| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
The T 
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: October 16 2006
Location: FL, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 17493
|
 Topic: Jon Anderson (Yes) lyrics...
Posted: November 08 2006 at 22:22 |
|
I love Yes and Jon Anderson's vocals (in fact, I can barely hear the otherwise very decent Drama - no Anderson is a No for Yes)... but his lyirics are another matter....I don't know if I'm the only one that at times just can't understand what the **** the british gentleman is (was) talking about.... I know what he's SUPPOSED to be talking about in Tales From T. Oceans, for example....but honestly, I have to concentrate in the music, if I try to read the lyrics I kind of lose it and become uninterested in the sounds.... What is your view of Anderson Lyrics?
|
 |
The Miracle
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 29 2005
Location: hell
Status: Offline
Points: 28427
|
Posted: November 08 2006 at 22:23 |
Very good lyrics, they flow fine with the music, plus he's a great singer. They're not just weird or difficult to get, they're just pure nonsense for the most part 
|
|
|
|
lightbulb_son
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 20 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 965
|
Posted: November 08 2006 at 22:27 |
|
I think they're very good lyrics. At times a tad difficult to grasp, but as a whole, I think he's a very good writer and singer.
|
When the world is sick
Can't no one be well
But I dreamt we were all
beautiful and strong
|
|
one hand clap
Forum Groupie
Joined: May 29 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 60
|
Posted: November 08 2006 at 23:06 |
|
I read an interview with him where he said, for the most part, he just uses words that sound good with the music. The lyrics on Roundabout are a perfect example, or And You And I (Send an instant Karma to me/initial it with loving care complete nonsence). Great voice though.
Edited by one hand clap - November 08 2006 at 23:07
|
|
Ghandi 2
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 17 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1494
|
Posted: November 08 2006 at 23:22 |
|
They're horrible. His inept combination of completely random words pisses me off to no end. That people pretend to think they usually make sense (I do admit that on a few rare occasions they do make sense) is almost as bad.
|
|
Progmanus
Forum Newbie
Joined: October 10 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 24
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 00:00 |
It could be because you have the wrong song. The lyrics you quoted are from "Your Move/I've Seen All Good People" Jon Anderson's lyrics are supposed to make you think. I may mean different things to different people. Go with the flow, he's a masterful singer and an outstanding lyricist. 
|
|
Master of Images, Songs Cast the Light on You...
|
|
Legoman
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 21 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 306
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 00:40 |
|
Seriously, they sound like he thought them up during recess and wrote them on a napkin.
|
|
Australian
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 13 2006
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3278
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 00:45 |
 Legoman wrote:
Seriously, they sound like he thought them up during recess and wrote them on a napkin. |
Honestly, how is that a bad thing?  All good things are created during odd times.
|
|
|
|
enteredwinter
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 05 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 501
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 00:50 |
|
I would have picked "awful and unintelligible" but I think that's a bit harsh, so I didn't pick anything.
As has been said, Anderson all but admits he often wrote gibberish that happened to sound good with the music.
I don't think the lyrics are terrible, but when compared to some of the great prog lyricists (say, Neil Peart for example) that kind of stream-of-consciousness nonsense doesn't hold up.
Edited by enteredwinter - November 09 2006 at 00:50
|
|
Rust
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 14 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1148
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 01:49 |
|
My favorite writer in prog.
|
|
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
Its astart
What we need is awareness we cant get careless
Mental self defensive fitness
Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be
|
|
Ivan_Melgar_M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 19557
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 01:52 |
I wish Yes had been instrumental, love their music but hate Jon's voice and their lyrics are meaningless.
Iván
|
|
|
|
Ivan_Melgar_M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 19557
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 01:54 |
Progmanus wrote:
It could be because you have the wrong song. The lyrics you quoted are from "Your Move/I've Seen All Good People" Jon Anderson's lyrics are supposed to make you think. |
Yes, they make me think what was he smoking when he wrote them.
Iván
|
|
|
|
Abstrakt
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 18 2005
Location: Soundgarden
Status: Offline
Points: 18292
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 02:05 |
|
Decent Lyrics, But Not Great
|
|
lunaticviolist
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 17 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 478
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 02:09 |
|
The lyrics by themselves are terrible, but with the music, they really work.
|
My recent purchases:
|
|
The Whistler
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 30 2006
Location: LA, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 7113
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 02:11 |
|
I dunno...I don't think he's a genius, but I love such wonders as "Shining flying purple wolfhounds."
|
|
"There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson
|
|
video vertigo
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 17 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1930
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 03:18 |
|
I feel like in some songs they may as well be singing giberrish and their is no redeeming value of any kind in the lyrics, vocals are a necessary part to the Yes sound but their is no emphasis on good lyrics whatsoever. Yes lyics are comparable to Can and Magma, vocals are completely necessary but who can actually say they understand the lyrics in any way.
This is not really that bad of a quality, I enjoy Can, Yes in fact I sometimes enjoy exploring music in other languages which I don;t understand.
Yes lyrics are not necessarily "unitelligible" or "awful" but I feel there is no emphasis for the band to have strong lyrics as they place emphasis on instrumentalization and vocals.
|
|
"The rock and roll business is pretty absurd, but the world of serious music is much worse." - Zappa
|
|
R o V e R
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 13 2005
Location: India
Status: Offline
Points: 2747
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 03:20 |
|
About YES
you dont need to know what is the lyrics,
enjoy the song with interesting words,
it suits their music, i love it
dont be critic
|
|
chopper
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 13 2005
Location: Essex, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 20074
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 07:41 |
The thing is that although the lyrics of the so-called "classic" Yes period are generally unintelligible, they fit in with the music perfectly and make it somehow more magical. However taken out of context, they are a bit nonsensical. I recently saw Jon Anderson's solo spot in his show with Rick Wakeman and hearing him singing "Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources" with just a piano sounded ridiculous, yet in the context of the original song, they sound great.
He has freely admitted that he often went for the sound of the words rather than the meaning ("but they're so hard to find in my cosmic mind").
|
|
Ricochet
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 27 2005
Location: Nauru
Status: Offline
Points: 46301
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 07:43 |
|
I don't think Anderson has a bad voice, it's slightly as impulsive and creative as many other vocalist from this great music scape...
as for the lyrics, when the case of good albums and fine intentions, they aren't bad either...
|
|
|
|
Yito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 28 2005
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 145
|
Posted: November 09 2006 at 10:39 |
|
Very good, but not a genius.
|
|
Psalm 96
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
|
|
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
Jon Anderson (Yes) lyrics...
