Realising a form out of stone
Set hands moving
Roan shaped his heart
Through his working hands
Work to mold his passion into clay, like the sun

In his room, his lady
She would dance and sing so completely
So be still he now cries
I have time, oh let clay transform thee so

In the deep cold of night
Winter calls, he cries "Don't deny me!"
For his lady, deep her illness
Time has caught her
And will for all reasons take her

In the still light of dawn, she dies
Helpless hands soul revealing

Like leaves we touch we learn
We once knew the story
As winter calls he will starve
All but to see the stone be life

Now Roan, no more tears
Set to work his strength
So transformed him
Realising a form out of stone, his work
So absorbed him
Could she hear him?
Could she see him?
All aglow was his room dazed in this light
He would touch her
He would hold her
Laughing as they danced
Highest colors touching others

Did her eyes at the turn of the century
Tell me plainly
When we meet, how we'll love, oh let life so transform me

Like leaves we touched we danced
We once knew the story
As autumn called and we both
Remembered all those many years ago
I'm sure we know

Was the sign with a touch
As I kiss your fingers
We walk hands in the sun
Memories when we're young
Love lingers so

Was it sun through the haze
That made all your looks
As warm as moonlight?
As a pearl deep in your eyes
Tears have flown away
All the same light

Did her eyes at the turn of the century
Tell me plainly
When we meet how we'll look
As we smile time will leave me clearly

Like leaves we touch, we see
We will know the story
As autumn calls we'll both remember
All those many years ago


Lyrics submitted by stickista, edited by Evna

Turn of the Century Lyrics as written by Steve James Howe Jon Anderson

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Turn of the Century song meanings
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  • +2
    My Interpretation

    This is indeed a song about a master sculptor who loses the Love of his Life to illness. She was clearly an inspiration to him and his life feels empty without her.

    He sets about to create a statue that will capture her radiance and beauty and cares for nothing else ("He'll all but starve to see the stone be life").

    The song underscores how short our lives can seem; "Like leaves, we touched, we danced, we once knew the story, but Autumn (Death) called"...and leaves fall from the trees in Autumn, some sooner than others.

    We often have difficulty letting go of a loved one, which is why Roan decides to Immortalize her in stone.

    Also, we rationalize that we will see our departed loved ones when we also die: "Did her eyes at the turn of the century Tell me plainly When we meet, how we'll love, oh let life so transform me" means there was a calmness in her eyes when she was on her deathbed that came from her belief that they would eventually both be reunited again in Death...the phrase "oh let Life so transform me" could also be that Roan is tempted to welcome his own Death to reunite them early, but instead decides to "bring her back to life" through his sculpture.

    Again, a very beautiful and moving song about how we can be in such refusal to accept losing a loved one that we will do anything in our power to keep their memory alive.

    This song is an interesting part of the album, since other Yes songs are mainly about spiritual views vs. religion and we are most in need of our Spirituality/Religious perspectives to help cope with Death.

    Like leaves we touch...because we are all mortal.

    PsYcLONeon August 15, 2019   Link

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