Does It Really Happen
by Yes

Album: Drama (1980)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • For the Drama album, Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles took over for Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. They wrote this song with the incumbent trio: Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White. Downes told Songfacts: "That was one that was written in the studio. Chris was playing a bass riff [sings the riff] with Alan, and I started whacking some chords over the top of it. It really developed in the studio. It was more of a jam, how it initially started out."
  • Trevor Horn wrote the lyric with Chris Squire. The theme is the cycles of life, but it's rather abstract, with lines like:

    Time is the measure before it's begun
    Slips away like running water


    Conceptually, it's not far off from what Jon Anderson wrote for the band, but the word choices and structures are very different.
  • Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn had to be coerced into joining Yes, and their subsequent tour was difficult for Horn, who was more comfortable in a studio than on stage. After that tour, Downes and Horn went back to the Buggles, and Yes disbanded. When they returned in 1983 with the album 90125, Jon Anderson returned. That album contained another "happening" song: "It Can Happen."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.