West gained fame the world over during his long career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to this day. West earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers. During his career, he recorded or played with a litany of rock icons including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited West as an important influence on their own music.
West's bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he was at once gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. When discussing his music projects, he exuded an infectious enthusiasm and excitement. Such projects could take him outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.
In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.
West was a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group, Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass Guitar.
For Yasgur's Farm
Leslie West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sad reflection in everyone
Was it me who let you walk away
Were you the one
Or is it weÂ're the same
What are we in time going by
The simple story of a younger life
We havenÂ't come so far to lose our way
Look at me, i believe itÂ's true
YouÂ're a part of me
IÂ'm a part of you
Love is only what we come to knew
The walking, breathing and all with you
A crystal passing reflected in our eyes
Eclipsing all the jealousy and lies
Look at me, canÂ't you see itÂ's true
YouÂ're a part of me
IÂ'm a part of you
Quiet as the voices in a dream
Without two shadows the things iÂ've seen
Remember the evening i let you walk away
Were you the one
Or is it weÂ're the same
Look at me, i believe itÂ's true
YouÂ're a part of me
IÂ'm a part of you
The song "For Yasgur's Farm" by Leslie West is about reflecting on past relationships and questioning the reasons for their endings. The first few lines of the song suggest a sense of introspection and self-doubt as he wonders about his identity as an individual and how he relates to the people and the world around him. The lines "Who am I but you and the sun / A sad reflection in everyone" convey a sense of insignificance, where his sense of self is defined by his relationships with others and his experiences.
The chorus tries to reconcile the issue of separation, where the singer tries to assert that the person he is singing to is still a part of him, and vice versa. He seems to question if it was his fault that the relationship ended or if it was just the natural way things go. The line "Love is only what we come to knew" is a reminder that relationships are built on experiences that "crystalize" the bond that two people share. The final verse adds a touch of nostalgia and regret, as West remembers the evening he let the other person walk away.
Overall, "For Yasgur's Farm" is a song that speaks to the human experience of questioning oneself and the nature of love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Who am i but you and the sun
I am nothing but a mere reflection of you and the brightness that you bring into my life
A sad reflection in everyone
My sadness is a common trait among all individuals
Was it me who let you walk away
Did I have a hand in your departure from my life?
Were you the one
Or was it you who decided to leave?
Or is it weÂ're the same
Perhaps we are not so different after all
What are we in time going by
What is our place in this fleeting existence?
The simple story of a younger life
Our pasts are merely brief and uncomplicated
Happy dreams and somehow through the day
We hold onto our joyous fantasies as we navigate through the mundane
We havenÂ't come so far to lose our way
We have not progressed to the point of losing sight of our goals and purpose
Look at me, i believe itÂ's true
Believe me when I say
YouÂ're a part of me
That you hold a special place within me
IÂ'm a part of you
And that our connection is mutual
Love is only what we come to knew
Our understanding of love is limited to our personal experiences
The walking, breathing and all with you
Every aspect of you, from your movements to your existence, is important to me
A crystal passing reflected in our eyes
Our bond is a fleeting, yet beautiful moment that we reflect upon
Eclipsing all the jealousy and lies
Overcoming all negative emotions and falsehoods
Quiet as the voices in a dream
My thoughts are as silent as those in a dream
Without two shadows the things iÂ've seen
I have noticed things I cannot explain, without a second person present
Remember the evening i let you walk away
I still reminisce about the night you left me
Look at me, i believe itÂ's true
I hope you believe me when I say
YouÂ're a part of me
You will always have an impact in my life
IÂ'm a part of you
And I hope that I can do the same for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID REA, FELIX PAPPALARDI, GAIL COLLINS, GARY SHIP, GEORGE GARDOS, LAURENCE LAING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@radiootoo
Who am I but you and the sun
A slight reflection of everyone
Was it me who let you walk away?
Were you the one
Or is it we're the same
What are we in time going by
The simple story of a younger life
Half in dreams and somehow through the day
We haven't come so far to lose our way
Look at me, I believe it's true
You're a part of me, I'm a part of you
Love is only what we come to live
The waking, breathing and all with we give
A crystal passing reflected in our eyes
Eclipsing all the jealousy and lies
Look at me, can't you see it's true
You're a part of me, I'm a part of you
Quiet as the voices in a dream
Without two shadows the things I've seen
Remember the evening I let you walk away
Were you the one
Or is it we're the same
Look at me, i believe it's true
You're a part of me, I'm a part of you
@robertlindemann150
How does he create that tone on this. Best version of this song
@doctorzeno1914
The magic is more in the feeling, it's in the guitarists fingers, when a guitarist has truly arrived. Leslie West was there.
@radiootoo
Who am I but you and the sun
A slight reflection of everyone
Was it me who let you walk away?
Were you the one
Or is it we're the same
What are we in time going by
The simple story of a younger life
Half in dreams and somehow through the day
We haven't come so far to lose our way
Look at me, I believe it's true
You're a part of me, I'm a part of you
Love is only what we come to live
The waking, breathing and all with we give
A crystal passing reflected in our eyes
Eclipsing all the jealousy and lies
Look at me, can't you see it's true
You're a part of me, I'm a part of you
Quiet as the voices in a dream
Without two shadows the things I've seen
Remember the evening I let you walk away
Were you the one
Or is it we're the same
Look at me, i believe it's true
You're a part of me, I'm a part of you
@shaney8275
Thanks for posting this... My favorite Mountain song. Leslie is really expressing the song on another level.
@905if6was9
To re-do this Mountain masterpiece, decades later, without Felix Papalardi on vocals would have been a travesty in anyone else's hands. Leslie West, the only one alive fit to sing Felix's song, does so with the grace and respect necessary to convey the kind of emotions Felix demonstrated on this masterpiece.
The original "For Yasgur's Farm" by Mountain, is a much, much better theme for Woodstock than the great Joni Mitchell written, CSN performed, defacto theme.
@radiootoo
Amen. Vietnam War anthem as well.
@ed.z.
Beautiful comment. I agree completely.
@thaisipgl932
This is a masterpiece.
Look at me I believe it's true, you're part of me, I'm part of you
Sublime
@ed.z.
Phenomenal fire. Leslie. RIP.
@olimpiaborchi5026
Leslie !! So big goosebumbs ❤