This is what the song means TO ME (and only to me because it was a time when I had problems accepting that I was a sexual female animal instead of an autistic broken robot), the words are about a girl who lives isolated in a tower who wants to continue to believe that life is sad and depressing, because her parents (Cold reigning king that holds all the secrets from you) told her sex was "animalistic". Sex was the secret. In my case it was my mom. The cold, feelings-are-evil king "shelters the women that sing" ...or want to sing, if they weren't trapped in the ivory tower of intellect.
She sees the summit in the distance (the summit of existence: opening up to boys, doing it, culminating in orgasm).
When puberty happens, she tries desperately to hold down the window to keep out the morning (happiness and enthusiasm and life) that come into view.
It is something that doesn't have a name, but you can call it by a meaningless name, "the khatru". It's the same thing the black monolith represented in 2001: a space odyssey. The "khatru" comes to rescue you when you're in a cold place, even Siberia, and it makes the side of the tower warm as it approaches.
Sex is like a river that she sees coming, a flood that she can't stop, and it runs right over her head, drowning her in it's joy. (Cover, lover). As she feels all of her fear and resistance melt away, she suddenly sees herself climbing the summit, the mountain.
As one changes...
Sex feelings touch her and leave their golden mark on her soul, transforming her into being happy (Heart gold, leaver, Soul mark, mover, changer)
Free of the ivory tower, she is now climbing the mountain summit herself, and as she nears the top, wondering what awaits her there, she feels a burst of hot light from behind her, and she can see its brightness on her hands and the rock she is climbing.
She slowly turns around to face it. She is completely overwhelmed. She steps off the mountaintop, which turns out not to be where her destiny is, but only a place to meet it. Instead of falling, she soars into the sky to meet the light.
Turn round, glider.
The rest of the song is instrumental, and its repeating cycles of happiness and joy are her being fucked for the first time, getting closer and closer to orgasm--the ultimate experience, the peak and the meaning of life. The two-second guitar riff at the very end where three notes repeat very fast is her cumming, when she is absorbed into Eternity, losing her identity as an individual.
Anyone on the ground who is still sad would say that she died (presumably from old age), because we are animals and death is the flip side of sex.
See, before sex evolved, everything lived forever (as very simple animals like jellyfish). They got bigger end bigger and then split into two halves which became two individuals. But shortly after sex evolved, death did too: We have to die so we don't compete for food with our children after they too achieve puberty.
See, I knew this when I was a kid, and I didn't want to feel sex because I didn't want to be part of the cycle and die.
But really, by having sex (and eventually, children), when you lose your individual identity (during orgasm, and then death) you become part of the brilliant, white-hot infinity of never-ending life, which here is called "the heart-spoken, Siberian Khatru".
---================---
...I observe that even after all these years, thinking about the words of Siberian Khatru still makes me cry.
This song's impact on me can not possibly be understated. The images and feelings it engendered made me dedicate my life to preventing other kids, particularly smart ones who think too much, from fearing sex because it's something animals do–like dying.
Loved this, faye kane. You've done a lovely job of being able to match the song's lyrics to the deep meaning and emotion it has for you. I've adored this song since the mid 1970's and I doubt I could do as good a job as you've done at explaining why. Like you I fell in love with the song when young - a teenager struggling to come to terms with what adulthood might be like. It was a time when I fell in love with all of Yes' music from that era,
most of which continues to this day...
Loved this, faye kane. You've done a lovely job of being able to match the song's lyrics to the deep meaning and emotion it has for you. I've adored this song since the mid 1970's and I doubt I could do as good a job as you've done at explaining why. Like you I fell in love with the song when young - a teenager struggling to come to terms with what adulthood might be like. It was a time when I fell in love with all of Yes' music from that era,
most of which continues to this day to have profound emotional effects on me.
@FayeKane : Thanks for sharing such a personal interpretation, FayeKane. You sound like a really open, scintillating and smart person. Can I have your phone number? I'm just kidding, I'm married, but you do sound hot and smart, my favorite combination of qualities. I love how you link sex, death and a sense of mystical participation in eternity. I will see Yes in concert in a couple of days, and they are playing the entire Close to the Edge album on this tour, so I know I will hear this song. I will...
@FayeKane : Thanks for sharing such a personal interpretation, FayeKane. You sound like a really open, scintillating and smart person. Can I have your phone number? I'm just kidding, I'm married, but you do sound hot and smart, my favorite combination of qualities. I love how you link sex, death and a sense of mystical participation in eternity. I will see Yes in concert in a couple of days, and they are playing the entire Close to the Edge album on this tour, so I know I will hear this song. I will think of your interpretation as I do so, it's very moving and creative. I also like your humility in stating that this is just your interpretation rather than the definitive meaning of this song. Songs like this are filled with so many possible meanings silmultaneously. Those who say they have no meaning are really missing the chance to make some meaning of their own. That's the meaning of life, to me: a golden opportunity to make the Mystery mean something, if only to us. That's one reason why I love the mysterious evocative lyrics of Yes and bands like them. Like Life itself, they invite us to create meaning for ourselves.
@frank10208. Obviously, Faye has found a life of her own. About you, on the other hand, I have my doubts, considering your urge to post such a comment.
@frank10208. Obviously, Faye has found a life of her own. About you, on the other hand, I have my doubts, considering your urge to post such a comment.
@FayeKane This is the most beautiful thing I've read today - in fact tops most writings I've come across all year. Thank you for posting. I make a CD every month for my wife (Mordecai from "Regular Show" prompted me - it makes a nice love letter) and now I know why I chose this song. I'd always been a huge fan of YES, and saw them at Wembley in the 1980s, but most recently have re-connected to the deep meanings of their music, and your interpretation has been very beneficial...
@FayeKane This is the most beautiful thing I've read today - in fact tops most writings I've come across all year. Thank you for posting. I make a CD every month for my wife (Mordecai from "Regular Show" prompted me - it makes a nice love letter) and now I know why I chose this song. I'd always been a huge fan of YES, and saw them at Wembley in the 1980s, but most recently have re-connected to the deep meanings of their music, and your interpretation has been very beneficial...
---==========[ MY INTERPRETATION ]===========---
This is what the song means TO ME (and only to me because it was a time when I had problems accepting that I was a sexual female animal instead of an autistic broken robot), the words are about a girl who lives isolated in a tower who wants to continue to believe that life is sad and depressing, because her parents (Cold reigning king that holds all the secrets from you) told her sex was "animalistic". Sex was the secret. In my case it was my mom. The cold, feelings-are-evil king "shelters the women that sing" ...or want to sing, if they weren't trapped in the ivory tower of intellect.
She sees the summit in the distance (the summit of existence: opening up to boys, doing it, culminating in orgasm).
When puberty happens, she tries desperately to hold down the window to keep out the morning (happiness and enthusiasm and life) that come into view.
It is something that doesn't have a name, but you can call it by a meaningless name, "the khatru". It's the same thing the black monolith represented in 2001: a space odyssey. The "khatru" comes to rescue you when you're in a cold place, even Siberia, and it makes the side of the tower warm as it approaches.
Sex is like a river that she sees coming, a flood that she can't stop, and it runs right over her head, drowning her in it's joy. (Cover, lover). As she feels all of her fear and resistance melt away, she suddenly sees herself climbing the summit, the mountain.
As one changes...
Sex feelings touch her and leave their golden mark on her soul, transforming her into being happy (Heart gold, leaver, Soul mark, mover, changer)
Free of the ivory tower, she is now climbing the mountain summit herself, and as she nears the top, wondering what awaits her there, she feels a burst of hot light from behind her, and she can see its brightness on her hands and the rock she is climbing.
She slowly turns around to face it. She is completely overwhelmed. She steps off the mountaintop, which turns out not to be where her destiny is, but only a place to meet it. Instead of falling, she soars into the sky to meet the light.
Turn round, glider.
The rest of the song is instrumental, and its repeating cycles of happiness and joy are her being fucked for the first time, getting closer and closer to orgasm--the ultimate experience, the peak and the meaning of life. The two-second guitar riff at the very end where three notes repeat very fast is her cumming, when she is absorbed into Eternity, losing her identity as an individual.
Anyone on the ground who is still sad would say that she died (presumably from old age), because we are animals and death is the flip side of sex.
See, before sex evolved, everything lived forever (as very simple animals like jellyfish). They got bigger end bigger and then split into two halves which became two individuals. But shortly after sex evolved, death did too: We have to die so we don't compete for food with our children after they too achieve puberty.
See, I knew this when I was a kid, and I didn't want to feel sex because I didn't want to be part of the cycle and die.
But really, by having sex (and eventually, children), when you lose your individual identity (during orgasm, and then death) you become part of the brilliant, white-hot infinity of never-ending life, which here is called "the heart-spoken, Siberian Khatru".
---================---
...I observe that even after all these years, thinking about the words of Siberian Khatru still makes me cry.
This song's impact on me can not possibly be understated. The images and feelings it engendered made me dedicate my life to preventing other kids, particularly smart ones who think too much, from fearing sex because it's something animals do–like dying.
Yes really.
tiny url dot com slash kanecave
-- faye kane homeless brain
Loved this, faye kane. You've done a lovely job of being able to match the song's lyrics to the deep meaning and emotion it has for you. I've adored this song since the mid 1970's and I doubt I could do as good a job as you've done at explaining why. Like you I fell in love with the song when young - a teenager struggling to come to terms with what adulthood might be like. It was a time when I fell in love with all of Yes' music from that era, most of which continues to this day...
Loved this, faye kane. You've done a lovely job of being able to match the song's lyrics to the deep meaning and emotion it has for you. I've adored this song since the mid 1970's and I doubt I could do as good a job as you've done at explaining why. Like you I fell in love with the song when young - a teenager struggling to come to terms with what adulthood might be like. It was a time when I fell in love with all of Yes' music from that era, most of which continues to this day to have profound emotional effects on me.
that's beautiful
that's beautiful
@FayeKane : Thanks for sharing such a personal interpretation, FayeKane. You sound like a really open, scintillating and smart person. Can I have your phone number? I'm just kidding, I'm married, but you do sound hot and smart, my favorite combination of qualities. I love how you link sex, death and a sense of mystical participation in eternity. I will see Yes in concert in a couple of days, and they are playing the entire Close to the Edge album on this tour, so I know I will hear this song. I will...
@FayeKane : Thanks for sharing such a personal interpretation, FayeKane. You sound like a really open, scintillating and smart person. Can I have your phone number? I'm just kidding, I'm married, but you do sound hot and smart, my favorite combination of qualities. I love how you link sex, death and a sense of mystical participation in eternity. I will see Yes in concert in a couple of days, and they are playing the entire Close to the Edge album on this tour, so I know I will hear this song. I will think of your interpretation as I do so, it's very moving and creative. I also like your humility in stating that this is just your interpretation rather than the definitive meaning of this song. Songs like this are filled with so many possible meanings silmultaneously. Those who say they have no meaning are really missing the chance to make some meaning of their own. That's the meaning of life, to me: a golden opportunity to make the Mystery mean something, if only to us. That's one reason why I love the mysterious evocative lyrics of Yes and bands like them. Like Life itself, they invite us to create meaning for ourselves.
@FayeKane Good Lord. Get a life.
@FayeKane Good Lord. Get a life.
@frank10208. Obviously, Faye has found a life of her own. About you, on the other hand, I have my doubts, considering your urge to post such a comment.
@frank10208. Obviously, Faye has found a life of her own. About you, on the other hand, I have my doubts, considering your urge to post such a comment.
@FayeKane This is the most beautiful thing I've read today - in fact tops most writings I've come across all year. Thank you for posting. I make a CD every month for my wife (Mordecai from "Regular Show" prompted me - it makes a nice love letter) and now I know why I chose this song. I'd always been a huge fan of YES, and saw them at Wembley in the 1980s, but most recently have re-connected to the deep meanings of their music, and your interpretation has been very beneficial...
@FayeKane This is the most beautiful thing I've read today - in fact tops most writings I've come across all year. Thank you for posting. I make a CD every month for my wife (Mordecai from "Regular Show" prompted me - it makes a nice love letter) and now I know why I chose this song. I'd always been a huge fan of YES, and saw them at Wembley in the 1980s, but most recently have re-connected to the deep meanings of their music, and your interpretation has been very beneficial...
@FayeKane
@FayeKane
Wow that's deep. And almost brought me to tears.
Wow that's deep. And almost brought me to tears.
Turn round, glider
Turn round, glider