MUSIC COMMENTARY: Yes lyrics

I don't know what it is with people. They seem to think it establishes their "serious reviewer credentials" if they ridicule ostensible ridiculous sounding prog lyrics. Specifically, Jon Anderson's Yes lyrics. And more specifically, the lyrics from the amazing epic tune "Close to the Edge".

For example, some dinkus from Amazon:

"With Anderson the thing is to always enjoy his soaring tenor voice and forget about the inane lyrics; try explaining 'A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace / And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace / And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar / Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour.'"

Okay then, let's look at these lyrics. We will see they really aren't that retarded. They are just weird. Even though they were probably written after a few bong hits, we should be charitable and assume that Anderson did have a specific meaning in mind.

"A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace."

Disgrace is a condition people find themselves from time to time. It is a state of ignorance, sorrow, dishonor, humiliation, or whatever. A witch...well, witches aren't necessarily evil. They are people who can draw upon powers beyond the natural world. Seasoned means to have been around for a while. So, you will be called from the depths of your disgrace, but you will not be taken from it. That's something you have to do yourself.

"And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace."

This is the line for which Yes is most often ridiculed. But it's actually quite smart. What is the liver? Well, one of its functions is the detoxification of drugs, poisons, and endogenous toxins. However, these are physical maladies. There are greater impurities than those of the corporeal form -- like those of the mind and the spirit. Of course, the use of the word "liver" is highly metaphorical here; what's important is that we must purify our minds and spirits. Putting the first two lines together, we see that something will call us, so we can elevate to a state of mental/spiritual grace (which is the opposite of disgrace). (I think the adjective "solid" is just used to aver the strength of the mind.)

"And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar."

What is this "music"? I think Anderson is only using this word in a metaphorical sense. It could be God (afar=not of this world; quickly=through prayer), or it could be some other form of spiritual revelation. Now I'm not sure on Jon Anderson's religious background, but he seemed like a pretty new-age-y spiritual fellow, so I think this makes sense. In any case, this line tells us that spiritual revelation, divine or otherwise, is the way to rise above the depths of disgrace. Another interesting point is music "came," not music "comes." This implies that this spiritual strength has been here all along for those who wish to seek it.

"Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour."

Fruit...that's something we produce; it's the results of our efforts. Depending on where you see the song going from here, you might think that this fruit of man is virtues like love, benevolence, compassion...you know, all that good stuff. Unfortunately, many people have lost touch with virtues. There are many morally gray people in today's world. But rising up from the depths of our disgrace, we can again taste the righteousness of man's life. So without some kind of spiritual epiphany, we cannot get back on the right path.

That's my take on those four lines. There's so much more depth to the lyrics of this song, and I'd like to share it, but I don't have the time nor the space with the 1,000 word limitation. But hopefully this little review has given some of you something to think about -- hopefully you're reconsidering the idea that Yes' trippy lyrics have no value beyond their sound.

"Close to the Edge"'s music is brilliant; it's absolutely brimming with tasteful complexity. Yet the composition works harmoniously to express the song's deeper meaning. Note how the song is cyclical (which corresponds with the "Seasons Of Man" theme), and the music moves from the oh-so-chaotic opening to a more melodious arrangement. The concord between music and lyrics is part of what scores the album five stars. Were it to only consist of the title track, it's still enough to qualify for the highest rating possible here at Amazon. "Close to the Edge"'s lyrics may be "inane," but they are still better than your average crap rock lyrics.