I've Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People

As far as I can tell, it's about chess tactics. I think the lyrics are told from the perspective of a black bishop, since there's reference to making the "White Queen run so fast" and also "Move me onto any black square". 'He' is singing to either the Black King or Queen, because he sings "Don't surround yourself with yourself" - the second 'yourself' being the army of pawns or the body politic. I think it's more likely the Queen, since it's the Queen's mobility that is her greatest strength. If she were surrounded by pawns, she would be hampered, whereas the King needs all the protection he can get. That's my best guess...

This song contains two quotes from John Lennon songs:

1. "Instant Karma"

2. "All we are saying, is Give Peace a Chance"

chess = war ("my country" and "their country") chess=life ("me" and "them") I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY SO SATISFIED I'M ON MY WAY. Soldier, so sure he's doing the right thing, all his fellow citizens cheering him. TAKE A STRAIGHT AND STRONGER COURSE TO THE CORNER OF YOUR LIFE. Follow orders blindly, so that you end up at the corner of your life, dead. (the other corner of a chess board, where you can be easily captured) MAKE THE WHITE QUEEN RUN SO FAST SHE HASN'T GOT TIME TO MAKE YOU A WIFE. If you focus on making an enemy out of different nations, they will be concentrating their efforts on defending themselves (RUNNING FAST) instead of possibly developing a good relationship.

'CAUSE IT'S TIME, IS TIME IN TIME WITH YOUR TIME AND ITS NEWS IT CAPTURED FOR THE QUEEN TO USE. reference to chess again, when if it's the opponent's move, you are suspended in time, and the opponent sees "the news" (your movements) and the queen can now use it to her advantage. Same with real-time war, when the news is captured, information is used by the media to one nation's advantage. news is captured in a short video/a photo, that can be manipulated.

MOVE ME ON TO ANY BLACK SQUARE, USE ME ANY TIME YOU WANT, JUST REMEMBER THAT THE GOAL IS FOR US ALL TO CAPTURE ALL WE WANT. YEA, YEA, YEA. an individual is used by the government, just like a chess piece, in the Statist view of black ("our") and white ("their") worlds. This view is mocked by saying "yeah yeah yeah", ironically. From now on the song gives us a different view, and advice follows:

DON'T SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YOURSELF, Don't look at the world as only "us" and "them". Don't identify yourself with either black or white chess pieces. Go mingle. MOVE ON BACK TWO SQUARES Moving forward and attacking isn't progress. If you refrain from attacking, it is the REAL move forward ("MOVE ON"), although it's seen as a move backwards ("MOVE BACK"). At the beginning of a chess game, a pawn can move forward 2 squares. But what if he didn't? What if he said no to starting a war and did the opposite thing? SEND AN INSTANT KARMA TO ME Don't initiate violence. Initiate love.

Who would write a song about chess? Yeah, ProgRock is supposed to be for the smart people, but nah, I don't think chess. There are refrences to chess, but the song is probably more about a life situation using metaphors with chess. Don't make a Wall around yourself. I'm not really totally sure what the lyrics mean, and I'm probably wrong. Beautiful song though.

It would be hard to deny the chess metaphor. The song mentions queens and squares, sometimes of white and black color, as well as "capture." It's unlikely these would all appear repeatedly in a song as a coincidence. From a chess perspective then, the lines "Don't surround yourself with yourself / Move on back two squares" could be referring to the king. In a special chess move, the king can move two squares, switching sides with the rook, which effectively makes the king isolated in the corner (by itself). The song seems to be warning the king (or boss, leader, whoever) against this. The vocals seem to come from the bishop (only moves on black squares), as someone already mentioned. He's telling the king or player to use him as he'd wish, but keep in mind that his purpose is to capture all he can, or get as much out of life, etc. Seems to be a song directed at those in charge.

I was really hooked on this song a couple of weeks ago, and I was talking to my dad about music in general and he brought up this song as well. He said he used to get real drunk and drive home listening to this, and he'd always wait until it finished before he got out the car and went to bed, and that would complete the night for him. It's truly a beautiful song, and will be etched upon my memory as long as it has been on my dad's

I heard that Jon anderson wrote this song after having an acid trip about life being like a game of chess. This is an anti-war song: The term "I've seen all good people" is ALL the people, including the so-called enemy. The line, "Don't surround yourself with yourself" refers to self-righteous behavior; "Move on back two squares" is a chess term meaning to retreat and rethink your position. The lyrics also refer to the queen, which is the most versatile and powerful chess piece. It talks about how news is captured for use by the queen, which uses forces to take control and manipulate troops against the enemy. War is like a game of chess. This song references "Instant Karma" which was a song recorded by John Lennon a year earlier. The lines: "Just remember that the gold is for us to capture all we want, anywhere, Yea, yea, yea" refers to the rich and powerful victimizing the weak and poor. The US was taken off the Gold standard by Richard Nixon August 15, 1971 the same year this was released.

Listen closely when the organ kicks in loudly at the end of the "chess" verse....

They say faintly "All we are saying, is give peace a chance"-

I feel the song is designed to encourage the individual to do just that... "dont surround yourself with yourself"... be more considerate towards others and let your guard down. Also, "Move on back two squares"... take a step back and think before acting. The lyrics, to me, are metaphorical instructions to improve on selfish human nature.

"I've seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I'm on my way."- It sounds like someone is going off to war and has the town's support. I mean, you'd have to do something REALLY brave to have like everyone in town turn their heads to you and look satisfied at you and your mission. Other possibilities: Growing up...people could be looking at a kid full of innocence walking down the street, seeing potential to do good in him. Getting married- though this would be later contradicted ("she hasn't got time to make you a wife") Or maybe he's going to buy drugs and just thinks everybody loves him.

"Take a straight and stronger course to the corner of your life. Make the white queen run so fast she hasn't got time to make you a wife."

• War Theory: Go out and see the corners of the world (the army will do this)...white is the color of innocence, so maybe she is trying to marry him to nonviolence but he is too patriotic not to kill for his country.
• Growing up theory: Be competetive and focused, don't let sex bog you down
• Drug Buying Theory: the "corner" is mentioned...the "white queen", cocaine, should be avoided at all costs

'Cause it's time, is time in time with your time and its news it captured For the queen to use. Move me on to any black square, Use me any time you want, Just remember that the goal Is for us all to capture all we want. Yea, yea, yea.

• I always thought they were saying "Cause is time", which makes sense to me and answers some of my philosophical questions...
• War Theory: "News is captured"- the media and how it spins stories either liberally or conservativily, "for the queen to use", something like My Lai (a civillian massacre) is used by those who want the innocent to not be hurt, which would involve withdrawing troops, since militants posed as civilians. the "goal" to "capture all we want" is when the soldier is getting cynical and sees the military as a political chess piece. The "yeah yeah yeahs" is him mocking his commanders.
• Growing up theory: Feed your innocence, don't be corrupted. Let the fates use me, but know I am in it to live life to the fullest.
• Cop Drugs theory: you've heard so much news about pot you finally capture it for yourself. Let it release the kid in you. Use it recreationally, don't let it get in the way of your goals or deplete your bank account.

Don't surround yourself with yourself, Move on back two squares, Send an instant karma to me, Initial it with loving care

• If you want to know what a person is like, look at their friends.
• War Theory: Now the soldier is really adament about leaving and wants to get back to where his real friends are. He has been a good person all his life and believes in karma, so he is hoping he will not get killed and brought home without incident.
• Growing Up Theory: Don't hang out with people who are like "yes-men", get some people who you can debate with and have lengthy dialouge and discussions. Interesting people who will teach you something. Also, don't feel trapped by your decisions. If you feel you make a mistake, don't think you can't still be honest to yourself or desired ones.
• Drug Copping Theory: Don't make best friends with hardcore drug users and don't get high by yourself and not be social. If you do, break it off before it's too late.

Diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit diddit didda

• cool part of the song

The white queen part seems to reference the book "Through the Looking Glass" written by Lewis Carrol in-which the white queen challenges Alice to a foot race. Besides that I think the song is about being a social person and not being self-centered and I think people are trying much too hard to get a bigger meaning out of this song. The anti-war song meaning is absurd only because you can call almost any song an anti-war song by twisting lyrics. I don't think about war when I listen to the music of yes.It's simple... don't be a selfish person, don't surround yourself with yourself.