Jethro Tull - The Clasp Lyrics






We travellers on the endless wastes in single orbits,
gliding cold-eyed march towards the dawn behind
hard-weather hoods a-hiding.
Meeting as the tall ships do, passing in the channel
afraid to chance a gentle touch ---
afraid to make the clasp.

In high-rise city canyons dwells the discontent of ages.
On ring roads, nose to bumper crawl
commuters in their cages. Cryptic signals flash
across from pilots in the fast lane. Double-locked
and belted in --- too late to make the clasp.

Let's break the journey now on some lonely road.
Sit down as strangers will, let the stress unload.
Talk in confidential terms, share a dark unspoken fear.
Refill the cup and drink it up. Say goodnight and
wish good luck.

Synthetic chiefs with frozen smiles holding unsteady courses.
Grip the reins of history, high on their battle horses.
And meeting as good statesmen do before the T.V.
eyes of millions, hand to hand exchange the lie ---
pretend to make the clasp.





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Jethro Tull The Clasp Comments
  1. S.... R....

    Tull at it´s very best. How I loved that song when I discovered that Album back in the late 80ties.

  2. C.... D....

    One of my all time favorite Tull Albums. Only Tull could sound like like they're from the past and the future at the same time.

    C.... D....

    Charlie D Nice analogy!

  3. D.... F....

    Just simply awesome! Thats it. X. UK.

  4. D.... F....

    This album is Game of Thrones in music. It would make a great dark fantasy movie. UK.

  5. F.... C....

    My favorite album 1972 Filippo - 2020

  6. S.... 1....

    Great song. Still remember it played for the first time on Friday Night Rock Show. Eerie and magical, terrific lyrics. BATB is a superb album except for Watching You, Watching Me; what a mistake putting that on the album ( and did they follow this album under with the stinker Under Craps - although the acoustic song of the title is fantastic and one of my fav's - shame the rest of the album wasn't like that. Pity they didn't rerecord it in proper monster Tull style).

  7. B.... A....

    John barleycorn

  8. p.... g....

    i'd give my soul to witness a dinner meeting between ian and neil peart

    p.... g....

    Nice choice! I think we all appreciated Rush at their own private dinner at the hunting lodge. Throw in Ian Anderson and plenty of wine and this would would be a grand party and no mistake!

  9. T.... p....

    God bless Ian Anderson

  10. J.... M....

    Mon album favori de Jethro Tull , une ambiance 80' et baroque ...

  11. M.... ....

    My favourite Jethro Tull song ever!

  12. T.... M....

    Myself? Ian touched my heart always. Sometimes it took a couple of listens before it was mine. Listening to this now brings back those sunny days of 1982 .. great memories...great song. Tull is in my genes.

  13. D.... E....

    We travellers on the endless wastes in single orbits, gliding
    Cold-eyed march towards the dawn behind hard-weather hoods a-hiding.
    Meeting as the tall ships do, passing in the channel
    Afraid to chance a gentle touch, afraid to make the clasp.

    In high-rise city canyons dwells the discontent of ages.
    On ring roads, nose to bumper crawl
    Commuters in their cages.
    Cryptic signals flash across
    From pilots in the fast lane.
    Double-locked and belted in too late to make the clasp.

    Let's break the journey now on some lonely road.
    Sit down as strangers will, let the stress unload.
    Talk in confidential terms, share a dark unspoken fear.
    Refill the cup and drink it up.
    Say goodnight and wish good luck.

    Synthetic chiefs with frozen smiles holding unsteady courses.
    Grip the reins of history, high on their battle horses.
    And meeting as good statesmen do before the T.V. eyes of millions,
    Hand to hand exchange the lie pretend to make the clasp.

    D.... E....

    We know the words lol

  14. b.... ....

    I miss square art.

  15. D.... ....

    Many great songs in this album, but it's true that the mixing ideas felt outdated even for the era standards. But how could someone who like music a bit could not be able to hear through that.

    D.... ....

    Tastes are different....mixing ideas are in my humble opinion still in the future regarding this album....

  16. K.... R....

    Very good album.

  17. S.... H....

    I like this album a lot,and this song and Broadsword are awesome of Ian's seemingly inexhaustible songwriting abilities. Outstanding musicianship too.
    sttgaegoaktd

    S.... H....

    A masterpiece,imho

  18. V.... C....

    Sheer poetry.

  19. Z.... M....

    It's those horrid drum sounds of the early 80's that make this LP hard to listen too.... and by the sounds of it lack of really good songs .... by this time they all seem to run together sound wise....

    Z.... M....

    If you don't like it why listen to it and moan Life is too short.

    Z.... M....

    @Steve Binning I agree with Binning! And furthur more, if your gonna just be a little prick about music that is far above any talent you might posses, work on your own typing skills before you come bitching around here! And you can quote me!

  20. u.... ....

    Heard this tonight for the very first time. Liked it! Hard NOT to like anything to do with Ian Anderson...

  21. i.... ....

    My fav Tull album - saw them on tour supporting this album - awesome!!

  22. J.... G....

    While the album earned it's, shall we say, "uneven" reputation, I love this track; the vocoder harmony vocals work particularly well. Like a lot of the work from this period, it came alive (and got much heavier) in concert.

    J.... G....

    this is the standout track

  23. L.... W....

    Makes me miss Scotland*

    L.... W....

    i spent 45 minutes looking for a footnote

    L.... W....

    ​@peter g * 👣🎵

  24. w.... ....

    I'm guessing David Palmer [ now Dee] wrote the intro and outro,  she's just so damn good.  I'm glad she agreed to tour with Tull, adding amazing dimension to their already diverse sound.

    w.... ....

    Palmer was nowhere around Tull when this was done. Peter-John Vettese was the keyboardist and general magic maker as far as Palmer's old roles go, and brought plenty of new adventures of his own.

  25. T.... ....

    Great song from a somewhat mediocre album by the Tull. love the chord changes and synthesised backing on this track