Hey, sitting on a park bench
Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Snot's running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes
Oh, Aqualung
He's drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run
Hey, Aqualung
Feeling like a dead duck
Spitting out pieces of his broken luck
Yeah, Aqualung
Sun streaking cold
An old man wandering lonely
Taking time the only way he knows
Leg hurting bad
As he bends to pick a dog-end
When he goes down to the bog
And warms his feet
Feeling alone
The army's up the road
Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung, my friend
Don't you start away uneasy
You poor old sod
Oh you see, it's only me
Do you still remember
December's foggy freeze
When the ice that
Clings onto your beard was
Screaming agony? Hey!
And you snatch your rattling last breaths
With deep-sea diver sounds
And the flowers bloom like
Madness in the spring
Sun streaking cold
An old man wandering lonely
Taking time the only way he knows
Leg hurting bad
As he bends to pick a dog-end
He goes down to the bog and warms his feet
Ohh
Feeling alone
The army's up the road
Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung, my friend
Don't you start away uneasy
You poor old sod
You see, it's only me
Ohh
Dee dee dee dee
Dee dee, dee dee, dee dee dee
Dee dee, dee dee dee
Dee dee, dee dee
Aqualung, my friend
Don't you start away uneasy
Oh you poor old sod
You see, it's only me
Oh you know, it's only me
Sitting on a park bench
Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Snot's running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes
Oh, Aqualung
He's drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run
Oh, Aqualung
Feeling like a dead duck
Spitting out pieces of his broken luck
Hey, Aqualung
Whoa, Aqualung
About This Song
"Aqualung" is a haunting social commentary that presents the disturbing portrait of a homeless vagrant through vivid, uncomfortable imagery that forces listeners to confront society's outcasts. The song explores themes of mental illness, social alienation, and the dehumanizing effects of poverty, painting its protagonist as both predatory and pitiable-a complex figure who evokes simultaneous revulsion and sympathy. Musically, the track showcases Jethro Tull's distinctive blend of hard rock and progressive folk, featuring Ian Anderson's aggressive flute work alongside heavy guitar riffs that shift between menacing verses and more melodic interludes. The song's unflinching examination of an uncomfortable subject matter, combined with its dynamic musical arrangements, established it as one of the band's most powerful and enduring works. Its raw honesty about society's forgotten individuals made it a landmark in early 1970s rock, demonstrating how music could tackle difficult social issues without offering easy answers.
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