Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

I was thinking about some of the lyrics to “Yours Is No Disgrace” this morning -

“Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are,

Shining, flying, purple wolfhound, show me where you are…”

I thought Hmmm, an inanimate object (battleship) told Jon Anderson where ”you” are

and an animate being (wolfhound) showed Jon Anderson where “you” are.

I though, “Do we have another Allison Dubois here in Jon Anderson?” Allison Dubois is the star in the TV show “Medium.” She has dreams that tell her and show her where crimes are committed. And from a loving point of view, war is a crime.

Mark

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

I am more taken by the line that forms the title: yours is no disgrace.

Whose is no disgrace?

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

Hey Mike -

I saw somewhere that “Yours” were Vietnam Vets. Whether it's true or not, I've always thought that, given the time it was written and that it mentions “battleships.”

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

Lost in summer, born in winter, travel very far,
Lost in losing circumstances, that's just where you are.


The “you” is an illusion.  Jon is talking to himself.

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

I like it Stuart!

“Lost in losing circumstances…” Boy I can realate to that! A true feeling of human hopelessness.

THEN, in true Yes fasion, the hopelessness turns into hopeFULness by that simple synth melody, joined by Chris's exuberant bass riff, and topped off by Steve's riff of increadibly high energy and happiness!

What a moment!

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

Amen!

They never fail to inspire.

I was going through heavy teen depression when The Yes Album came out and I heard it played on the local college station.

I think it saved my life.

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

guys,

I always thought it was “lost in musing circumstances” – but that's part of the beauty of Yes … you can hear and interpret at many levels … as with all good art.

And if Jon et al. don't cause one to muse … and if they aren't inspired by the Muse … then I don't know what!!!!!

Guess I must be one of those “girls” (ha!! I'm 51) who go for the spiritual music – although I wd not have identified it with that term in my teens – (don't know what I wd have said, classical rock, probably) – the only rock star I ever had somewhat of a crush on was Bryan Ferry – and I always preferred George Harrison to Paul McC (George was so cool with Bangladesh – hard not to admire).  (Too bad we don't have him around for a Concert for Iraq.)  (uh-oh, I'm getting political – but I guess it's okay b/c “Yours is No Disgrace” does seem to be about Vietnam vets – who are so horribly treated here – as are the newer vets.)

samiyam, I had somewhat a similar experience – heavy depression lifted so marvelously by the music.  I always wanted to thank Jon et al. for that.  (I bet many people have felt this, too.)  It still has that effect, 36 years after I first heard it – when I am way blue.  It's odd – salsa and reggae have that same happy effect on me, but are so different from Yes – except all three genres seem to uplift and not drop you down.  Yes even makes me feel a little out-of-body, positively (not in negative way).  I mean, I love Pink Floyd – but always feel heavy and sad and slightly off-center after listening to them.  Sigh.

adventa

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

“(I bet many people have felt this, too.)  It still has that effect, 36 years after I first heard it - when I am way blue.” Yes. Everything you said here is true for me too, including the
years: 36.

Because I “daily battle with depression” (my page), am diagnosed with clinical depression and was prescribed a daily anti-depressant, I too have clung to the marvelous hopefulness found in Yes music!

Adventa, I've always heard it as “Lost in musing circumstances…” as well. But I went to YesWorld, found the lyrics, there was the word “losing.” Then I got out my CD, listened, and there it was all along…”losing.” There! Isn't that profound! (He said sarcastically  :) Meaning, I agree, inspiration is…well…inspiration! Good thing it doesn't matter what a word is. Thankfully how it goes in and what it means to us is more important.

But, I must say that the word “losing” does make good sense being that the song does seem to be about Vietnam.

Another thing I like about Yes is that to them the spiritual is political, and the political is the spiritual (if you follow me). Both worlds are really one thing (ultimately). These guys are very often political, because, hey they live in this world too! (So in other words Adventa - be as political as you need to be, eh?)

So here we are, a few older farts (not you Adventa, you're more like a dainty old fart :) on the web talking about an old band and an old song. Hell, good thing Yes songs are eternal, they “stand the test of time.” (I'm really poking fun at myself to help relieve any depression that may linger.)

Mark

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

i, also was totally convinced for 36 years that the lyric was ‘musing'.

i've got to say ditto to the yes music being the main source of inspiration thru many depression filled years. tho, i wonder if that semi-utopian vision may have been part of the reason i was depressed. hoping that the world would be different than it was, is depressing. no regrets tho, my imagination lived in utopia. and my (our) intention to manifest that utopia is part of the reason for the world's potential for the dynamic peace that is so pregnant in the world today.

and whether we are or were on a battlefield of physical war or spiritual war, we have nothing to feel disgraced about, …unless we want to believe we do.   we (and they) are only doing the best we can, given the tools and talents we have and the musing/losing circumstances.

i don't try to pretend i know what jon's thoughts are, any more. i agree that we are an illusion. a very real illusion.

j

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

I was going to place this reply somewhere else at first, then I thought I'll just go ahead and leave it here after all.

“…many depression filled years. tho, i wonder if that semi-utopian vision may have been part of the reason i was depressed.”

I understand.

At the Mental Health center I was at, they taught me (somewhat) about a term: “perfectionism.”  They teach that wanting something to be perfect in and of itself is not a bad thing, but that the compulsion for things to be perfect at the expense of others and yourself is unhealthy. When one wants something or someone to be perfect too extremely, and it harms your own or another's life, then it turns into perfectionism.

I'm not a mental health professional. I've just been a recipient of mental health services. (Although I was a part-time employee. I was a Peer Mentor.) The above is just my own experience.

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

yes, it’s a balance of accepting Everything right now as it is perfect already, and part of that perfection is that we want it better.

and in my experience, the most powerful way to make things better is to work on making myself a more whole person, even tho i’m perfect. : )

for a long time that meant to develop my loving capabilities, forgiving, and nurturing, and connection, etc.

now, i’m learning a technique called shadowwork. it’s been a powerful growth period for me as i am learning to re-embrace the parts of my self that i mistakenly considered unloving, like hate and fear and sadness (depression). 

by owning these parts of myself i can control them.  at least i can control them better than when i denied them.

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

Good for you, Jack! The more we learn to embrace our own sense of control, the more we can have a deep sense of Ours Is No Disgrace. Or, like another here said, Yours Is (To) Notice Grace.

Lately I've been playing with the idea of Imperfect Perfection (or Perfect Imperfection). These are really good words for a musician!

So what is Shadowwork? How does Shadowwork help you embrace unloving parts of yourself?

Mark

Re: Yours Is No Disgrace lyrics

oops i forgot i already wrote about shadowwork, and wrote a similar thing in another thread.

thanks for the question. the best answers are at www.shadowwork.com, but i'll share my experience.

it's a technique to intentionally look at how our whole mind works and why our body/mind disobeys our ‘rational' mind.

i go to a men's group (because i haven't found a co-ed group) that practices this technique, and we experiment. the men that show up will start a process of opening up, sharing feelings and observations. then we look a little closer at the events that cause us to be fearful, or angry, or sad, or happy, or any symphony of the feelings that are having an effect on us during the week. and we separate the facts from the feelings and the judgments we projects into the facts.

like say, i'm feeling pissed off at a guy. before the shadowwork, i would think that this guy is an ass, because he intentionally said to me something that he knew would piss me off. after this part of shadowwork, i see that the only thing this guy did was speak his truth, then i took what actually happened and embellished it with feelings and judgments that i learned from previous experiences, usual from my childhood.

then after getting the group into a state of mind that is ready to see most of our experience as a reflection of past choices, we look deeper at these feelings and judgments.

gosh it's very difficult to share about shadowwork because they are so many different paths it can take. and each session evolves into a deeper and more profound session, because the more opening up of ourselves that we do the more trust happens the further intimacy develops.

the ultimate goal (as far as my experience sees it) is to get past old wounds and then be able to give to the community a healthy loving and authentic service.