'Up on the hill' is intentionally vague, could be any hill where one can be above it all. This song is a celebration of music, each verse refers to music. 'Throw out the hardware' refers to playing acoustic music, like the Chinese banjo, which is doing it the right way, the natural way.
The song refers also to getting away from the material world, dime dancing (work) and returning to the mytho-poetic land of Aja. It's not Asia in particular, it's an impression of that feeling. Then they stop singing, play, and Wayne Shorter and Steve Gaddis do their legendary work.
'Up on the hill' is intentionally vague, could be any hill where one can be above it all. This song is a celebration of music, each verse refers to music. 'Throw out the hardware' refers to playing acoustic music, like the Chinese banjo, which is doing it the right way, the natural way.
The song refers also to getting away from the material world, dime dancing (work) and returning to the mytho-poetic land of Aja. It's not Asia in particular, it's an impression of that feeling. Then they stop singing, play, and Wayne Shorter and Steve Gaddis do their legendary work.