Lyric Sheets

Martin Newell
Thursday 09 September 1999 23:02 BST
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Eagle Records will market the new Yes album with an ad-campaign targeting commuters. Research revealed that the band's core fans are mostly male office workers in the 35 to 55 age group. Adverts for their disc `Ladder' will festoon trains, bus roofs and a hot air balloon

Mother Remembers the Band Yes

Harpenden, in Hertfordshire it was

We won't go into that one now, but still

It all got rather serious for a while

Army greatcoats, loons and rugby shirts

Curtain hairstyles and those baseball boots

But what your father listens to on trains

Is up to him. You know you had no right

To rummage through his briefcase as you did

And what you have to realise is this:

He liked to play me "Yours Is No Disgrace"

Six times a night when we were going out

I didn't understand it though. Of course,

Your dad knew more than I about such things

Preferred the more "progressive" side of pop

He had a poster signed by Roger Dean.

I know it's hard to think of him as young

Which nonetheless he was and no, don't laugh

He hated Gordon Lightfoot, he loved Yes

They had this triple concept album once

Topographic Notions? No... it's gone.

It split us up for several weeks, that one.

It warranted two hours on Whistle Test

Which drove me to distraction and I left.

Well no. Not in the singles charts as such.

It wasn't what you did back in those days

They played "in concert" somewhere up in town

Your dad and all his friends all sitting down

Discreetly nodding heads - but nothing more.

Of course there were the solo projects too.

Olias of Sunhillow? Yes, well quite.

He only ever plays that when I'm out.

But if it gives him pleasure, what's the harm?

He doesn't laugh at You playing Basement Jaxx

We've both of us worked hard to buy this house

So put that Yes CD back in its case

Stop laughing and GO AND TIDY YOUR ROOM.

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