EMERSON, LAKE  &  PALMER


Brain Salad Surgery

(1973)



1. Jerusalem 2'45
(Sir Charles Hubert Parry / William Blake)
2. Toccata 7'23
(Alberto Ginastera)
Adaptation of 1st Piano Concerto, 4th Movement
3. Still ... You Turn Me On 2'52
(Greg Lake)
4. Benny The Bouncer 2'22
(Keith Emerson / Greg Lake / Carl Palmer / Peter Sinfield)
5. Karn Evil 9: 29'46
a) 1st Impression, Part 1
b) 1st Impression, Part 2
(Keith Emerson / Greg Lake)
c) 2nd Impression
(Greg Lake)
d) 3rd Impression
(Keith Emerson / Greg Lake / Pete Sinfield)

Total Time: 45:08


  • Keith Emerson - Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Accordion, Harpsichord, Keyboards
  • Greg Lake - Bass, Guitar, Vocals, 12-String Guitar
  • Carl Palmer - Synthesizer, Percussion, Drums

    Greg Lake - Producer
    ELP - Arranger
    Geoff Young - Engineer
    Chris Kimsey - Engineer
    Bill Inglot - Remastering
    Barry Diament - Mastering
    Bob Fisher - Assistant
    Dan Hersch - Remastering
    David McLees - Reissue Supervisor
    Gary Peterson - Assistant
    Ed Morgan - Assistant
    Coco Shinomiya - Art Direction
    H.R. Giger - Artwork, Paintings
    Fabio Nicoli - Art Direction, Design
    Bryan Rackleff - Design

    All Lyrics by Greg Lake

    All Lyrics Copyright 1973 by LEADCHOICE Ltd.

    ©1973 LEADCHOICE Ltd.





    1. Jerusalem

      And did those feet in ancient time,
      Walk upon England's mountains green?
      And was the holy lamb of God
      On England's pleasant pastures seen?

      And did the Countenance Divine,
      Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
      And was Jerusalem builded here
      Among these dark Satanic Mills?

      Bring me my bow of burning gold!
      Bring me my arrows of desire!
      Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
      Bring me my Chariot of Fire!

      I Will not cease from mental fight;
      Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
      Till we have built Jerusalem
      In England's green and pleasant land

    2. Toccata

      (instrumental)

      3. Still ... You Turn Me On

        Do you want to be an angel,
        Do you wanna be an angel
        Do you wanna be a star
        Do you wanna play some magic
        On my guitar
        Do you wanna be a poet
        Do you wanna be my string
        You could be anything

        Do you wanna be the lover of another undercover
        You could even be the
        Man on the moon

        Do you wanna be the player
        Do you wanna be the string
        Let me tell you something
        It just don't mean a thing

        You see it really doesn't matter
        When you're buried in disguise
        By the dark glass on your eyes
        Though your flesh has crystallised
        Still ...you turn me on

        Do you wanna be the pillow
        Where I lay my head
        Do you wanna be the feathers
        Lying on my bed
        Do you wanna be the cover
        Of a magazine
        Create a scene

        Every day a little sadder
        A little madder
        Someone get me a ladder

        Do you wanna be the singer
        Do you wanna be the song
        Let me tell you something
        You just couldn't be more wrong

        You see I really have to tell you
        That it all gets so intense
        From my experience
        It just doesn't seem to make sense
        Still ...you turn me on

      4. Benny The Bouncer

        Benny was the bouncer at the Palais de Dance
        He'd slash your granny's face up given half a chance.
        He'd sell you back the pieces, all for less than half a quid
        He thought he was the meanest-
        Until he met with Savage Sid.

        Now Sidney was a greaser with some nasty roots
        He poured a pint of Guinness over Benny's boots
        Benny looked at Sidney:
        Sidney stared right back in his eye.
        Sidney chose a switchblade
        and Benny got a cold meat pie.
        Oh! what a terrible sight,
        Much to the people's delight.
        One hell of a fight.

        Sidney grabbed a hatchet, buried it .... in Benny's head.
        The people gasped as he bled:
        The end of a Ted?

        Well, they dragged him from the wreckage of the Palais in bits.
        They tried to stick together all the bits that would fit.
        But some of him was missing
        and "part of him" arrived too late,
        So now he works for Jesus
        As the bouncer at St. Peter's Gate.

      5a. Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression, Part 1

        Cold and misty morning, I heard a warning borne in the air
        About an age of power where no one had an hour to spare,
        Where the seeds have withered, silent children shivered, in the cold
        Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold.
        I'll be there
        I'll be there
        I will be there.

        Suffering in silence, they've all been betrayed.
        They hurt them and they beat them, in a terrible way,
        Praying for survival at the end of the day.
        There is no compassion for those who stay.
        I'll be there
        I'll be there
        I will be there.

        There must be someone who can set them free:
        To take their sorrow from this odyssey
        To help the helpless and the refugee
        To protect what's left of humanity.
        Can't you see
        Can't you see
        Can't you see.

        I'll be there
        I'll be there
        I will be there;
        To heal their sorrow
        To beg and borrow
        Fight tommorow.

        Step inside! Hello! We've the most amazing show
        You'll enjoy it all we know
        Step inside! Step Inside!

        We've got thrills and shocks, supersonic fighting cocks.
        Leave your hammers at the box
        Come Inside! Come Inside!
        Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
        See the show!

        Left behind the bars, rows of Bishops' heads in jars
        and a bomb inside a car
        Spectacular! Spectacular!

        If you follow me there's a speciality
        some tears for you to see
        Misery, misery,
        Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
        See the show!

        Next upon the bill in our House of Vaudeville
        We've a stripper in a till
        What a thrill! What a thrill!
        And not content with that, with our hands behind our backs,
        We pull Jesus from a hat,
        Get into that! Get into that!
        Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
        See the show!

      5b. Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression, Part 2

        Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
        We're so glad you could attend
        Come inside! Come inside!
        There behind a glass is a real blade of grass
        be careful as you pass.
        Move along! Move along!

        Come inside, the show's about to start
        guaranteed to blow your head apart
        Rest assured you'll get your money's worth
        The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth.
        You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo.
        You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll ....

        Right before your eyes we pull laughter from the skies
        And he laughs until he cries then he dies then he dies
        Come inside the shows about to start
        Guaranteed to blow your head apart

        You gotta see the show
        It's a dynamo
        You gotta see the show
        It's rock and roll

        Soon the Gypsy Queen in a glaze of Vaseline
        Will perform on guillotine
        What a scene! What a scene!
        Next upon the stand will you please extend a hand
        to Alexander's Ragtime Band
        Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
        See the show!

        Performing on a stool we've a sight to make you drool
        Seven virgins and a mule
        Keep it cool. Keep it cool.
        We would like it to be known the exhibits that were shown
        were exclusively our own,
        All our own. All our own.
        Come and see the show! Come and see the show! Come and see the show!
        See the show!

      5c. Karn Evil 9 - 2nd Impression

        (instrumental)

      5c. Karn Evil 9 - 3rd Impression

        Man alone; born of stone;
        Will stamp the dust of time
        His hands strike the flame of his soul;
        Ties a rope to a tree and hangs the Universe
        Until the winds of laughter blows cold.

        Fear that rattles in men's ears
        And rears it's hideous head
        Dread .... Death .... in the wind ....

        Man of steel pray and kneel
        With fever's blazing torch
        Thrust in the face of the night;
        Draws a blade if compassion
        Kissed by countless Kings
        Whose jewelled trumpet words blind his sight.

        Walls that no man thought would fall
        The altars of the just
        Crushed .... Dust .... in the wind ....

        No man yields who flies in my ship
        DANGER!
        Let the bridge computer speak
        STRANGER!
        LOAD YOUR PROGRAM. I AM YOURSELF.

        No computer stands in my way
        Only blood can cancel my pain
        Guardians of a new clear dawn
        Let the maps of war be drawn.

        Rejoice! Glory is ours!
        Our young men have not died in vain,
        Their graves need no flowers
        The tapes have recorded their names.

        I am all there is
        NEGATIVE! PRIMITIVE! LIMITED! I LET YOU LIVE!
        But I gave you life
        WHAT ELSE COULD YOU DO?
        To do what was right
        I'M PERFECT! ARE YOU?