Epitaph (song)

"Epitaph"
Song by King Crimson from the album In the Court of the Crimson King
Released	October 12, 1969
Recorded	July 30, 1969
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	8:47
Label	Atlantic
Writer	Peter Sinfield
Composer	Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, Michael Giles
Producer	King Crimson
In the Court of the Crimson King track listing
"21st Century Schizoid Man" "I Talk to the Wind" "Epitaph" "Moonchild" "The Court of the Crimson King"
King Crimson singles chronology "The Night Watch" (1974) "Epitaph" / "21st Century Schizoid Man" (1976) "Matte Kudasai" (1981)

"Epitaph" (from the Greek word Epitaphios - Επιτάφιος) is the third track from the British progressive rock band King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King.

The song makes heavy use of the mellotron, and as with the first track, "21st Century Schizoid Man", the song's lyrics have a distinctly dystopian feel to them.

The song's title was used as the name for a live album of recordings done by the original King Crimson, Epitaph.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer would later incorporate an excerpt from this song after the "Battlefield" portion of the live version of their song Tarkus, from the Tarkus album.

Personnel

• Robert Fripp - guitar
• Greg Lake - bass guitar, vocals
• Ian McDonald - harpsichord, mellotron, reeds and woodwind
• Michael Giles - drums, percussion

1976 single

In 1976, Epitaph/21st Century Schizoid Man, a single released, a companion to the compilation A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson (1976).

Track listing

1. "Epitaph" (Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield)

   including:

   • "March for No Reason"
   • "Tomorrow and Tomorrow"

2. "21st Century Schizoid Man" (Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, Sinfield)

   including:

   • "Mirrors"