As mentioned in the FAQ, "Echoes" originally featured a vastly different first verse than the one that got recorded on _Meddle_. Unfortunately, the only recordings we have of this early version of the song are on RoIOs of rather middling sound quality; "Mauerspecte" and "Lost in the Corridors," taken from the June 5th, 1971 Berlin show, and tapes of the June 20th Rome show. Based on these, and on the attempts below, I've worked out my own transcription of the verse, found in the FAQ. But, not wanting to silence the opinions of others (or at least not wanting to do so too obviously!), I thought it would be a good idea to keep these original transcriptions around.

Here then are three attempts to decipher the lyrics to this first verse;

the first by Ray O'Hara, using a Rome recording, and the other two by bear and Gerhard den Hollander (with comments by Piet de Bondt) based on the Berlin show...

Rome June 20, 1971 (Ray O'Hara) Planets meeting face to face While do they ever cry how sweet but friendlessly we might embrace perfect union deep in space And ever might this once relent and give us leave to shine as one but you light here for ever one might ?(1) And in that longing to be one departing summer sound his drum I see you've got to travel on and on and on around the sun

(1) can't make out the 3rd word of this line, it sounded to me like Dave & Rick both sang something different at the same time. Whatever it was, it was unintelligible.

	Berlin June 5, 1971
(bear)	(Gerhard)
Planets sitting face to face	Planets sitting face to face
Sun to the air and land how sweet	bound to the air of life, how sweet
In every single lighting place	in ever single fighting pace
The planet here in dreaming space	the planet here is deep in space
Perfect night this was so grand	Echoes might this once were land
And give us leave to share as one	And give us leave to share as one
Our two lights in the land	Our two lights in the land
For one light can	For one light can
And in that coming to the one	And in that coming to the one
The parting sighs sound as one	The parting sighs sound as one
I see you've got to travel on	I see you've got to travel on
And on and on around the sun.	And on and on around the sun

And here are some additional comments on the Berlin recording, from Piet de Bondt:

1st verse:
- 2nd line:	sun -> run
	land -> round
- 3rd line:	in -> if
3rd verse:
- 2nd line:	sighs sound as one -> song of sound is gone

Matt Denault
August 1st, 1995