Also an
epic eighteen minute long B-side by the band
Marillion way back in
1982.
Fish's lyric is told from the
John Gardner book's standpoint of
Grendel itself--seeing the
humans as the
ugly beasts who "
kill their own and feel no shame."
It's trite, pompous, and bombastic, and it's gotten to be great fun at Marillion and Fish gigs to yell out "Grendel!" as a joke, because there's no way either band will ever play the song live again--I think they think of it as an embarassing incident of their youth.
The song was produced by David Hitchcock who also ominiously produced Genesis' "Foxtrot." Many people see a strong resemblance between "Grendel" and Genesis' "Supper's Ready."