After his period with King Crimson, Wetton formed UK, and later he was the frontman and principal songwriter of the supergroup Asia, which proved to be his biggest commercial success. Their self-titled debut album sold eight million copies worldwide and was Billboard magazine's No. 1 album of 1982. He later formed the duo Icon with Geoff Downes (ex-Yes, ex-Buggles), and since the 1990s had a successful solo career releasing a large number of studio and live albums.
He had a long career as an in-demand session bass player, and collaborated with many members of progressive rock bands such as Yes (including Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, Geoff Downes, Alan White, Billy Sherwood and Peter Banks), Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, and Genesis (Steve Hackett).
Wetton grew up in Bournemouth and was in a number of early bands with Richard Palmer-James, on bass and vocals, including, The Corvettes, The Palmer-James Group (formed with Alec James), Tetrad, and Ginger Man.[2] A key early band was Mogul Thrash; after live work with Renaissance, he joined Family and also did various sessions.
Wetton's first big break came when he joined Wimborne, Dorset, musician Robert Fripp in his new line-up of King Crimson in 1972, allowing Wetton to come to the fore as a lead singer and composer. Palmer-James also worked with the band as a lyricist. Wetton remained with the band until Fripp unexpectedly disbanded it in 1974. Wetton continued to work on various projects, including a tour with Roxy Music and two albums with Uriah Heep. In 1977, after failed attempts to reunite King Crimson and create a new band with Rick Wakeman, Wetton and Bruford formed U.K.. Wetton brought into UK keyboard/violin wizard Eddie Jobson, while Bruford brought in guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Upon Bruford and Holdsworth's departure, American percussionist Terry Bozzio joined, making U.K. a threesome a la Emerson, Lake and Palmer. This version of U.K. released the studio album Danger Money and toured in support of Jethro Tull.
Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire, in 1980 after the break-up of U.K. Later that same year, he had a brief stint in Wishbone Ash, contributing bass and vocals to Number The Brave. In 1981, at the urging of Geffen Records' John Kalodner, Wetton started working and writing with Steve Howe, who had most recently been in Yes. They went on to form Asia. with whom Wetton worked until 1983. In that year, Wetton was fired from Asia at the insistence of Geffen Records, ostensibly because of less-than-expected sales of the Alpha album. Wetton was brought back to Asia in 1985, with Mandy Meyer replacing Steve Howe, to complete Astra.
In the late 1980s, Wetton's collaboration with former Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was released as Wetton/Manzanera, with drums provided by Yes's Alan White. Also around this time, Wetton began working again with Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer in an attempt to restart Asia without Steve Howe. Some of the material by this incarnation of Asia made its way onto 1990's Then & Now CD.
The 1990s saw Wetton mostly out of Asia and focusing on a solo career. In 1999, another attempt to reform Asia resulted in Wetton participating in the short-lived progressive rock group Qango with Carl Palmer, John Young, and Dave Kilminster. The group performed several shows in the U.K. and recorded one live album, Live in the Hood, before disbanding when Wetton and Palmer returned to their solo projects.
In the early 2000s, he reunited with Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes for iCon. In 2006, an official reunion of the original Asia line-up (Wetton, Downes, Howe, and Palmer) finally occurred. The studio album titled Phoenix, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha, was released in April 2008 and peaked at No. 73 on the North American Top 200 albums charts. The original line-up released two more studio albums, Omega and XXX before Howe departed in January 2013. With new guitarist Sam Coulson, Asia released Gravitas in March 2014.
In 2013 he guested on the album Grandine il vento with Renaissance, with whom he had played live 42 years before.
Wetton also did extensive work as a session musician with acts such as Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera.
Wetton died on 31 January 2017, from colon cancer.
Band timeline
Mogul Thrash (1971)
Gordon Haskell (1972)
Family (1971-1972)
Larry Norman (1972)
King Crimson (1972-1974)
Uriah Heep (1975-1976)
U.K. (1977-1980, 2011-2015)
Jack-Knife (1979)
Wishbone Ash (1980)
John Wetton (1980–2017)
Asia (1981–1983, 1984–1986, 1989–1991, 2006-2017)
Qango (1999-2000)
Icon (Wetton/Downes) (2002, 2005-2009)
hey you
John Wetton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting lonely, getting old, can you feel me
Hey you! Standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles, can you feel me
Hey you! don't help them to bury the live
Don't give in without a fight.
Hey you! out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone would you touch me
Waiting for someone to call out would you touch me
Hey you! would you help me to carry the stone
Open your heart, I'm coming home
But it was only a fantasy
The wall was too high as you can see
No matter how he tried he could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain.
Hey you! out there on the road
Always doing what you're told, can you help me
Hey you! out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall, can you help me
Hey you! don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.
John Wetton's song Hey You appears to be a call to those who are lonely and feeling disconnected. It begins by addressing those who are physically alone and may feel forgotten or neglected, asking if they can feel the singer's presence. The song then goes on to address those who may feel lost in the crowd, with "itchy feet" and "fading smiles," inviting them to connect with the singer as well.
The singer then takes a more urgent tone, pleading with those who may be giving up and accepting defeat. He implores them not to let themselves be buried alive and to continue their search for hope and meaning. He further reaches out to those who may be struggling to make a personal connection, asking if they would like to touch him and offering to help carry their emotional load.
The song shifts tone once more, revealing that these efforts may only have been a "fantasy," as the "wall was too high" and no matter how much the person tried, they could not break free. This section contains a distinct sense of finality and hopelessness, with the worms eating into the person's brain. The song concludes by attempting to rally those who may be out on the road or in a different place altogether, urging them to stand together and not lose hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you! out there in the cold
Addressing someone who is feeling lonely and disconnected
Getting lonely, getting old, can you feel me
Expressing empathy towards the person's feelings
Hey you! Standing in the aisles
Addressing someone who is lost and wandering aimlessly
With itchy feet and fading smiles, can you feel me
Acknowledge the person's physical and emotional restlessness
Hey you! don't help them to bury the live
Encouraging the person to resist oppression and stand up for themselves
Don't give in without a fight.
Advocating for the importance of resistance
Hey you! out there on your own
Addressing someone who is isolated and alone
Sitting naked by the phone would you touch me
Expressing a desire for human connection and intimacy
Hey you! with your ear against the wall
Addressing someone who is eavesdropping or listening intently
Waiting for someone to call out would you touch me
Echoing the desire for human connection and intimacy
Hey you! would you help me to carry the stone
Asking for help and support in overcoming obstacles
Open your heart, I'm coming home
Encouraging emotional openness and honesty in relationships
But it was only a fantasy
Reflecting on an unrealized desire or hope
The wall was too high as you can see
Acknowledging the difficulty in overcoming obstacles
No matter how he tried he could not break free
Reflecting on the insurmountable nature of some barriers
And the worms ate into his brain.
Using a metaphor to describe the destructive nature of oppressive structures
Hey you! out there on the road
Addressing someone who is constantly moving and perhaps unsure of their own identity or purpose
Always doing what you're told, can you help me
Acknowledging the difficulty in breaking out of imposed roles or expectations
Hey you! out there beyond the wall
Addressing someone who has gone beyond the confines of normative society
Breaking bottles in the hall, can you help me
Asking for help in dealing with personal struggles or pain
Hey you! don't tell me there's no hope at all
Encouraging the person to maintain hope and optimism
Together we stand, divided we fall.
Urging unity and solidarity against oppressive structures
Writer(s): Roger Waters Copyright: Roger Waters Music Overseas Ltd., Artemis Muziekuitgeverij B.V.
Contributed by Josiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.