The Prophecies of Jethro Tull

I was re-listening to "Thick as a Brick" tonight and it dawned on me that the complex, at times bizarre lyrics of Jethro Tull's concept album are perhaps as illuminating as the famous quatrains of Nostradomus.  

Preposterous? Consider these lyrics.

"You curl your toes in fun as you smile at everyone -- you meet the stares

You're unaware that your doings aren't done.

And you laugh most ruthlessly as you tell us what not to be.

But how are we supposed to see where we should run?"

Does this passage foretell the Presidency of George W. Bush? You be the judge of that..

Or perhaps, consider these lyrics:

"I see you shuffle in the court room with your rings upon your fingers

And your downy little sidies, and silver buckle shoes

Playing at the hard case, you follow the example

of the comic paper writers who let you bend the rules"

Could this passage foretell the legal fight over the Coleman-Frankin election? I think that answer is evident to all who ponder this verse.

One of most revealing prophesies lies in these lyrics:

"So come on you childhood heroes!

Won't your rise up from the pages 

of the comic books you sold for crooks 

and show us all the way.

Well! Make your will and testament

Won't you join your local government?

We'll have Superman for President

let Robin save the day".

This passage clearly predicts the emergence of the relatively unknown Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate (note the reference to childhood heroes - she was a beauty pageant contestant) and served in local government. Coincidence? I think not! The passage then goes on to predict with startling clarity the election of Barrack Obama (the reference to estate planning continues to evade me, however).

As for Jethro Tull's prediction of the on-going housing crisis, consider this toothsome passage:

"So come all ye young men who are building castles!

Kindly state the time of the year and join your voices in the hellish chorus

Mark the precise nature of your fear.

Let me help you pick up your dead as the sins of the fathers

are fed with the blood of the fools and the thoughts of the wise

and from the pan under your bed".

Finally, ponder this mysterious passage:

"The Poet and the Painter casting shadows on the water

as the sun plays on the infantry returning from the sea

The do-er and the thinker; no allowance for the other

as the failing light illuminates the mercenaries creed."

This passage is one of the most fascinating because it clearly foretells something that has not happened yet, which makes it all the more mysterious. I am watching the papers from now on for something that might fit into this imagery, because I know it's a comin'. Perhaps a missing person story or something...

So there you have it. Pretty solid evidence that Jethro Tull accurately predicted many current events years before they came to pass.  

And if you are wondering, while this is fairly satirical, I am only half kidding about this.