Jethro Tull Debut New Song ‘Shoshana Sleeping’ + Announce First Album in 18 Years ‘The Zealot Gene’

Folk-prog rock legends Jethro Tull have just announced The Zealot Gene, their first new album in 18 years, and accompanying the album details is the new song "Shoshana Sleeping," which recaptures a great deal of the band's most iconic sounds amid a vast and expansive catalog.

Work on the record began as early as 2017 and, four years later, venerable band leader Ian Anderson has reached the finish line with a 12-track record that is set for a Jan. 28 release on InsideOut Music.

"Shoshana Sleeping," which can be heard below, opens with the distinct flair that should take fans right back to the thick of Tull's early '70s ascent, driven by Anderson's melodic flute playing which comes and goes amid a tug of war-like songwriting affair where delicate guitar textures provide a delicate balance to the band's rousing romps.

Speaking about the lyrical inspiration behind The Zealot Gene, Anderson commented, "While I have a spot of genuine fondness for the pomp and fairytale story-telling of the Holy Book, I still feel the need to question and draw sometimes unholy parallels from the text. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly rear their heads throughout, but are punctuated with elements of love, respect, and tenderness.”

Plans to release the first Jethro Tull album since 2003's The Jethro Tull Christmas Album were derailed by the pandemic. "It was so sudden," said Anderson, "Amidst the concerns and warnings of the scientific community and a few more enlightened politicians, we all retreated in disbelief to our homes to wait out the storm."

Pre-order your copy of The Zealot Gene here and view the album art and track listing toward the bottom of the page.

Jethro Tull, "Shoshana Sleeping" Lyrics

Sleep: the time's not yet
Early birds soon crowing
Wake when dawn declares
Woman risen from childish airs
I watch, across the room
Dancing shadow, torch outside
Lights path down cobbled lane
Which I have walked, will walk again

Sweet field lily, sweet Shoshana
Names to conjure fragrant danger
Fingers tremble, trace the line
From nape to sacrum down the spine

Poisoned prize a trophy
Freely taken, hardly won
A minute, holds back hours
Bud emboldened, forest flowers
Moist under my hand
She sleeps; breath comes quickly
A sigh parts silky lips
Soft-swell breasts, proud golden tips

Sweet field lily, sweet Shoshana
Names to conjure fragrant danger
My fingers tremble, trace the line
From nape to sacrum down the spine

Sweet sadness fills my heart
Offered chances best not taken
Unsullied, no vain glory:
Chapter, verse, another story
Brushed eyelids gently closed
Beauty framed in dawn-light
Savoured moment blessed
A kiss, farewell, and leave to rest

Sweet field lily, sweet Shoshana
Names to conjure fragrant danger
My fingers tremble, trace the line
From nape to sacrum down the spine

Jethro Tull, "Shoshana Sleeping"

Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene Album Art + Track Listing

01. "Mrs. Tibbets" (5:54)
02. "Jacob's Tales" (2:13)
03. "Mine Is The Mountain" (5:40)
04. "The Zealot Gene" (3:54)
05. "Shoshana Sleeping" (3:41)
06. "Sad City Sisters" (3:40)
07. "Barren Beth, Wild Desert John" (3:37)
08. "The Betrayal Of Joshua Kynde" (4:06)
09. "Where Did Saturday Go?" (3:53)
10. "Three Loves, Three" (3:30)
11. "In Brief Visitation" (3:00)
12. "The Fisherman Of Ephesus" (3:41)