Album: Brain Salad Surgery (1973)

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• Do you want to be an angel
  Do you want to be a star
  Do you want to play some magic on my guitar?
  Do you want to be a poet
  Do you want to be my string?
  You could be anything
  Do you want to be the lover of another undercover?
  You could even be the man on the moon
  
  Do you want to be the player
  Do you want to be the string?
  Let me just 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 crystallized
  Still you turn me on
  
  Do you want to be the pillow where I lay my head
  Do you want to be the feathers lying in my bed?
  Do you want to be a color cover magazine
  Create a scene
  Every day a little sadder
  A little madder?
  Someone get me a ladder
  
  Do you want to be the singer
  Do you want to 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 Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

• Cat from UsaI think this song is about a depressed partner of his. Do you want this? Do you want that you can be anything. Every day, a little madder a little sadder someone give me a ladder. She can’t see anything through the dark glass on her eyes. So give me a ladder. It’s so deep I gotta get up.
• Mg Durand from OregonI think it’s probably about girls coming on to him. I’m not what you think I am. Yes, you turn me on but that’s all it is. You want everything from me but your only going to get this little piece and nothing more.
• Ava from Martinsville VirginiaI just recently realized that this beautiful music was from a band I never followed until I watched the video Lucky Man. This beautiful man Greg Lake, I listened to ELP and King Crimson, wow amazing, wonderful, genius, I love it.
• Nick from New York, Ny“Somebody get me a ladder” refers to hitting rock bottom and wanting help to climb out.
• John Davis from Huntsville AlabamaI like the song with the exception of the line, "somebody get me a ladder." I have never seen the relevance of that line other than the fact that it rhymes with madder.
• George from Vancouver, CanadaI think the chorus began as a mini love song to a crush or fan, & they built it out into this full song with a touring motif tying it all together. Either way, so very pleasant to listen to while vegging. . .
• Raymo from NyAs I have sung this many times. The lyrics are basically what it's like to be a rockstar. That's why he said in the interview he loves playing live. Every lyrics has an opposite meaning. Example do you want to be the player or do you want to be my string. So you can go either way Rockstar or fan.
• Slcsf from UsaThe live version recorded at Royal Albert Hall in 1992 is brilliant. RIP Greg and Keith.
• Luis from Madrid, SpainNeil Peart once told a story about how he was riding a limo with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, on their way to playing a Rush show, and this song came up on the radio. At that moment, he felt that they had finally made it as a rock band. (Source: Rush Visions: The Official Biography, by Bill Banasiewicz)
• Zabadak from London, EnglandBeautiful track from the Brain Salad Surgery album.

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