[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Jethro Tull — Thick as a Brick
Album: Thick as a Brick
Avg rating:
7.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3083









Released: 1972
Length: 22:01
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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 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 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 trade
teach him
to play Monopoly and
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 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.

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.

LATER.
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 too 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 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 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.

LATER.
See there! A man 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 the child from him
put it to the test
teach it
to be a wise man
how to fool the rest.

QUOTE
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
cats are on the upgrade
upgrade? Hipgrave. Oh, Mac.

LATER
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 queueing 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.

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.
The poet and the wise man stand behind the gun,
and signal for the crack of dawn.
Light the sun.

Do you believe in the day? Do you?
Believe in the day! The Dawn Creation of the Kings has begun.
Soft Venus (lonely maiden) brings the ageless one.
Do you believe in the day?
The fading hero has returned to the night - and fully pregnant with the day,
wise men endorse the poet's sight.
Do you believe in the day? Do you? Believe in the day!

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.
Let me sing of the losers who lie in the street as the last bus goes by.
The pavements ar empty: the gutters run red - while the fool
toasts his god in the sky.

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.
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.
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.

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.
So! Come on ye childhood heroes!
Won't your 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.
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.

OF COURSE
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.
Comments (802)add comment
Well, I've got my first pick the next time I go out for karaoke. 
Ugh.  Just not a fan of Tull.  
Many fond memories from a misspent youth listening to this and other album sides.
 TDS513 wrote:

Why is it so long???? Is it really necessary??



Yes. Yes, it is necessary. 
There are so many comments on this section and I am honored to be part of it to make it from 797 to 798 comments. but it is a reaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllly long song I have to beto listen to this song
Why is it so long???? Is it really necessary??
Just finished listening.....what year is it now?!
 maryte wrote:
Ah, I do take perverse joy in the pain this magnificent tune seems to cause so many others! For me, it's utterly delightful, with memories of singing loudly from start to finish at some times, and falling asleep while listening with headphones on, moving to awareness every time the eight-track player *chunk-a-chunked* to the next track!


  {#Sunny}


Same here
oh it takes me back. 
I dislike brief, fleeting songs like these. Why be so lazy and not make it at least a bit longer?

(4 years after TAAB)
Posted 10 years ago by olivertwist:

Hannio wrote:The release date was more like 1971 or 72, I believe, not 1997. Maybe 1997 was when side one finally came to an end.

Had to bring this comment up to the top. This is the most entertaining comments section of any song on RP!



The comments are a whole other reason for Radio Paradise.
 rgio wrote:

Can you tell me where we are in the Lyrics?  

Thanks


Commenting to give this a lift to the top as well.  When I stopped laughing.
One of their finest works
 yoksa wrote:
I saw them in 1974 and they were mesmerising! The show is on my list of top five concerts and I have seen a few since! The album cover is framed and takes a rightful place among other greats hanging on the walls. 



Same here, one of the best concerts i've been. Frankfurt 1987
So Jethro Tull, Mott the Hopple,  Joe Cocker, and many others are not in the R&R Hall of Fame but Dolly Parton is? Something doesn't seem right to me.
Wow - first time I’ve heard this here - thanks BillG. And if we can go here, how about a little Gentle Giant?
 yoksa wrote:
I saw them in 1974 and they were mesmerising! The show is on my list of top five concerts and I have seen a few since! The album cover is framed and takes a rightful place among other greats hanging on the walls. 


Eu os vi em 1989. Paixão à primeira vista.
Puro rock'n'roll 
Excellent!
 ProjectGemini07 wrote:

Power flute!

And what a master Ian is at it! Phenomenal!

Y’all haters should just be glad BillG is going easy on you and not spinning A Passion Play uncut.  That’s when Tull really gets interesting.  
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Bill, for playing this WHOLE thing. It's a journey and a half. I appreciate your taking us along for this epic ride. I've heard this album and the cuts a thousand times but hearing it all in one block like this really is mind-opening and gives me a new appreciation for the music and Ian's vision. 

I've been using JT as a model story for my young daughter about following your dreams (like playing flute as lead instrument in a rock band), so when this song came on, we listened to the flute parts with special interest.


Total Ratings: 2497Length: 22:00Plays (last 30 days):
Main Mix - 2

You need to remove the "s" from Plays and remove the brackets for a more accurate description.  Thank you.
Thanks Bill, love it.
I saw them in 1974 and they were mesmerising! The show is on my list of top five concerts and I have seen a few since! The album cover is framed and takes a rightful place among other greats hanging on the walls. 
Always love it when you play this album.
Terrific! Thanks Bill and Rebecca.
Another great song that captures the Counter Culture of the late 1960s, early 1970s.
Thanks Bill perfect start to my Monday morning!
Power flute!
Thanks Bill, yes rare play on RP but always enjoyable! Some of my best concerts memories, loved the film projection and first flown audio system I every saw! Changed concerts forever!
"Your sperm's in the gutter" ??
"he pees himself in the night" ??

Ian should have called this Thick as a Prick.
 Hippostar wrote:

Had never heard this entire piece before RP...  I think I sat stunned and frozen, unable to do anything for 22 minutes. How did I miss this my entire life?




Actually that was just half of it. Side one.
might be a tad too long
Saw the L.A. concert when this came out and it was magical. Don’t forget “A Passion Play”, I also love that one.
 unclehud wrote:

Ellie Mae's brother.
 

He's probably listening to this down at the Seement pond.
Trip Hop, who knew?
 mjbaumann wrote:

Bill warned you in the intro...I guess you are too stubborn to PSD. Go away now.
 
It's art, go with the flow.
After more than 40 years of listening to Jethro Tull, they are by far still my favorite Prog Rock Bank.
 m00n3east wrote:
OMG, will this s*** ever end? 
 
 
Bill warned you in the intro...I guess you are too stubborn to PSD. Go away now.
 beneggen wrote:
i really hate Jethro tull, 
 
There is always Clear Channel
Bumping this up to a 7... naw, 8. I'm enjoying hanging around in this song.

Their concerts must have been something else. I can just imagine all the fans going out for breakfast between the final song and the encore.
Twenty minutes of Jethro Tull that nobody expected, and maybe didn't appreciate, but it brings me back to the days when radio was real, the DJs played what they wanted and our young minds were sent on a voyage of discovery. Thanks, RP for bringing that feeling back. I'm pledging another $20 bucks for that feeling. Keep it weird.
 tlbritton wrote:
...but which one is Jethro? 
 
Ellie Mae's brother.
I'm not by any means a real Jethro Tull fan, but really appreciate the playing of an entire sets of connected songs as they were intended to be received. Muchas gracias
Was going to go to bed, but suppose I will delay that 22 minutes...  Now, where is side 2?
 aelfheld wrote:

"LITTLE MILTON IN SCHOOL-GIRL PREGNANCY ROW"

Always read below the fold.
 
Is it just me, or does Little Milton look like the kid on Two and a Half Men?

 rgio wrote:
Can you tell me where we are in the Lyrics?  

Thanks
 

"... the builder of the castles 
renews the age-old purpose
and contemplates the milking girl
whose offer is his need."
 Hippostar wrote:
Had never heard this entire piece before RP...  I think I sat stunned and frozen, unable to do anything for 22 minutes. How did I miss this my entire life?
 
Get the LP or CD.  You've only heard half the "song."
THIS ALBUM MADE ME SWOON.  Still does.

How in the world could a rock and roll band make an orchestral piece that spanned the front AND back of an LP?!?!?  Cheeky bastards!  Ya-hoo-eee!  Carry on!

I spent hours and hours reading the newspaper album cover.
Fantastic music, clear ten.
me: how many chords are in there?
jethro tull: yes.
The-never-ending song, my banana is tired!
Had never heard this entire piece before RP...  I think I sat stunned and frozen, unable to do anything for 22 minutes. How did I miss this my entire life?
Nice bit of  impenetrable Tull prog to smooth me into the afternoon.
Thanks RP.
Back in the days when there were live DJs on the radio (look it up, kids), when this version of this song came on, you knew the DJ was taking a smoke break. 
Hi Rebecca, Bill, made my day! Haven't heard it for ages but see there! didn't forget a beat or a line   I Love it, don´t stop the music
 beneggen wrote:
 
 
#metoo. What a terrible, soulless music. You really need to be a teenager or high on drugs (or both) to like it.
i really hate Jethro tull, 
Wow!   What a treat to hear all these Jethro Tull tunes!   I've been a fan for decades and though I'm not a lover of some of the heavy rock stuff, it truly is music to my ears.  I never hear it played here in Scotland.....

Thank you so much, RP!!!!. 
Great fun following the lyrics. Walk away for 10 seconds and spend another 2 minutes finding where you are in the song.
Awesome piece!
Critics hated it...but every 18 year old boy I knew (including me) wore out copy after copy -- but only side one.

All these years later it's still amazing.
The best thing about this song is that it makes me stop listening to RP for awhile and go down the rabbit hole of YouTube to find the stuff I love hearing on RP mostly to hear how the bands perform the songs live.  My take on PSD.  Listening to this is more like PTSD.  
If the doctor told me I had six months to live, I would play this every day because it would seem like an eternity and I would welcome my demise.  Might even get him to tell me I only have four months...
YES! Perfect 20 minute jam to push me through this last little bit of work before Thanksgiving. Volume up. Thanks Bill!
 MiloD wrote:
saw this concert in San Diego, would have been closer to 72, They were great!
;-{)
 
I saw them in Jacksonville right after this came out. They played the first side, then Aqualung, then the second side. Even through the chemically induced haze it was spectacular!

Thanks Bill!
BillG could follow this with Tubular Bells and take an extra extra break.

Long Live RP and whole album side plays!
So very good.
Ian and Marty always get the glory but each successive era of Tull was primarily defined by the ever changing roster of uniquely different keyboardists. John Evans brought a wonderful sense of pomp and circus stance (not a typo) to this era.
This is a brilliant piece of music, and so 70's -- wild, crazy, artistic,and  entertaining. Definitely not in the 3:30 And No Longer slot. Love it. RP, don't ever change. 
How long would it have been if not restricted to an LP side?  olivertwist wrote:


Had to bring this comment up to the top. This is the most entertaining comments section of any song on RP!
 

Can you tell me where we are in the Lyrics?  

Thanks
Remembering all the Tull shows at the Chicago Stadium. Every new album sprung another tour, and then some. Memories.
This reminds me of Wagner, that rarely resolves. I don't like Wagner much either. 
saw this concert in San Diego, would have been closer to 72, They were great!
;-{)
I guess that those who rate this song a  1  , are rating 8 at Jolene/Dolly Parton !!!!!

This show was awesome. It was the best new music on those days.
I must admit my 10 rating was probably nostalgic. But I’ve Now just realised RP is playing the whole side . That takes this to a different level of comment - 10 rating just for the balls to do so...
Ahhhh. Back when RnR was creative, pushing the envelope, exploring new musical and lyrical concepts. 

And this song is one album side! 

And what the heck does "thick as a brick" mean?    It means  the best time ever for RnR!

 olivertwist wrote:


Had to bring this comment up to the top. This is the most entertaining comments section of any song on RP!
 

Radio Paradise answering the question, "How much prog-rock flute is TOO MUCH prog-rock flute?"
"Feel Free to use PSD" is the funniest thing I've heard Bill say.

Not a Tull Fan but that made me listen.
As me County Mayo friend Mick (yes, really) used to say "Tick as Brick is brillyant"
And I agreed.
 amyliana44 wrote:
Bill prefaced today's playing of Side 1 with "Here's something for Jethro Tull fans... hardcore Jethro Tull fans." At first I didn't think that he was talking about me, but then again I do remember almost every word of side 1.  That suggests the many many hours I spent in my youth listening to this. Haven't listened to it more than 3 or 4 times since high school. I still remember the party in 1982 or so when I first heard it. So yeah, I guess I qualify. I was so happy to get to hear more than the short version today. 
 
It's amazing when you listen after thirty years and realise that you recall not only all the words, but all the instrumentation, breaks, stops/starts, dynamics, everything.  And it isn't exactly repetitive. 
Oh yes, formative years stuff!
I was a teenager in the early eighties, and scoured record libraries, family friends' record collections, second-hand record shops, *anything* for something more interesting than the prevailing music of the time.  That's where I discovered Jethro Tull (+ other prog & space rock) - this album was one of my favourites. 
I still enjoy listening to it now, even though I probably wouldn't choose to play it specifically.
Sitting here at my desk thinking, 'Geez, does this song ever end?' Apparently yes, after 22 minutes exactly...
Did we ever conquer RIDO?

(Still have the LP with the full newspaper.)
This is genius.
 idiot_wind wrote:
And let us not forget that little Milton (see newspaper) got screwed out of winning, due to a rumpus!  

How cheeky!
 
"LITTLE MILTON IN SCHOOL-GIRL PREGNANCY ROW"

Always read below the fold.
Ericocean you're putting the good name Eric to shame. *smile* Both Joni and Tull are totally worth full album visits. I got introduced to Tull in 71 with the release of Aqualung - I was 11. I own all but the last two releases, have seen them 14 times, and if it wasn't for Ian's voice being shot would still go. Pity he can't just rescore for a lower range or produce a few more instrumental albums - his Divinities (12 Dances with God) album is indeed divine. That I'd award a 12.
Nice intro Bill...  lets see where are those headphones? 
If you’re a JT fan check out the remastered  release of "This Was"

Original album and bonus tracks remixed in stereo by Steven WilsonLive BBC sessions recorded in 1968
Original mono mix and original 1968 U.K. stereo mixOriginal album and bonus tracks remixed by Steven Wilson in 4.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital surround and 96/24 LPCM stereo
Flat transfer of the 1968 stereo remixPresented in a case-bound DVD book filled with an extensive history of the album, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson, plus rare and unseen photographs

JT was the first show I saw and listened to a "flying" PA system. that changed my world!!!
That is a great version, thanks!
And let us not forget that little Milton (see newspaper) got screwed out of winning, due to a rumpus!  

How cheeky!
Thanks Bill for not being like everyone else!
Thank you for playing this masterpiece. Not to everyone's taste, but for me an absolute 10.
Gosh, I hope you play a whole side of a Joni Mitchell album next.  Then we can compare notes on which induces more human suffering, this or that.
What a lovely, strange, cryptic, hooky,  crazy song.  Ahhhh, the way RnR use to be!

 MattRudely wrote:
Took a lot shorter time to invent the seed drill.

(I like it.)
 

Brilliant!  Then and now.  Thanks Bill
Prog rock + flutes = still the worst.

I get that some people love Jethro Tull and for those people, Bill should be applauded for playing a diverse array of music.

I'm downgrading my 3 rating to a 2 and moving on to the next song, though.
Or the opposite direction Bill?  HAHA....   I love this tune.  Thank you!
My first album. It was the mid 70s. Ive moved on.
After Roxy and Tull in the same morning I couldn’t stay on the sidelines any more
Bill prefaced today's playing of Side 1 with "Here's something for Jethro Tull fans... hardcore Jethro Tull fans." At first I didn't think that he was talking about me, but then again I do remember almost every word of side 1.  That suggests the many many hours I spent in my youth listening to this. Haven't listened to it more than 3 or 4 times since high school. I still remember the party in 1982 or so when I first heard it. So yeah, I guess I qualify. I was so happy to get to hear more than the short version today. 
This still remains an outstanding achievement - thanks for playing the entire first side!
Bands of the late 60s, 70s and 80s had distinguishing features. Led Zeppelin, ELP, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull immediately reconized not like today
Ah, take a me back to wearing out this album on my Aiwa cassette boom box back when this was released. my first comment.
Literally the worst thing played on RP.
Took a lot shorter time to invent the seed drill.

(I like it.)
{#Cheesygrin}Phenomenal beginning of the last working day this week!
Was just about to head for bed, then this comes on. I'm jamming now! {#Cheesygrin}
8 down to 3
 Canadese wrote:

That is the name of the band presumably named after the original Jethro Tull.....
Jethro Tull. (born 1674, Basildon, Berkshire, Eng.—died Feb. 21, 1741, Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford, Berkshire), English agronomist, agriculturist, writer, and inventor whose ideas helped form the basis of modern British agriculture. Tull trained for the bar, to which he was called in 1699.
 
I was just joshin' however I have heard this question asked before!  Interesting history on the presumption of the origin of the band's name. 

Certainly one of those albums/songs that evokes love and hate equally according to prior comments. Much like cilantro. (Which I hate.) I happen to be on the side of love for this song. An absolute classic! Thanks for playing the album version.
 tlbritton wrote:
...but which one is Jethro? 
 
That is the name of the band presumably named after the original Jethro Tull.....
Jethro Tull. (born 1674, Basildon, Berkshire, Eng.—died Feb. 21, 1741, Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford, Berkshire), English agronomist, agriculturist, writer, and inventor whose ideas helped form the basis of modern British agriculture. Tull trained for the bar, to which he was called in 1699.
Extreme fun hearing this all the way through - just like I was sitting in my first year dorm room getting ready to read the latest issue of Rolling Stone.
If you have the time, ain't at work and just want to zone out....perhaps given today's world do your zoning with a little bit of....now legally sanctioned help (heh).  So just slap on some headphones, kick back and enjoy this tune.  A whole side of JT.  Love it. 

And for you young puppies who might not even have been a gleam in your parents eye back then give it a listen.  Maybe a serious listen.  It might just give you a clue, perhaps an insight, as to why they're the way they are today?  Yes they were as crazy as this music implies they must have been.  And maybe somewhere....waaay down deep inside....perhaps purposefully hidden from you....and then again maybe not....they still are.  

Highlow
American Net'Zen
...but which one is Jethro? 
 EdEastridge wrote:

10 for me, bur yeah, know what you mean.
 

Match your 10 with my 10.