Roundabout

I remember some 30 years ago hearing an interview with members of Yes on the radio. The inevitable question about the meaning of "Roundabout" was asked. After 30 years I surprisingly remember much of the detail. The answer was that the song was written on the train as they were travelling to Montreux. "In and around the lake Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there" refers to the mountains and their reflections as they appeared on Lake Geneva during the trip. "Ten true summers," it was their 10th trip to the festival. "Catching the swirling wind the sailor sees the rim of the land the eagle's dancing wings create as weather spins out of hand," there was a storm building on the lake and they could see a boat heading in and an eagle riding the thermals while hunting. "Feel partly no more than grains of sand" and "surrounded by a million years" refers to how small they felt and how brief our existence within the magnificence of the setting.

There are some close calls here on the meaning of Roundabout. But here it is for real:

Jon Anderson said the song came about from a trip to Scotland. A roundabout is a traffic circle in Scotland. And near Loch Ness, fog settles in at the base of the mountains. They seem to come up out of the fog instead from the ground, so "Mountains come out of the sky" and stand there.

In a nutshell...A man telling his love that he will take the "high road" (I'll be the roundabout -- BTW a roundabout is a circular intersection where you can keep going round until you decide which road to turn off on). That he will do whatever it takes to suit her. That in the scheme of things, it is not important to be arrogant and full of pride in the relationship. That a person is pretty trivial in the scheme of things (nature and the world at large) and that love is about putting the other person's needs first. That's my quick and dirty take anyway. I remember when Fragile first came out when I was a teenager driving around in my first car with an 8-track car stereo...it was amazing music...and remains so today.

I've read what Jon Anderson has said. This song has great meaning to me personally. It reminds me of when I first fell in love with, and began dating (living with) my now wife. She's from Canyon Lake, Texas. It's west of New Braunfels, Texas. New Braunfels is a old town settled by germans and has a european roundabout in the middle of town. Canyon Lake is in the hill country with lots of small mountains that regularly get fog around them from the lake. There are always brown eagles and turkey buzzards flying in a circular pattern out there. She's of teacher--of children of course. There is a place with dinosaur tracks called Dinosaur Flats about 2 miles from where we lived. The whole area used to be under the ocean. There are millions of deposits of sea life. I was born by the ocean in the summer and was 10 years old when this song came out. I moved to Texas at 24. I know that this doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but to me it forms a metaphor in my mind. It's a happy song. We need more happy songs. it makes me think of our first, spartan, years together. We're still very happy.

I'll take a stab at what it actually means and not just what the actual words came from.

They're using roads as a metaphore for love. He'll be her roundabout, giving her time and letting her choose where to go with their love. He wants to make where ever she chooses to go a scenic route (i.e. the mountains, and Puget Sound) and make it as beautiful as possible. Saying her "silhouette will charge the view" is the singer saying she's what really makes their love beautiful.

I can't say what the "Along the drifting cloud...by a millions years" section is talking about. I want to say it's that their love will last, even though some things will be hard to get through (like stormy seas.)

Obviously I don't really know the true meaning of the entire song, but you can't say I didn't try.

I love Yes. They are incredible musicians and singers however I wouldn't get too hung up trying to understand Yes lyrics. My understanding is they are all basically meaningless except in a real general way. They are written basically for how the words sound tonally. They are intentionally intricate, complicated and obtuse to match the incredible musical virtuosity throughout their music. Simple lyrics just wouldn't cut it in these songs.

Actually, i think this song is about memories passing through ( i dont know his name), the lead singer of yes's brain. Hes in a place who he may of met his first love. And i think the bassline symbolizes the rapid memories and emotions going through him

The lyrics describe a psychedelic-country life, with allusions to driving. A roundabout is a kind of traffic circle that substitutes for a stoplight and confounds tourists who are unfamiliar with them. Traffic patterns don't always make the most poetic lyrics, but the word "Roundabout" sings very well and fits with the theme of the song, as when frontman Jon Anderson came to a roundabout in Scotland, he knew that he was almost home.

I've always been intrigued by the repeated verses with the numbers: 1, 10, 24. I interpret these as indicating three phases or aspects of the relationship the singer is praising with his partner to whom he is speaking.

"One mile over we'll be there and we'll see you"--I'm not far away, and I'm coming to join you very soon, I'm eager to join together and I'm happy that we're so close, and that the distance is easily traversed. It's about immediate joy.

"Ten true summers we'll be there and laughing too"--this experience will go on and be repeated many times, there's much to look forward to. This is about an indefinite future of joy together.

"24 before my love you'll see I'll be there with you"--sometimes we can't meet today, but will have to wait until tomorrow (hours being the understood subject of 24). We must have patience, trust, and confidence in each other. You'll see--it will all work out. This is about the relationship remaining strong even when there is some immediate barrier to our joy.

It sounds sort of like Jon Anderson is singing to someone he loves, with the first verse being a proposal, and the second verse being about him having to leave, but saying he will remember her.