Epitaph (song)

"Epitaph"
Song

"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.

Punk label Epitaph Records is named after this song.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer would later incorporate an excerpt from this song into the live version of their song "Battlefield", 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"