Passion Play – Part 2

August 1, 2017 by

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Because of the complexity of the work and its tight connection with the lyrics and the plot, I recommend that you listen to the audio while reading the text. The audio portion has been prepared based on this approach.

Welcome to the 8th edition of “Classic’s Choice”. Today we bring you “Passion Play – Part 2”.

On the first part of this analysis, we followed Ronnie Pilgrim from his funeral, through limbo, and then to his last incarnation’s scrutiny by the panel of judges in Act 2 – The Memory Bank. In part 2, the following two motives play an important role:

Motive 1 – the rhythmic pattern of the heart beat:

And Motive 5

As in Part 1, I will use Neil Thomason’s excellent analysis which can be found in his Ministry of Information website, in order to extract relevant information to help understand the lyrics.

In the instrumental coda that marks the end of Act 2, we hear Ronnie’s “spiritual” heart thriving in excitement as he approaches his next stop:

 

Act Three, Scene One: Heaven

Scene: The business office of G. Oddie and Son – two days later. Having spent two days in Heaven, RONNIE is dissatisfied, and has requested a meeting with God.

The form of this scene is very interesting because it includes a Theme and Variations:

Intro (introducing Motive 5) – A (Theme and Variations) – B – Instrumental – B’ – C (God speaks)

 
Intro

The Coda from Act 2 falls seamlessly into the Intro of part three. In fact, if we strip out the story of “The Hare”, listen to what we get:

This whole passage could have been recorded with no interruption and later edited to include the story of “The Hare”. However, this was not the case. You can hear a different “color” in the sound recording and also the beat is slightly lower. So, probably the Intro to Act Three was recorded on a different day.

But from a musical point of view, this can be regarded as a single fragment, thus, the Intro to Act Three is really the last part of the Coda from Act Two. Note that the “spiritual” heartbeat continues, and serves as a harmonic pedal. The end of the Intro, presents, for the first time, Motive 5. At the end of motive 5, the whole band pounds out the rhythm of the obsessive heartbeat (Motive 1) thus concluding the interlude between acts two and three:

A (Theme and Variations)

The theme is presented by voice and guitar, followed by 4 variations:

Theme (acustic guitar and voice)

We sleep by the ever-bright hole in the door,
eat in the corner, talk to the floor,

cheating the spiders who come to say “Please”,
(politely). They bend at the knees.

Well, I’ll go to the foot of our stairs.

The humble inhabitants of Heaven, remain close to the entrance in order to catch a glimpse of mortal life. Ronnie says: Well I’ll be damned! (but using a much more politically correct British equivalent: I’ll go to the foot of our stairs.

Variation 1

This first variation introduces the rest of the band (bass, drums, guitar and keyboards) and the acoustic guitar disappears. Note that the organ plays the same figures presented by the acoustic guitar in the two short instrumental interludes between the vocal sections of the Theme:

Variation 1 (introducing rest of the band)

Old gentlemen talk of when they were young
of ladies lost and erring sons.

Lace-covered dandies revel (with friends)
pure as the truth, tied at both ends.

Well, I’ll go to the foot of our stairs.

Ronnie watches these nostalgic inhabitants, while they tell their boring stories. “Well I’ll be damned”

Variation 2

Here the variation is presented by the electric guitar, that goes an octave higher in the second phrases, of course in addition to the different lyrics. So, in essence, it is a repetition of Variation 1. You can hear the guitar easily because it is panned all the way to the left side.

Variation 2 (electric guitar octave high)

Scented cathedral spire pointed down.
We pray for souls in Kentish Town.

A delicate hush the gods, floating by
wishing us well, pie in the sky.

Cathedrals that point down to Earth, inhabitants that pray for earthly beings – Ronnie confirms: mortal churches aspire to Heaven, and Heavenly ones revere the mortal world. “I want to get out of here!”

Variation 3

In this final variation the final phrase is omitted and the acoustic guitar suddenly bursts in, as Ronnie addresses G. Oddie directly.

Note that this variation is a contracted version not only of the Theme but of the instrumentation as well: only acoustic guitar and voice are present in the verse, but the whole band plays in the recurrent “Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs”.

Variation 3 (contracted version)

God of ages, Lord of Time, mine is the right to be wrong.

Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs.

B

In this section, based on rhythmic acoustic guitar and voice, Ronnie continues to address G. Oddie directly. Let me quote Neil Thomason’s very interesting interpretation of these verses:

Jack rabbit mister….

“Rabbits populations are famously able to expand rapidly, so the animal has become a symbol
of extreme fertility; an appropriate metaphor for God, the ultimate creator of life.”

… spawn a new breed of love-hungry pilgrims (no bodies to feed).

“Ronnie (sarcastically) proposes that G. Oddie use this renowned creativity to produce entirely
spiritual creatures, free from all earthly appetites, who could thrive on abstract ‘love’ and would
truly appreciate Heaven – because the ex-mortal souls certainly don’t.”

Show me a good man and I’ll show you the door.

“There are so many ‘good’ people in Heaven that Ronnie has become heartily sick of their piety
and wants to leave. To ‘show someone the door’ is to reject him/her; literally, to ask him/her to
leave. It’s obviously not an option to evict God from Heaven, so Ronnie will be the one departing.”

The last hymn is sung and the devil cries “More.”
[Ronnie continues his plea to G. Oddie to leave Heaven, and now the devil gets into play, urging Ronnie to finish his debate with God and go to Him.]

In the Resources section you will find an additional fragment (almost one-minute long) with two full verses that were spliced out of the original version. This fragment was recovered and included in Steve Wilson’s remix published by Chrysalis in 2014.

B (Ronnie continues to address God)

Instrumental

This instrumental section represents Ronnie addressing G. Oddie, who patiently listens to his argumentation to leave Heaven. This is unquestionably one of the most intense and elaborate instrumental passages of the album, featuring once more Ian’s command of the sax. According to Smolko, this section marks the end of the fourth climax cycle.

The form is:

A – B – AB’ – Coda

Here are some interesting features of this instrumental section:

A

On the first part, a free-form sax melody is embraced by guitar on the left and organ on the right, but with distinct full written passages (called “obbligatos”) that bring guitar and organ together. Note that in the last obbligato example, the piano appears and complements the organ during the remainder of the passage:

Different Obbligatos

B

The second part of this instrumental section is all fully written and with very tight interplay. I suggest that you pay attention to what the bass is doing. And all of a sudden, the development falls into a section that clearly evokes one of the main motives of Thick as a Brick:

Motive from TAAB

Let’s listen to B

AB’

This section returns to the obbligatos from A and develop the ideas on B. Right at the end of the passage we can hear for the last time Motive 3, with the last verse truncated:

Motive 3

And then a short CODA before returning to the last vocal section of this scene.

Let’s listen to this fragment and try to identify the obbligatos, the theme developments and Motive 3:

Fragment AB’ + Coda

B’

This last vocal section of Heaven is really a reprise of B with different lyrics. The acoustic guitar accompaniment is identical:

Well, I’m all for leaving and that being done,
I’ve put in a request to take up my turn

in that forsaken paradise that calls itself “Hell”
where no-one has nothing and nothing is …

C

… and God, having heard enough of Ronnie’s complaints, abruptly interrupts and says:

Well-meaning fool,
pick up thy bed and rise up from your gloom smiling.

Give me your hate and do as the loving heathen do.

Ok Ronnie, it’s all fine, you may go in peace….

Let’s listen to B’ and C:

Act Three, Scene Two: Hell

Backdrop rises on a scene in hell.
Might the groan heard at the start of this scene indicate the damned souls in Hell?

The first thing to note is the modified version of Motive 1 – the heartbeat. Now it is presented in a sort of diabolic form, using a stringent synthesizer sound. Let’s compare:

Heartbeat comparison

This Scene has a long structure based on different versions of theme A. So, again what we have here is essentially a structure based on Theme and Variations:

Intro (demonic Motive 1) – A – Instr interlude (motive 5) – A’ – Instr interlude (motive 5) – B

And the structure continues:

Intro (demonic Motive 1) – A’’ – Instrumental development – A’’’ – Instrumental interlude (motive 5) -Instrumental (really A’’’’, with sax) – Coda (motive 5 complete)

So, in summary, this scene is based on variations of theme A, using the first part (ascending scale) of Motive 5 as a structural cohesive element. The fragment has a single contrasting theme in the middle, and 2 instrumental sections: one independent with its own development and the other being an instrumental version of A. The scene ends with a full exposition of Motive 5 which, as already noted, finishes with the heartbeat rhythm.

It is also interesting to point out that the band places effects that act as anchors to provide additional cohesion to this long and complex segment. Note the instrumental and voice effects:

Effects in Hell

Intro (demonic Motive 1)

The use of the distorted heartbeat, coupled with the groans and the downward glissandos of the guitar provide a very clever and appropriate description of where Ronnie has ended up….

Intro … demonic Motive 1

A

The first appearance of “A” happens with only the heartbeat synthesizer and a guitar accompanying the voice

A: Only heartbeat, guitar and voice

Colours I’ve none, dark or light, red, white or blue.
Cold is my touch (freezing).

Summoned by name – I am the overseer over you.

The Devil pays allegiance to no one and has no feelings. You called? Well here I am.

Instrumental interlude (ascending scale of motive 5)

A’

On the second appearance of A, preceded by the ascending scale of Motive 5, drums and bass jump in at full force:

Instr. (ascending scale of Motive 5) + A’

Given this command to watch o’er our miserable sphere.
Fallen from grace, called on to bring sun or rain.

Occasional corn from my oversight grew.

Describes the well-known story of Lucifer as a fallen angel.

Instrumental interlude (ascending scale of motive 5)

B

Again, preceded by the ascending scale of Motive 5, we reach B, the contrasting section. A lively section in 4/4 that supports Lucifer’s explanation of his duties on Earth:

Instr. (ascending scale of Motive 5) + B

Fell with mine angels from a far better place,
offering services for the saving of face.

Now you’re here, you may as well admire
all whom living has retired from the benign reconciliation.

Neil Thomason’s interpretation of this second verse is very interesting:

“A particularly complicated lyric! Lucifer suggests that, now that Ronnie’s in the same situation, he ought to understand and even admire those other souls who found themselves in Hell not because they were actively ‘evil’ mortals, but because their lives were spent actually living; engaging in earthly concerns without ‘due regard’ for more religious or moral matters, so that when they died, they failed to qualify for Heaven.”

Intro (demonic Motive 1 again)

A”

This is basically a repetition of A’, with different lyrics:

Legends were born surrounding mysterious lights
seen in the sky (flashing).

I just lit a fag then took my leave in the blink of an eye.

Again, a witty interpretation by Neil Thomason:

“Lucifer boasts of his power and jokes about the gullibility of mortals: the glow of his cigarette (‘fag’) was misinterpreted as ‘mystic lights’.”

Instrumental Development

A wonderful sax solo cleverly processed, is the basis for this instrumental section. Notice the voice effects that serve as anchors. Also note that this instrumental section ends with the ascending scale of motive 5. This instrumental section has a lively rhythm that seem to portray a Machiavellian dance. I imagine the devil dancing around the maypole, as he speaks to a jaw-dropped Ronnie that cannot believe what he’s seeing:

Instrumental development Hell

A”’

Again, essentially a repetition of A’, with different lyrics:

Passionate play join round the maypole in dance
primitive rite) (wrongly).

Summoned by name I am the overseer over you.

Ronnie is invited to stay forever, forming part of Lucifer’s perennial rite.

Instrumental (A with Sax)

This final instrumental section depicts Lucifer dancing away while leaving Ronnie “dancing around the maypole”. The section ends with a full re-exposition of Motive 5, including the last phrase with the two heartbeats.

Instrumental (Section A, this time with Sax)

Act Four, Scene One: Where Now?

Scene: MAGUS PERDÉ’s drawing room – midnight.

Ronnie realizes he doesn’t like Hell either, and plots to leave. Here he explains his feelings to MAGUS PERDÉ, and asks for his assistance.

The form of this Scene is an expanded song format (AABA):

Intro – (AABA)x2 – instrumental – (AABA)x2

Before discussing the lyrics, let’s look at what is happening from a musical point of view:

The rhythmic patterns are quite complex. The first two instances of the A (Verse) sections are in 11/4 (6/4 + 5/4) followed by a short instrumental interlude. This is complex enough but when A is repeated after the interlude there is an added complexity: Between the 2 11/4 measures a single beat measure (1/4) is introduced to play an effect that varies every time it appears. It is very unusual to have 1 beat measures and Jehtro Tull uses them to give more prominence to the effects introduced in them.

Section B (Bridge) has 5 measures in simple 4/4 but the last verse (for example on the verse “baking new bread”) is constructed using 6/4 + 4/4 + 5/4.

The instrumental section is written in 4/4 except for the last measure which, again, is written in 11/4 in order to prepare for the re-exposition of AABA.

I will put your counting abilities to test. Here’s the rhythmic pattern of the first 2 instances of AABA until reaching the instrumental section. Let’s see if you can follow it:

11/4 + 11/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 11/4 + 1/4 + 11/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4 + 4/4 + 5/4

First 2 instances of AABA

If you need a crash course in the theory of time signature in music, you can go to the analysis of Close to the Edge Part/1 starting at minute 24.

If you weren’t able to count this, don’t worry it is not simple at all! Here it is for you. To guide you, the woodblocks will have a different sound with every measure change.

Note the different effects of the 1 beat measures:

Now turning to the lyrics, in this Act is where more profound metaphysical considerations can be inferred.

AA

First 2 instances of A

Flee the icy Lucifer. Oh he’s an awful fellow!
What a mistake! I didn’t take a feather from his pillow.

Here’s the everlasting rub… neither am I good or bad.
I’d give up my halo for a horn and the horn for the hat I once had.

Ronnie realizes that Hell is not an option for him, and he feels the urge to go back to a material state. Again, the parallelism with the Heavens described in Max Heindel’s “Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception” is remarkable. Allow me to copy a summary extracted from the analysis of Mysticae Visiones (which, as I explained in Part 1 of this analysis, is based in that metaphysical book):

“In the First Heaven, the only moments experienced are those where some harm was made, either to oneself or to others. It is believed that one is capable of feeling, greatly magnified, what others felt or suffered as a consequence of our actions.

On the contrary, the Second Heaven only deals with actions that generated a positive effect, either to oneself, or to others. Again, one is capable of experiencing (magnified) the happiness and satisfaction felt by those affected by our good actions.

The Third Heaven initiates the process that ends in a new incarnation. It is triggered by the soul’s desire to execute an action, or a series of actions. This desire is the result of the previous two heavens: emerges the desire to complete a project, to amend a mistake, or to taste unexplored facets of the material existence.

It is believed that evolution as humans is completed when no further desire for material action is felt in the Third Heaven. In that case, soul’s evolution continues through forms of existence not linked to material incarnations.”

As we saw in Part 1, what Ronnie experienced in the Memory Bank is very similar to what Heindel describes for the first two heavens. What Ronnie experiences in Act Four, is very similar to Heindel’s Third Heaven:

I’d give up my halo for a horn and the horn for the hat I once had.
… Having gone through Heaven and Hell, my desire is to go back to my physical body.

Here’s the everlasting rub… neither am I good or bad.
… I have projects to complete, mistakes to amend, I need to incarnate again …

B

I’m only breathing. There’s life on my ceiling.
The flies there are sleeping quietly.

AA

Twist my right arm in the dark.
I would give two or three for

one of those days that never made
impressions on the old score.

 

I would gladly be a dog barking up the wrong tree.
Everyone’s saved we’re in the grave.

See you there for afternoon tea.

The idea of Ronnie’s desire to reincarnate is reinforced in these verses. He would give not one but two or three right arms for just an ordinary human day. He would gladly waste his time and have an ordinary cup of tea….

B

Time for awaking the tea lady’s making
a brew-up and baking new bread.

Ronnie is ready to start the process that will end with a new incarnation.

Instrumental

Even though we are still on Scene One, I believe this instrumental section marks the beginning of the final stage in Passion Play, where the events that will lead to his new incarnation are triggered.

Instrumental Section of Where to?

AA

Pick me up at half past none
there’s not a moment to lose.

There is the train on which I came.
On the platform are my old shoes.

 

Station master rings his bell.
Whistles blow and flags wave.

The cyclic nature of our existence is clearly portrayed in these verses. He will, again, make a trip that is so familiar to him: “the train on which I came, my old shoes”. And he is eager to start the journey.

B

I thank everybody
for making me welcome.

I’d stay but my wings have just dropped off.

Ronnie appreciates the importance if this voyage through the afterlife, but he must go back …

10:08 To Paddington

Scene One ends with the instrumental section “10:08 To Paddington”. Its peaceful mood would seem to indicate the Ronnie has fallen into a final meditative mood, in preparation for the final stage of his trip back to Earth. According to Smolko, the fifth climax cycle ends just before the beginning of this instrumental section.

Act Four, Scene Two: The Ferry

Scene: A beach (or river bank?), waiting for the ferry.

As Neil Thomasson points out, the Ferry could point to an analogy with classical Greek mythology: Charon, crossing the River Styx, in order to reach Hades. However, this boat goes in the opposite direction…

In order to help develop your listening and analytical skills, I will describe the structure and point out relevant features of this last scene, but instead of putting examples as we go, I will put the entire scene at the end so you can reinterpret and reenjoy this scene with the new information that I will provide.

It is interesting to observe that the material presented in the introduction appears several times during this scene, essentially acting as an additional Verse-Chorus where the themes are presented by guitar and flute instead of the voice. This is very unusual and original. If we take these instrumental sections out, you get an expanded AABA song format with an instrumental development. However, the structure is more complex:

I(nstrumental) – A (verse) – I’ – A’ – B (bridge) – Instrumental Development – I’’ – A’’ – I’’’ – Coda

 
Instrumental

A (verse)

Hail! Son of kings make the ever-dying sign
cross your fingers in the sky for those about to BE.

There am I waiting along the sand.
Cast your sweet spell upon the land and sea.

Again, let me bring your attention to the emphasis on BE. You will recall the verse in the Memory Bank: “how does it feel to be the play?”. I explained that this could point out to the concept of Oneness: being part of a non-divisible whole. Of course, in this case “those about to BE” implies a more traditional concept of being: I Am while my physical body is alive. However, since “BE” appears several times in different contexts throughout this scene, I believe the purpose of the repetition is to emphasize that this “Passion Play” is really about “being”.

Instrumental’
Note that this time the section is contracted.

A’

Magus Perde, take your hand from off the chain.
Loose a wish to still, the rain, the storm about to BE.

Here am I (voyager into life).
Tough are the soles that tread the knife’s edge.

Observe that “BE” is in uppercase. These verses portray physical life as a struggle, a storm. Yet, Ronnie wants to go into that experience once again: “Magus Perde, take your hands from off the chain”.

B
This section marks the beginning of the final and most intense climax of the song. It starts on B but the climax continues to build up throughout the rest of this scene, all the way to the Epilogue.

B (bridge)

Break the circle, stretch the line, call upon the devil.
Bring the gods, the gods’ own fire

In the conflict revel.

Ronnie, as all souls about to begin this new journey, hopes that this new incarnation will allow him to move a step up in his evolution. He doesn’t want this new incarnation to be a circle (inconsequential) but a spiral (stretch the line – live intensely).

B continues…

The passengers upon the ferry crossing, waiting to be born,
renew the pledge of life’s long song rise to the reveille horn.

Animals queueing at the gate that stands upon the shore
breathe the ever-burning fire that guards the ever-door.

These verses admirably portray the nature of this ancient (life’s long song) process: countless souls in all live forms, who are immortal (ever-burning fire) eagerly wait to incarnate again in order to allow God to manifest Himself (to BE manifested).

Instrumental Development + Instrumental’’

A”

Man – son of man – buy the flame of ever-life
(yours to breathe and breath the pain of living)… living BE!

Here am I! Roll the stone away
from the dark into ever-day.

My interpretation is that “Man – son of man “, as opposed to “son of God”, reinforces the idea that we are One with the Universe. That God is not an entity detached from us and that we “earn” our spiritual ranks, we reach enlightenment, through the “pain of living …. Living BE”.

So, here I am, willing to be born again, in order to fulfill life’s objective, which is beautifully expressed by Jon Anderson in the final verses of “Close to the Edge”:

On the hill we viewed the silence of the valley


Silence – mankind is not shouting any great mystical statement or mystical vision to the enlightened one. There’s no mystical scroll to be unlocked. The purpose of life is: To live. God wants or expects nothing from us. We are here in order for Him to manifest through us.

Instrumental’’’ + Coda
According to Tim Smolko, the sixth and last climax cycle ends with this Coda.

Epilogue

There was a rush along the Fulham Road
into the Ever-passion Play.

And so, Ronnie is back into human form, to write another chapter of this never-ending story.

With all these insights, let’s listen to the magnificent last portion of Passion Play. You may want to read again and follow the analysis of “The Ferry” as you listen to it:

Act Four Scene Two: The Ferry

Resources

This analysis would not have been possible without the solid foundation laid by Tim Smolko in his book: “Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play. Inside Two Long Songs” 2013. Indiana University Press.

Of equal importance is the splendid, accurate and detailed lyrics analysis provided by Neil Thomason.

In this link you can download a pdf version of Max Heindel’s “Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception”.

“A Passion Play” art cover images were taken directly from my personal 1974 vinyl copy of the album.

The background music used is:

  • The piece “Invisible Legion” by the Hungarian band After Crying, from their album “Show”
  • The piece “Ancient Museum” by the Japanese band Ain Soph, from their album “Five Evolved from Nine”
  • The piece “Where is Grommit?” by the Belgian band Aranis, from their album “Made in Belgium”
  • The pieces “Nocturno”, and “Viento de Otoño” by the Chilean band Tryo, from their album “Crudo”

The remixed version of Passion Play by Steve Wilson, as with other remixes done by him, is very interesting because it surfaces details that are hidden in the original mix. But in this case, there is an additional element that, to me, makes the version worthy to acquire:

Let me quote Steve Wilson from the booklet included in the edition published by Chrysalis in 2014 (by the way, if you have it, go to the back cover. On the bottom to the right, you will see that the edition has a copyright date of 2104. They juggled the numbers and nobody noticed ;-))

“Looking up the tape transfers of A Passion Play I discovered that a section of music about 50 seconds long had literally been cut out of the piece with a razor blade, but fortunately preserved by the engineer by splicing it in at the end of the reel after the main album. This proved to be a missing piece of the Foot of Our Stairs section. I played it to Ian, who couldn’t remember why it had been removed but had no objection to its being restored, so it’s back in its rightful place in the new mix, heard for the first time in 40 years”.

Here’s the section:

Cut out section from Heaven

Show me the gypsy, the chain’s weakest link,
and I’ll throw him a fiver to buy all he can drink,

‘Till he’s down on his knees, his luck and his heels.
Let me pass you the bottle, see how it feels.

 

The rollicking hero has won all his wars,
Left only with memories that ooze from his pores.

Let him join in the party and share in the fun,
While the bomb in his pocket snuffs out the sun.

It seems that Ronnie got a bit too far in his speech to God. Maybe that’s what the devil meant when he said “more”?: “Come on, be more aggressive!!”

Could that be why this section was spliced out? Any volunteer to analyze this bit of lyrics?

Unfortunately, since this amazing work was so poorly received by the critics, “A Passion Play” was soon removed from Tull’s live repertoire so there is very little in terms of historical documents. These are 3 videos taken from Jethro Tull’s YouTube channel:

This is “Critique Oblique” from Château D’Isaster Tapes. Very interesting to see how Anderson was able to incorporate this material into the plot of “A Passion Play”:

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