 The Yes Album (1971) [ larger cover art ] |
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'''I. Life Seeker'''
Sister bluebird flying high above
Shine your wings forward to the sun
Hide the myst'ries of life on your way
Though you've seen them, please don't say a word
What you don't know, I have never heard
Starship trooper, go sailing on by
Catch my soul, catch the very light
Hide the moment from my eager eye
Though you've seen them, please don't tell a soul
What you can't see, can't be very whole
Speak to me of summer
Long winters longer than time can remember
The setting up of other roads
To travel on in old accustomed ways
I still remember the talks by the water
The proud sons and daughter
That knew the knowledge of the land
Spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways
Mother life, hold firmly on to me
Catch my knowledge higher than the day
Lose as much as only you can show
Though you've seen me, please don't say a word
What I don't know, I have never shared
'''II. Disillusion'''
Loneliness is a power that we possess to give or take away forever
All I know can be shown by your acceptance of the facts there shown before you
Take what I say in a different way and it's easy to say that this is all confusion
As I see a new day in me, I can also show it you and you may follow
Speak to me of summer
Long winters longer than time can remember
The setting up of other roads
To travel on in old accustomed ways
I still remember the talks by the water
The proud sons and daughter
That knew the knowledge of the land
Spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways
'''III. Würm'''
''(instrumental)''
| Poacher (Brighton, UK) | Posted: Apr 24, 2013 - 02:57 I recently downloaded the entire Yes discovery and had a Prog Rock weekend (much to the amusement of Mrs Poacher). I could not find any loons or tie die tshirts hidden in the wardrobe though. However, it was interesting that I listened to a couple of Yes Albums I had not heard for over 40 years - and I found myself remembering the words. Compare that with sometimes not remembering where I parked my car. . . short term memory loss. . . must be something to do with the tea I am drinking or something. Anyway, this track in particular has been an anthem for me for most of my life and still hits the spot. Hurrah for RP! |
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 16:00 big stud Romeo Tuma wrote: This is as good as it gets... love this song, and this whole phenomenal album...  this song is marvelous... |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 15:42 gjeeg wrote: This was the start of The Shift. Life changed. 1971. Play it at my funeral too. "Mother Life confirming unto me..." Unexpected Genius. (Was fortunate to see them live; November 1971. NYC Academy of Music. Blew the house away. Triple bill: with King Crimson and Procol Harem. I was seventeen years old.) Would have loved to see that triple bill! Sweet. Only managed to see King Crimson in Ottawa when Fripp was in his shredding wall-paper stage and I was unfamiliar with the music.
For fans of the old King Crimson, please do give Steven Wilson's Raven that refused to sing CD a listen or two. |
| jchap5 (Just Short of the Rainbow) | Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 15:39 kojiroh wrote: I'm glad this is the long version, not the crap one that misses the most important part of the song. exactly! |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 15:38 If I recall this was the Yes gateway song. ST has survived well over the years. But then I'm an unabashed fan since a young age. Since this came out. |
| Highspirits (a sunny place) | Posted: Mar 23, 2013 - 15:37 gjeeg wrote: This was the start of The Shift. Life changed. 1971. Play it at my funeral too. "Mother Life confirming unto me..." Unexpected Genius. (Was fortunate to see them live; November 1971. NYC Academy of Music. Blew the house away. Triple bill: with King Crimson and Procol Harem. I was seventeen years old.) loved your comment. that was a big year for me, too and found this album while living in Italy for the summer. and i've loved Yes ever since. Chris's bass and Howe's guitar is outstanding |
| Rotterdam | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 05:11 catnip wrote: I used to be a great fan of Yes... but 25 years or more along the line I have to admit that apart from the most excellent instrumental outro, the rest of the song really is turgid crap. I mean, honestly, utter rubbish. I don't agree at all with your comments, although I love your use of words. I love the vocals and the chord changes, and this song has not aged for me. To each his own... |
| bobzane | Posted: Feb 20, 2013 - 05:11 I have become the guy who says "I saw Yes open for Tull in '71." May the gods have mercy on my soul. |
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: Jan 19, 2013 - 21:16 Volume is wayyyy up... everybody in my church loves this song, and this whole phenomenal album... |
| catnip (mostly wearing lard) | Posted: Dec 19, 2012 - 12:52 I used to be a great fan of Yes... but 25 years or more along the line I have to admit that apart from the most excellent instrumental outro, the rest of the song really is turgid crap. I mean, honestly, utter rubbish. |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Dec 19, 2012 - 12:49 I've always had a love/not-like-very-much relationship with prog as a genre and Yes in particular. But, in addition to Howe's guitar, the vocals on this are amazing. |
| neuticle (fog fog fog) | Posted: Dec 19, 2012 - 12:46 I was feeling generous, gave it a 2. This is lame..IMO |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Dec 19, 2012 - 12:46 The best thing I can say for Yes is.......they are not as bad as ELP. 3 |
| MassivRuss (Massachusetts) | Posted: Dec 19, 2012 - 12:43     |
| BigIslandBlues | Posted: Oct 17, 2012 - 19:31 Yes - that is one great song with some very tasty guitar served up by Steve Howe. |
| linzie | Posted: Oct 17, 2012 - 19:24 YES-sir |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Oct 17, 2012 - 19:20 This song is soooo good it puts a spring in my step this autumn evening... |
| kojiroh (Istanbul, Turkey) | Posted: Sep 16, 2012 - 06:08 I'm glad this is the long version, not the crap one that misses the most important part of the song. |
| coding_to_music (Beantown) | Posted: Aug 15, 2012 - 18:40 Um, heaven |
| jchap5 (West Chester, Ohio) | Posted: Aug 15, 2012 - 18:39 This is forever linked to Frank Herbert's "Dune". Read the book while wearing out every Yes LP I owned. |
| tutakea | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 08:16 yes! one of the best prog-songs, ever... imho, there are a lot of YES songs that did not age too well. especially when they overdo those wakeman-synthi-and-organ-things. but when they are loud and DIRTY (like here) they sound astonishingly new... |
| johnjconn (chicago land) | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 08:11 Thanks for playing this I forgot how great this song is. Talented musicians, |
| gjeeg (Syracuse, New York) | Posted: Jul 15, 2012 - 08:08 This was the start of The Shift. Life changed. 1971. Play it at my funeral too. "Mother Life confirming unto me..." Unexpected Genius. (Was fortunate to see them live; November 1971. NYC Academy of Music. Blew the house away. Triple bill: with King Crimson and Procol Harem. I was seventeen years old.) |
| Euskadita (MX) | Posted: May 12, 2012 - 21:31 Bill, Glad that you play some classic progressive rock, we need more in RP!!! |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: May 12, 2012 - 21:28 This is as good as it gets... love this song, and this whole phenomenal album... |
| prophetzarquon (woodstock 1969) | Posted: Apr 11, 2012 - 04:27 Propayne wrote: I wish Bruford would come out of retirement. Not sure Bill would agree he has retired. He just realised that his interests are more in jazz and is still gigging with his own band. Oh, and a 10 for almost anything YES have done (except tobys topographic go kart) |
| Hans_Heintz | Posted: Apr 11, 2012 - 04:25 If you make a bombastic song at least do it with a low pitched voice :P |
| jt1 | Posted: Apr 11, 2012 - 04:23 dscbuck wrote: I want this played at my funeral. Always awesome. You're planning on a very long funeral? |
| dscbuck | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 13:24 I want this played at my funeral. Always awesome. |
| russellkanning (Grafton, NH - NHfree.com) | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 12:42 cool just a little bit different  |
| pinem (Chattanooga Tn) | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 12:42 For me, the end makes it what it is- a classic |
| GeneP59 (On the edge of tomorrow looking back at yesterday.) | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 12:39 ScottFromWyoming wrote: I see I've never rated this one. Now I have. Rated it one.  Only al qaeda would rate this a one. Are you from al qaeda? Are you really ScottFromWyoming? Is it really your birthday today? These and many more questions to be answered in a lifetime near you. |
| Troutnskibum | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 12:37 Steve Howe is friggin' amazing.... Quite possibly the first song I ever fell in love with... |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 12:36 Unqualified 10 here. |
| lshinkawa (Berkeley, CA) | Posted: Mar 10, 2012 - 12:34 Always have time for a little "yes' |
| ScottFromWyoming (Powell) | Posted: Feb 07, 2012 - 19:39 I see I've never rated this one. Now I have. Rated it one. |
| gemtag (Texas) | Posted: Feb 07, 2012 - 19:31 ausgezeichnet |
| kurtster (Back in Ohiya, for now ...) | Posted: Feb 07, 2012 - 19:31 9 to 10 It still sounds great ... |
| cohifi (Denver) | Posted: Feb 07, 2012 - 19:30 SinisterDexter wrote: Song, book, movie - all great in their own ways. How often does that happen? The first rock show I ever fell asleep at.......Ahhhhh, memories |
| wirefixer (Fullerton, CA) | Posted: Feb 07, 2012 - 19:29 Yes! |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Feb 07, 2012 - 19:26 absolutely marvelous... love it... |
| SinisterDexter | Posted: Dec 06, 2011 - 05:08 Phlegmaticman wrote: Harder to dance to than some other songs, isn't it.  |
| SinisterDexter | Posted: Dec 06, 2011 - 05:07 Song, book, movie - all great in their own ways. How often does that happen? |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:12 Yes was always best for this listener when he was stone-cold sober straight.
This song always has me looking at Greenland and then the Hardangervidda plateau from a few kilometres in the air. |
| Cynaera (In a hammock under my own vine and fig tree.) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:11 Monkeysdad wrote: Sometimes the 3rd spin does wonders!  Yep - totally agree! I think I learned to appreciate Yes more after I was out of high school. I used to buy their albums for the cool Roger Dean cover art, but never listened to the music. I'm glad I gave them that third chance!  |
| unclehud (300 feet above the planet) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:10 rp1125 wrote: don't remember this being so endless...must have been stoned Maybe so. Lots of us were back then. And I'm listening REALLY HARD this time to make sure there is an end ... maybe there isn't; I can't remember. |
| jr2571 (NYC) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:10 LPCity wrote: Sorry, even though I was in high school when Yes was at their most popular, I never could get into them. Even many year later when I've come to appreciate classic bands such as Zepplin that I never really dug the first time around, Yes has never done anything for me. While I want to give everyone their chance at expressing opinions, I do think that the above commenter needs to be banned. Evidence your honor: "Even many year later when I've come to appreciate classic bands such as Zepplin that I never really dug the first time around." Not embracing the musical genius, power and skill of Led Zeppelin the first time around does not sit well with me. |
| Baketown (Maryland) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:09 Yep, Great Song and Album! |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:09 dmax wrote: It's so weird how Howe became a prog rock god with that clunky style of playing. Absolutely not grunge or perfect or linear cool like Fripp. Instead it's awkward and chunky and tentative, and way way cool. Yes, totally cool. The odd time I hear a Howe-like lick in Porcupine Tree's material, it always brings a warm smile to my face. |
| Phlegmaticman (270 miles south of Paradise, CA) | Posted: Nov 04, 2011 - 14:08 Harder to dance to than some other songs, isn't it. romeotuma wrote: Everybody in my hotel room loves this song... |