Pearls Before Swine were an anti-war folk band from the mid 60’s to the early 70’s. Lead singer Tom Rapp, with his sorrowful, almost biblical voice penned fairy-tale-esque songs using ecclectic instruments and sound effects.

However, it was Tom’s lyrics that were the most effective. In the case of the song “There Was a Man,” from the 1968 album Balaklava, Rapp’s focus is not on the music, per se, but rather, the lyrics. Mixing negative sentiments about the Vietnam War and mystical imagery akin to say, Led Zeppelin, Rapp transports the listener to a surrealistic world as he tells us the cryptic story of a wizard-like character who is weakened by society’s ills.

Download Balaklavia and their other albums at Other Music.

Pearls Before Swine – There Was a Man

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