he's got experience, he knows, you know
You know, you know, you know

A versão do Marillion:

A versão de Mr. Punch: