Story Behind The Song

The repetitive, bluesy riff in Taboos made it relatively quick to write and also allowed for a pretty long lyric sheet as the musical phrases could easily be lengthened to accommodate. But in keeping with the idea that prog music is something you can't comfortably dance to I insisted on putting in a bridge that defied the rest of the song and it toe-tapping groove. The spacey tone is the most obvious change, but the drum rhythm, while still in four-four time gives and angular texture to the whole section as do the irregularly spaced chord changes. While the tempo never actually changes throughout the double-time feel of the solo gives a great sense of motion as it resolves into the original laid back pattern of the intro and verses. The lyrics were a bit tricky as it was very easy to fall into a "pro tradition" or "pro progressive" voice when I was trying to present the subject more dispassionately as a perpetual tug-of-war between those two positions. Ultimately each age in a society has to reach their own balance point about acceptable behavior, and keep reaching it over and over. I just couldn't resist the rhyme for the title.

Song Description

How does a society decide what are acceptable social topics and behavior?

Lyrics

Each younger generation
Suspects the one before
Crushing creativity
As they close the future's door

Generational dysfunction
What's alright to see and do
Leaves a gap that can't be covered
From the old to what is new

Change keeps coming ever faster
In this manic, modern life
Can't slow down, can't turn back
So the norm becomes our strife

On the painful point of conflict
Letting go seems so absurd
"When we spent an entire lifetime
Just avoiding dirty words"

(staccato chords)
A culture at war or inevitable change?
Progress to some is to others deranged

Governing baser instincts
Allows society to stand
But when you're over-controlling
It will all get out of hand

Do you believe in absolutes?
Who would dare to decide?
That's imposing your morals
Freedom's promise is defied

No retarding the progress
Of the artistic urge
The grating song of the censor
Is a funeral dirge

Won't you always be cool?
Change so easy to face
But as the old guard passes
Youth grow up to take their place

(staccato chords)
A culture at war or inevitable change?
Progress to some is to others deranged


Charting the pulse of social flux
Chaos or order, one's perspective's the crux
Your ideology at stake, there's no ignoring the call
To fight on or fight back when the next taboo falls

SOLO

Can we ever strike a balance?
For we don't know where it ends
Should we make rules to be broken
Or should they be made to bend?

Needing scrupulous revision
Blending old in with the new
Perhaps the toughest thing to balance
Redefining our taboos

Redefining our taboos