They formed in 1979 after Vangelis had been rumoured to replace Rick Wakeman in Yes a few years before. Anderson had contributed to Vangelis' albums "Heaven and Hell", "See You Later" and "Opera Sauvage".
They released a total of four albums with Anderson writing the lyrics and Vangelis composing the music: "Short Stories" in 1980, "The Friends of Mr. Cairo" in 1981, "Private Collection" in 1983, and "Page of Life" in 1991, which got re-released in 1998 with some additional tracks of which Vangelis reportedly did not approve. There are also two compilations, called "The Best of Jon & Vangelis" (1984) and "Chronicles" (1994)
A Play Within a Play
Jon & Vangelis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love goes on, no hurry, tell me,
That I know whatever has to be.
Since dreams have their reasons anyway
All the good love stories, have their glory
Yours the winds flowing on and on and on and on
And on and on
Let the winter winds of old
Take the water to the sea
As the maan turned into light
Like the forest of the west
They were caarrying the fire
Like the boats that sail the waves
In the gardens of belief
Meditate us turn the ky
For if trouble shares your tears
Rereturning once again and again and again and again
Rereturning once again and again and again and again
For the many to be sure
That's why children seem to know the reason why
True knowledge of believing is believing
I'll find a truth and then believe it to the end
It seems so easy as my life and I begin to know why
Are we to everything a play within a play.
The opening lines of Jon & Vangelis's A Play Within a Play reflect on the enduring nature of love and the uncertainty surrounding its timing. The repetition of "you me, me you" highlights the mutual nature of love, and the phrase "love goes on, no hurry" suggests that timing is less important than the actual love itself. The next lines, "tell me, that I know whatever has to be," acknowledge that love is not entirely within our control; we can only do our best to understand it and follow it where it leads.
The next stanza takes a more mystical turn, with references to dreams, winds, and moons. The phrase "since dreams have their reasons anyway" suggests that there is a deeper logic to the universe that we cannot fully comprehend. The following lines, "all the good love stories have their glory, yours the winds flowing on" suggest that love is a force of nature, much like the wind, and that it will find its own way through life's ups and downs.
The later stanzas of the song become more poetic and metaphorical, with references to old winds, seas, boats, and gardens. The repeated phrase "returning once again and again and again" emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and the idea that we keep coming back to the same places and experiences. The final question, "are we to everything a play within a play?" suggests that life is both real and unreal, both a serious drama and a playful performance.
Overall, A Play Within a Play is a song about the mystery and unpredictability of life and love, and the need to embrace both the serious and the playful sides of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
You me, me you, when will we be,
When will we truly connect and become one?
Love goes on, no hurry, tell me,
Love is patient, but I need to know if we're on the same page.
That I know whatever has to be.
I trust that whatever happens is meant to be.
Since dreams have their reasons anyway
Even if we don't understand our dreams, they have a purpose.
All the good love stories, have their glory
Every love story has its own special moments and memories.
Yours the winds flowing on and on and on and on
Your love is like the wind, always moving and never still.
And on and on
Continuing forever.
Let the winter winds of old
Allow the cold winds of the past to blow away.
Take the water to the sea
Let go of your past and allow it to flow away like water to the sea.
As the maan turned into light
As the moon transforms into light.
Like the forest of the west
Just like the forest in the west.
They were caarrying the fire
They had the passion and spirit to keep going.
Like the boats that sail the waves
Like the boats that navigate the ocean's waves, we must navigate our own journey.
In the gardens of belief
In the place where our beliefs thrive.
Meditate us turn the ky
Through meditation, we can change our destiny.
For if trouble shares your tears
If you're going through a difficult time, I'll be there to comfort you.
Rereturning once again and again and again and again
Returning time and time again.
For the many to be sure
So that many people can be sure.
That's why children seem to know the reason why
Children have a pure and unassuming perspective on life.
True knowledge of believing is believing
Believe in what you know to be true.
I'll find a truth and then believe it to the end
I'll search for truth and never stop believing in it.
It seems so easy as my life and I begin to know why
It becomes easier to understand life's purpose as I gain more knowledge.
Are we to everything a play within a play.
Is life just an endless cycle and are we just characters in a bigger play?
Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.