Epitaph, by King Crimson

[Martin Eden]

Last edited Tue Mar 24, 2026, 11:25 AM - Edit history (1)

"In the Court of the Crimson King" is the first album by King Crimson. Released in 1969, it is a watershed recording in the prog rock genre. Perhaps the most famous track is "21 st Century Schizoid Man," which opens the album.

"Epitaph" is a haunting prophecy of the future, written during the Cold War era of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). The entire album capitivated me, especially the lyrics in this track. The vocalist is Greg Lake, who went on to form Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

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Epitaph

The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams
Upon the instruments of death
The sunlight brightly gleams
When every man is torn apart
With nightmares and with dreams
Will no one lay the laurel wreath
The silence drowns the screams

Confusion will be my epitaph
As I crawl, a cracked and broken path
If we make it, we can all sit back and laugh
But I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying

Between the iron gates of fate
The seeds of time were sown
And watered by the deeds of those
Who know and who are known
Well, knowledge is a deadly friend
When no one sets the rules
The fate of all mankind I fear
Is in the hands of fools

The wall on which the prophets wrote
Is cracking at the seams
Upon the instruments of death
The sunlight brightly gleams
When every man is torn apart
With nightmares and with dreams
Will no one lay the laurel wreath
When silence drowns the screams

Confusion will be my epitaph
As I crawl, a cracked and broken path
And if we make it, we can all sit back and laugh
But I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying
Crying!
Crying!

[John Ludi]

1. This is the album that made me decide to become a musician.

[Safe as Milk]

2. Credit where credit is due: main lyricist of Epitaph was Peter Sinfield.

Sinfield stayed with KC for several albums, and did a solo album or two. Not much of a vocalist, but he was a hell of a lyricist.

[John Ludi]

5. Sinfield was a great lyricist, I concur.

[Martin Eden]

3. What instrument(s) do you play?

I was in junior high when this came out. I first heard it around 1975.

[John Ludi]

4. Guitar, bass, keys, hand percussion, sing...thanks for asking.

The last couple albums I've done were a blend of ambient and instrumental Prog under the name The Quiet Earth Orchestra, but I've done original music in a few different genres over the decades. You can find my stuff on YouTube. If you go onto my Full Album playlist, you'll find all the albums I'll currently admit to having made.

https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnLudi/videos

I heard it probably around 1976...at around the same point in my life, Junior High.