Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression

Emerson, Lake, & Palmer. "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression." Brain Salad Surgery. Manticore Records, 1973. Keith Emerson, composer.[1] Also credited: Peter Sinfield. As of 1 April 2023, lyrics available here[2] and with comments, here.[3]

From SongFacts.com, consulted 1 April 2023

This is ELP's most popular song from their most popular album. The song is most commonly interpreted as ELP's take on a shortened history of the world into a futuristic tale. [* * *]

The Second Impression is an instrumental piece (mostly a piano solo), symbolizing the blissful ignorance of humanity towards the impending danger of the conquest of the computers, which culminates in the Third Impression. At this point, the "machines" have concluded their superiority to humanity and begin to take on mankind's necessity to prove their own superiority.[4]

The Wikipedia entry offers three different takes on the song:

The Third Impression continues the story begun in the first, describing a war between humans and computers, which can be interpreted in three different ways. One interpretation gives the victory to the humans, who reimpose their dominion over the computers. The second interpretation allows victory to the computers, claiming that the computers were successful in dominating the humans and let them live only for the sake of gloating. The third interpretation, consistent with Peter Sinfield's original interpretation that "what [Man had] invented ironically takes him over" has humans winning a war with the help of computers, only to find the computers taking over in the moment of victory.[5]

Craig Krstolic (e-mail, 6/28/04, 9:19 AM) says "3rd Impression" "begins with the supremacy of man and the challenge of computers for supremacy, followed by an apocalyptic war," which Erlich infers has no winner.

Craig Krstolic, 28Jun04; RDE, finishing, 1Ap23