I see the cold mist in the night
And watch the hills roll out of sight
I watch in every single way,
Inside out, outside in, every day

The sun can warm the coldest dawn
And move the movement on the lawn
I learn in every single day,
Inside out, outside in, every way

And there you are,
Making it up but you're sure that it is a star,
And boy you'll see
It's an illusion shining down in front of me,
And then you'll say
Even in time we shall control the day,
When what you'll see
Deep inside base controlling you and me

And one peculiar point I see,
As one of many ones of me
As truth is gathered, I rearrange,
Inside out, outside in, inside out, outside in,
Perpetual change

And there you are,
Saying we have the moon, so now the stars,
When all you see
Is near disaster gazing down on you and me,
And there you're standing,
Saying we have the whole world in our hands,
When all you'll see,
Deep inside the world's controlling you and me
You'll see perpetual change
You'll see perpetual change

And there you are,
Making it up but you're sure that it is a star,
And boy you'll see
It's an illusion shining down in front of me,
And then you'll say
Even in time we shall control the day,
When all you'll see
Deep inside base controlling you and me

As mist and sun are both the same,
We look on as pawns of their game
They move to testify the day,
Inside out, outside in, inside out, outside in,
All of the way
Ah, ah


Lyrics submitted by asspennies

Perpetual Change Lyrics as written by Chris Squire Jon Anderson

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Perpetual Change song meanings
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    My Interpretation

    I love the song - too bad they stopped playing it after Bill left - and I've got to agree about the live take on Yessongs. In much of their best work there's a kind of ecstatic lifting feeling, up into the sky or into an inner centre of freedom and joy, and the final five or six minutes of the live take exude just that. There really is a feeling of cosmic dance, propelled by those multiple rhythms that layer effortlessly over each other. The stretch after about 9:35 when it turns more quiet, then anticipating, then Bruford is picking up, pacing the beat upwards and then they break into (10:25) this "big wheel"-like crescendo - that turn is pure ecstasy in a religious sense, jubilant love and joy. The polyrhythmic quality and the feeling of cosmic light makes me think of Sibelius' fifth symphony, first movement, which was played on the BBC in the live broadcast of the first moon landing in 1969 (and which they might well have heard...)

    tinderboxon December 04, 2009   Link

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