I guess it was somewhere during my first time in Monterey (over 40 years ago now) that I first heard the group “Yes.” They were good — interesting, musically. I still like to listen to them. But today I realized something quite obvious about them. In a lot of their songs, their lyrics make no sense. Maybe it’s the new age feel. Probably it was the drugs. In any case, I’m going to give you a sample for you to decide:
A man conceived a moment's answer to the dream
Staying the flowers daily, sensing all the themes
As a foundation left to create the spiral aim
A movement regained and regarded both the same
All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you
Changed only for a sight of sound, the space agreed
Between the picture of time behind the face of need
Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid
Emotions revealed as the ocean maid
All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you
...
And so on…
The thing is, it’s still an incredible song, even if the lyrics make little sense. It soars. It dances. It gets quirky. It’s over 10 minutes long. Sheesh, they don’t make them like this anymore.
Here’s a surprisingly decent live performance of “And You and I,” originally from the album Close to the Edge. Decide for yourselves here too then…