2 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Big Generator Lyrics
Such a strange pre-occupation
Such a strange peculiar breed
How it's shining in its armour
Made of gold and made of steel
It can strike a chord inside you
Like a generation's need
Speaking happy words of promise
Big generator
Lives out of sight
Big generator
Hands upon the wheel
Moving to the left
Movin'
Moving to the right
Big generator
moving through the night
Second nature sacrifice
Even if you close your eyes
We exist through this strange disguise
I have heard it said to someone
Or maybe it was me
There is a reason to experience
Psychedelic so we could see
To be growing up before us
Like the black and white of love
Be the focus
Be the chorus
Big generator
Hands upon the wheel
Big generator
In for the kill
Second nature comes alive
Even if you close your eyes
We exist through this strange device
Moving to the left
Moving to the right
Big generator
Moving through the night
We are the voices of the big generator
Moving through the night
Movin'
Flying out the soft machine, we offer
All surprise to you
Praise oh praise this anthem generator
Moving through the night
Movin'
We are the voice of every. . .
Such a strange peculiar breed
How it's shining in its armour
Made of gold and made of steel
It can strike a chord inside you
Like a generation's need
Speaking happy words of promise
Lives out of sight
Big generator
Hands upon the wheel
Movin'
Moving to the right
Big generator
moving through the night
Even if you close your eyes
We exist through this strange disguise
Or maybe it was me
There is a reason to experience
Psychedelic so we could see
To be growing up before us
Like the black and white of love
Be the focus
Be the chorus
Hands upon the wheel
Big generator
In for the kill
Even if you close your eyes
We exist through this strange device
Moving to the right
Big generator
Moving through the night
Movin'
All surprise to you
Praise oh praise this anthem generator
Movin'
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I can't remember where I heard it, but I have heard that this song is a criticism of the record company that YES was signed to, and the fact that YES was put in a position to record a contractual obligation album that would be commercially accessible, rather than to have the artistic freedom to record what they wanted. Over the decades that the music industry has been alive, this has been a problem, and was instrumental in the problems experienced by Prince, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and George Michael. Interestingly, Sony Music was involved in the last three careers mentioned, and in each case they were signed to unheard-of amounts of money, only to result in mental problems and ultimately a breakdown in their careers.
So YES characterizes the music industry as the Big Generator.
the previous YES project, the DVD "9012 LIVE" [ca. 1985/6?] ends with the line "...like the music of BIG GENERATORS." this concert-movie-vid was directed by a then unknown Paul Verhoeven, who used a 'sampling' technique' of intercutting other older, B/W film into starkly modern YES footage. Funny but Verhoeven went on to also direct the blockbuster film of Comander R.Heinlein's
"starship troopers"....