Jon's phrase, "If the summer change to winter, yours is no disgrace," still sounds right to me. Silly human race indeed.
Here's a 2008 remaster of the 1971 studio version:
We have a couple of live versions as well. The first is from British TV and features the lineup that recorded the original.
Jon Anderson: lead vocal and percussion
Chris Squire: bass and harmony vocal
Steve Howe: guitar and harmony vocal
Tony Kaye: keyboards
Bill Bruford: drums
The second clip comes from a concert tour which happened roughly a year later, with two new members. And here the lineup is:
Jon Anderson: lead vocal and percussion
Chris Squire: bass and harmony vocal
Steve Howe: guitar and harmony vocal
Rick Wakeman: keyboards
Alan White: drums
To their credit (in my opinion), nobody ever asked Alan to try to play the way Bill played, nor did anybody ask Rick to try to play the way Tony played. Instead, the new members were encouraged to bring something of their own to the song -- to play it as if it were their own, and in the process to make it their own. Everything in the Yes repertoire changed when Alan and Rick came aboard, and in this clip we can see (and hear) the difference.
As for this song (and again in my opinion), it doesn't matter who plays it, or how they play it. It still rings as true as ever.
It's also timely in another way. Today is Steve's 75th birthday! Happy Birthday to the Guitarmeister!!
Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face
Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human race
On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place
If the summer change to winter, yours is no disgrace
Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are
Shining, flying, purple wolfhound, show me where you are
Lost in summer, morning, winter, travel very far
Lost in losing circumstances, that's just where you are
Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face
Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human race
On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place
If the summer change to winter, yours is no
Yours is no disgrace
Yours is no disgrace
Yours is no disgrace
Death defying, mutilated armies scatter the earth
Crawling out of dirty holes, their morals, their morals disappear
Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face
Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human, silly human race
On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place
If the summer change to winter, yours is no
Yours is no disgrace
Yours is no disgrace
Yours is no disgrace
Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are
Shining, flying, purple wolfhound, show me where you are
Lost in summer, morning, winter, travel very far
Lost in losing circumstances, that's just where you are
