And You And I by Yes

Album: Close To The Edge (1972)

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Songfacts®:

Written by band members Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe and Chris Squire, this song runs 10:08 and is divided into four parts:

I) Cord of Life
II) Eclipse
III) The Preacher the Teacher
IV) Apocalypse

A 5:45 edit was released as a single and charted at #42 in the US.
So who is the "you" referred to in this song? In a Songfacts interview with Jon Anderson, he answered: "Probably God. Or it could be we collectively. The audience and I, collectively we look for reality of being a true understanding of the beauty of life. We reach over the rainbow for an understanding of things. You and I climb closer to the light."
Few song titles start with the word "and"; a more logical title would be "You And I." Jon Anderson told us why the conjunction appears at the beginning: "I sang it that way as I was writing it with Steve (Howe) and it just stuck: 'And you and I climb over the sea to the valley.' It's all about the reasons that we have to call our connection with the Divine. So it was something that just rhythmically worked."
Rick Wakeman, who played keyboards on this track, said, "It has different movements which all go into each other. The object was having a piece of music that was everything that the Yes critics hated us for and the Yes fans loved us for, which was emotion."
This was a highlight of the band's live shows, and one of their favorites to play in concert. The Close To The Edge album was conceived with live performance in mind, which was prescient considering they were still performing it more than 40 years later.

They played it start-to-finish along with The Yes Album and Going for the One on a tour that spanned March 2013 - June 2014. When the group resumed touring in July, they once again played the full album, this time along with Fragile.

In our 2014 interview with Chris Squire, he said: "The audiences respond real well to hearing the music in that format. It reminds them of when they first heard probably what was a vinyl album."

Comments: 6

Bill from New Zealand Via BrooklynIt is a old friend that I revisit often
Love this track/lp
Bob Misu from New HampshireNever have such nonsensical lyrics had such an emotional impact. And they flow together so beautifully with the music, which btw, defies all categorization. A song for the ages.
Knowhere from NycI cry every time I here it ............
The greatest musical and lyrical piece of all time, hands down....
Charles from CharlotteNobody to my mind has ever crafted anything in the studio any more perfect than Yes' And You and I. Sheer musical beauty.
Scott from Roseville, CaProbably one of the most romantic progressive rock songs ever written. I remember in concert watching couples hold each other a bit more closely. This was, at least, one of 'their songs'. I love the idea of looking for reasons to call out to one another, at looking for beauty to cherish together, to share. To see life as one, to be with someone who sees things as you do or, at the very least, understands how you see them has got to be one of the major reasons for existing as distinct souls.
Paul from Rothesay, Nb, NbThe beauty that is Yes. Stunning...not much else to say.

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