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The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

from Fugitive Orchestra by Fugitive Orchestra

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about

I was inspired to write this after reading about the exploits of legendary (or perhaps infamous) con-man, Victor Lustig, otherwise known as 'the man who sold the Eiffel tower twice'.

I tried to get into the head-space of a man who must have spent most of his life pretending to be someone else; whether government official or travelling salesman, I tried to imagine the 'personal demons' that such a profession might bring out in a person.

The title refers to an etching by Francisco Goya of the same name, which portrays a solitary figure plagued by demonic figures, which could well be a portrait of Lustig himself.

lyrics

He can see the truth through the cracks in his fingers –
Of the hands that are covering his eyes –
When he removes them from his face,
He recoils in shock (or perhaps it’s mock-surprise).

From the tension and the drama,
That spills out from his soul,
And the monotony of madness,
That means he’s lost control.

He sees the church spires and the minarets,
As giant needles that anaesthetise the sky –
He’s got the courage to ask you for your watch –
But he lacks the strength to say ‘goodbye’.

He’s a confidence man, don’t say I never warned you,
Always equipped with a plan, now prepare to pay the price.
Clutching a copy of “The Ten Commandments for Con-men,”
Written by the man who sold the Eiffel tower, twice.

There’s no limit to the time he can spend,
Occupying the space inside his head,
He said: “The sleep of reason, produces monsters –
But not the kind that live under your bed.
The quiet, creeping kind – that aren’t really there at all,
But if you let them in, they’ll ruin you –
And you’ll live out your days in a room with padded walls.”

Sometimes you listen to songs,
Just for something to ignore,
Sometimes you look down at your hands,
And ask yourself what they’re for.
Other times you look into the mirror,
And tell yourself you’re everything you abhor.

He sees the church spires and the minarets,
As giant needles that anaesthetise the sky –
He’s got the courage to ask you for your watch –
But he lacks the strength to say ‘goodbye’.

He sees the church spires and the minarets,
As giant needles that anaesthetise the sky –
He’s got the courage to ask you for your watch –
But he lacks the strength to say ‘goodbye’.

credits

from Fugitive Orchestra, released April 19, 2014
Produced by Iain Reddy.
Mastered by Sam Hocking.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Fugitive Orchestra Portsmouth, UK

Singer-Songwriter James Tattington began performing as Fugitive Orchestra after reading a passage in a J. G. Ballard novel.

Fusing together Beatboxing, Live-Looping and Guitar, Fugitive Orchestra makes music best described as Alternative Jazz-infused, Bluesy Hip-Pop; drawing inspiration from the likes of Andrew Bird, LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Kate Bush and the Blue Nile.
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