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Throughout the years there has been a lot of debate as to whether Yes lyrics mean something or not. Anderson many times has stated that he just wrote whatever came to his head, usually looking for the rhythm in the words and not so much the meaning. However, (and this is a very personal opinion, although shared by many), I believe that when artists create their work under a state of profound inspiration, they are in tune with the Superior Intelligence of the universe, and may end up acting as proficient scribes.

Sometimes, they may not be aware of the underlying wisdom that impregnates their work. For example, there are countless works by masters in music, literature or sculpture that follow the Golden Ratio with amazing precision. Some were aware of this mystical proportion and built their work around it, but many others were not. In fact, I would suspect that some had never heard about it.

I believe that the coherent analysis done, among others, by Pastor Ahyh and John Covach (just to mention 2 main sources of this program) indicate that there is much more in the lyrics than just “good sounding words” put together. In fact, Jon Anderson admits that possibility when quoted in Dan Hedges Yes Biography:

In the Resources section you will find links and references to books where Anderson lyrics are analyzed. Instead of trying to compare and reconcile so many different interpretations, I will refer to the overall directions that these lyrics tend to point to, and its relationship to the music:

The piece represents the cyclic nature of all existence by way of a very effective resource: the song begins and ends with nature sounds and the beginning and ending keys are related in such a way that you could put the repeat function in your CD player and the song could loop indefinitely in a seamless way. The lyrics reinforce this idea in numerous instances, but for our analysis, it is enough to look at what we find behind this simple phrase: I Get Up, I Get Down. This is the only phrase included in all 4 sections of the song. It is the closing phrase in the A sections and the focal point of the lyrics and music in section B. The fact that all A sections finish with this phrase is significant.

As we saw in the first part of the program, sections A present a sort of “metrical dispute”. In A, the rhythm section first dilutes the 12/8 rhythm played by the melody and sitar, in A’ a more profound metrical confusion is achieved by overlapping out of sync meters. In A’’, the bass line is trimmed on purpose in order to go in sync with the rest of the band. They finally achieve what we could call a sort of rhythmic harmony.

In my opinion, this is the musical representation of what is being expressed in the lyrics. For the sake of this argument, consider the rhythmic section to represent the physical aspect of our being, and the harmonies and melodies, the spiritual one.

Before starting section A, out of the nature sounds emerge a very chaotic musical passage. Full of dynamism and nerve. There seems to be a consensus that this introduction seems to portray the beginning of life on Earth. This chaos is suddenly interrupted three times by an “Ah”. The last “Ah” directly leads to the CTE main theme, which in turn leads to section A.

My interpretation is that the interruption of this chaos by the “Ah”, represents the first instances of men sensing the transcendent nature of their beings. That there is more to life than molecules and synapsis.

I Get Up, I Get Down represent the contrast that gives rise to life. Up/Down, Day/light, Yin/Yang, and as Pastor Ahyh rightly says, the list could go on forever. Life portrayed as a never ending and expansive cycle. By the way, this vision of life – ever expanding cycles to form an evolutionary spiral – is the central idea behind Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha.

Based on this interpretation, we can revisit the song structure, still looking at it from its original configuration of 4 parts:

1. The Solid Time of Change – Section A – Summer
   From chaos – as represented in the Introduction – Man appears in the Earth and makes its first attempts at reconciling the physical and spiritual aspects of his existence. But this is just a first attempt. Evolution still has a long way:
   After the phrase “I Get Up, I Get Down” Anderson warns: “Not right away”…..The rhythm section and the melodies in the verse are syncopated. Both aspects of our dual being – physical and spiritual – are not in harmony.
2. Total Mass Retain – Section A’ – Fall
   Man confronts the physical aspect of its existence:
   “Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see
   As armored movers took approach to overlook the sea.
   There since the cord, the license or the reasons we don’t understand, will be”
   The rhythm section and melodies are out sync. Our physical and spiritual aspects are out of sync.
3. I Get Up I Get Down – Section B – Winter
   This passage represents the emergence of spiritual awareness, and looks at the state of mankind from a spiritual perspective.
4. Seasons of Man – Section A’’ – Spring
   Finally, we come to terms with our True Self. We “understand it all”. This is represented in 8 verses, packed with profound mystical content.
   The rhythm section and melodies in the verse all play, for the first time, in the same time signature. Finally, both aspects of our being are in harmony.

We can regroup these sections in 2 major evolutionary phases:

A – Initial physical manifestation and, through expanding cycles, start of the spiritual awareness
B – Spiritual Awakening and, through expanding cycles, Enlightenment.

This is way I said in Program I that a structure based in 2 parts yields a better musical representation of the lyrics. Using this structure, it is clearer to see that the instrumental interlude that precedes the Bridge (section B when using the AABA structure) is really the Introduction to the second part of the piece.

This Introduction has a very different character. Where the initial Intro depicted chaos, this Intro depicts quite the opposite – a sonic landscape that soothes and calms. Intro 1 is the noise of Ego and the material aspect of existence. Intro 2 is the spiritual realm, where Inner Peace reigns.

Based on this two-part structure, let’s look at these sections in more detail:

Initial Physical Manifestation and Start of Spiritual Awareness

The Solid Time of Change (Summer)

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace
And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace

An evolved soul can help you move from your current perspective – physical manifestation – to spiritual awareness. I claim that this piece is an attempt to do just that, through music:

And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar
Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour.

Far from collective enlightenment, mankind’s Ego is in charge. Under its influence, manifested through greed, fear, and selfishness, we build weapons, we cheat, hate and steal.

And assessing points to nowhere leading every single one

Guided by our minds, our ego, we fall into this rat-race (what the Hindus call “Maya”) moving onwards at great speed but not really knowing where to….

A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun

… and yet, if we were to stop for a minute, we could see the Truth in a simple dewdrop

and take away the plane in which we move and choose the course you’re running

And with this understanding, we could jump out of the rat-race and choose our own course. Follow our dreams. Craft our destiny.

And we are inextricably headed in the direction of illumination, but not right away…

down at the edge, round by the corner / Not right away / Not right away / Close to the edge, down by a river / Not right away / Not right away

The next verses correspond to the Bridge of section A:

Crossed a line around the changes of the summer

The first section of CTTE represents summer. The line represents the first steps taken toward the edge. The commencement of the spiritual journey begins here.

Reaching out to call the color of the sky

I reach out to look for the truth behind the reality that we see

Passed around a moment clothed in mornings faster than we see

And had a first glimpse of revelation – awareness of Eternity

Getting over all the time I had to worry

And this glimpse makes me realize that my worries are just a waste of time and energy

Leaving all the changes far from far behind

We need not worry about the past. The only reality is here and now.

We relieve the tension only to find out the Master’s name

And under the state of this glimpse of enlightenment, we sense the overwhelming presence of God…

Down at the end / Round by the corner / Close to the Edge / Just by the river

… and that, like the river that dissolves in the sea, you are One with God.

Seasons will pass you by

If we can focus our attention on the Eternal, we can see life go by from a state of profound serenity.

I Get Up, I Get Down

But before reaching that state, we must experience contrast, expanding cycles, happiness and sorrow.

Now that it’s all over and done / Now that you find, now that you’re whole

So, having this glimpse is enough? Have we already reached the end of the road? Not quite…

Total Mass Retain (Autumn)

This section represents men transit from its current state to collective spiritual enlightenment. It begins with the strongest metrical dispute, with the rhythmic section out of sync with the melody and the sitar.

My eyes convinced, eclipsed with the younger moon attained with love

For the sake of this interpretation, let’s equate sun with “Light – Enlightenment” and moon with its opposite “darkness – ego”. These moon attributes can be related to our understanding of reality through physical means – our mind and senses. We were given these cognitive and sensorial abilities with Love, as our tools to interact with the physical realm and allow God to manifest through us.
My glimpse is eclipsed by my constant interaction with the physical realm.

It changed as almost strained, amidst clear manna from above

This glimpse of enlightenment disappears under the strain of routine and mass manipulation, but we are still connected to the Whole

I crucified my hate and held the word within my hand

Blinded by ego, I bury my spirit and exalt reason. I am Nietzsche’s Superman.

There is you, the time, the logic, or the reasons we don’t understand

And as a result, all I see is my physical body, the relentless passage of time, my mind, and the mysteries for which sooner or later I will find a logical explanation.

Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see.
As armored movers took approach to overlook the sea.

And this limited perception of our existence, gives rise to all the misery we see around us.

There since the cord, the license, or the reasons we don’t understand, will be

However, the license (our free will) and the mysteries, have been, are and will always be.

Down at the edge close by a river, Close to the Edge round by the corner / Close to the edge, down by the corner, down at the edge, `round by the river

We continue to move forward, no matter how lost in the maze, through ever expanding cycles, towards enlightenment.

The Bridge in A’ expands on this idea. That no matter how lost we seem to be, we, as magnificent immortal beings, are always within reach of our spiritual aspect.

Sudden call shouldn’t take away the startled memory

You can reach upwards, in spite of your misdoings in the past. You cannot deny your past experience because it is what has brought you to this point.

All in all the journey takes you all the way

No matter what you do, you will ultimately reach Realization.

As apart from any reality that you have ever seen and known

Reaching planes of existence beyond our wildest imagination.

Guessing problems only to deceive the mention

In reality, there are no problems. Problems arise as soon as we interpret the physical realm with which we interact. We create problems, deceiving the mention: The Truth of Who we Really Are..

Passing paths that climb halfway into the void

In this article I consider the idea of God creating a subset of what He is, in order to create contrast and manifest life. Thus, this physical manifestation the we call Universe, as vast as it is, is not all that God is. The Hindus refer to this idea of “God before God manifested”, as Naguna Brahmin. When we reach enlightenment, we attain the nature of God Manifested. Not the totality of Him. We climb halfway into the void. For an extended discussion on this I refer you again to Pastor Ahyh’s article

As we cross from side to side we hear the total mass retain

As we evolve, we start to perceive the totality – we go beyond the perception that we are individual isolated beings (Maya – the delusion). We understand and feel One with all physical manifestation. That the total mass in the Universe is constant, and we, as a drop in the ocean, just change states. Our essence is immutable.

Down at the edge, round by the corner, Close to the End, down by a river

We continue our Journey, finding God at every instance of the way…

Seasons will pass you by

And as immortal beings, seasons will pass us by …

I get up, I get down

… as we continue to interact with this physical realm, allowing God to manifest through us.

Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment

I Get Up I Get Down (Winter)

The extensive analysis done by Pastor Ahyh of this section, can be synthesized this way. I will use his interpretation of the lyrics, to support this analysis.

A first group of lyrics meditate on the current state of affairs

In her white lace she could clearly see

she – Mankind – dressed in a white lace.

The lady sadly looking saying that she’d take the blame

The lady – Mother Nature

For the crucifixion of her own domain

mankind’s destruction of the planet

In the principal theme, Anderson sings:

2 million people barely satisfy

human slaughter throughout the ages is never enough

200 women watch one woman cry
Too late

a small subset of mankind is aware of what is going on and watches, in sadness, how Mother Nature has been profaned

In the secondary theme, the backing vocals sing:

Through the duty she would coil their said amazement of her story
Asking only interest could be laid upon the children of her domain

Quoting Pastor Ahyh: Mother Nature is taking the amazed interest of these small remnants, the 200, and asking that they not be so concerned with nature herself, but with nature’s children. Because, ultimately, the Earth will survive, nature will survive.

While Anderson sings the main theme and says:

The eyes of honesty can achieve

Though small in number, you remnants can guide mankind to enlightenment

How many millions do we deceive each day?

You can open the eyes of those millions of people who are being manipulated

A second group of lyrics look for an answer

In charge of who is there in charge of me
Do I look on blindly and say I see the way?

Hello, you, whoever you are, in charge of whoever is in charge of me, what is the truth?! Should I move forward blindly? What is the Truth? Why are we here?

The truth is written all along the page

This is the profound answer: Truth is staring at you from the beginning of time…

How old will I be before I come of age for you?

Through expanding cycles, you increase your awareness until you finally reach a point where Truth is comprehended – revealed

I Get Up – I Get Down

We continue our voyage through expanding cycles, experiencing contrast, exaltation and sorrow, always leading towards Realization

After a long instrumental development we finally reach Seasons of Man – Spring.

Seasons of Man (Spring)

Some of Pastor Ahyh’s interpretation are, in my humble opinion, a bit too far stretched, however, I think his interpretation of this first 4 verses, is very accurate:

Finally, man reconciles the two aspects of his being – physical and spiritual – and this is represented musically by trimming the bass figure so finally the “metric dispute” is resolved. This is simply amazing.

Let’s examine these verses in more detail:

The time between the notes relates the color to the scenes

Believe it or not, there is a direct correspondence between a scene in the movie “Matrix” and a profound metaphysical concept. Remember at the end of the movie, Neo finally sees the Matrix as what it is – just a pattern of bits – and that is when he can transcend the limitations of the program. This is equivalent to the profound revelation of seeing our reality, all physical entities, as just different patterns of vibration. The physical world is some sort of sophisticated mirage, so that we – in essence spiritual beings with no mass – can interact with other beings and evolve. As vibrating entities, we oscillate – are created and destroyed – millions of times per second. It happens so fast that we cannot perceive it – much like we cannot perceive each photogram in a movie. So, in a physical sense, we are and cease to be constantly (like notes and silences between them), creating an entity (color) that interacts with our physical environment (the scenes).

The amount of knowledge contained within this verse is astonishing …

A constant vogue of triumphs dislocates man so it seems

Unable to perceive this ultimate reality, we play our game in the Matrix – the “Maya”, and dislocate from the Truth with all our apparent constant vogue of triumphs

And space between the focus shape ascend knowledge of love

And so, we move from moments of exaltation to moments of despair, We Get Up, We Get Down, in ever expanding cycles, and as we do, our true existence comes into focus. Quoting Pastor Ahyh: