Wakeman attended Drayton Manor Grammar School. He initially studied piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music at the Royal College of Music, but he left of his own accord after a year and a half in favour of work as a session musician.
In 1970, Wakeman played with Strawbs and was an active studio musician, playing with such artists as David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Al Stewart, notably playing piano on both Bowie's Life on Mars? and Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens He joined Yes in 1971, after keyboardist Tony Kaye was asked to leave the band because of his refusal to play anything more than the organ. His first album with the band was Fragile released 1971 in the UK and 1972 in the US, and very nearly his last was Tales from Topographic Oceans, released in 1973. He also played on the studio album Close to the Edge (his favourite Yes album) and his live performances with the group were released as Yessongs. He left the band following the Tales from Topographic Oceans tour.
During his time with Yes, he released his first solo album, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, which showcases his skills with various electronic and acoustic keyboard instruments. Some members of Yes played their respective instruments on certain tracks.
In 1975, he released the concept album The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table which was supported by a live show featuring ice skating theatrical performances accompanied by a large number of musicians, an orchestra and choirs. The cost of the show was extravagant and it caused Wakeman to declare bankruptcy.
Of all the members of the band, Wakeman is the only non-vegetarian, a difference which contributed to his first departure from the band. The primary reason for that initial departure, however, was musical differences. Wakeman felt Tales from Topographic Oceans was thin on substance and did not connect with its themes. Further, he did not enjoy the experience of reproducing the entire work on stage each night. He felt the length of the songs prohibited the band from playing many of their more popular songs of the time. Following the tour, as the band began work on what would become Relayer, Wakeman felt further alienated from the group. Disenchanted with the direction in which Yes were going, and already into a successful solo career, Wakeman jumped ship.
He rejoined Yes for their 1977 album Going for the One. He remained until their next album, Tormato, a year later. He is reputed to have given the album its name by throwing a tomato at a showing of the art used for the album's cover.[citation needed]
In 1989, he joined with three fellow ex-Yes members to form Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (a.k.a. ABWH). After ABWH's first album, some of the completed tracks for a planned second album were merged with tracks from an in-progress Yes album to create the album Union. Wakeman, along with the combined members of both bands then joined to form a Yes supergroup (made up of past and present members of Yes) for the subsequent tour in 1991. When the tour ended a year later, Wakeman left again. He then returned in 1996 for the Keys to Ascension albums but left before the band could tour. In 2002, he rejoined Yes and has been with the group ever since, but also enjoys a successful solo career.
He has also performed as a guest or session musician for artists as disparate as:
* John Williams,
* Brotherhood of Man,
* Elton John,
* Lou Reed,
* David Bowie (notably mellotron on 'Space Oddity', piano on 'Life On Mars' and 'Changes'),
* Cat Stevens (including piano on Stevens' hit cover of the hymn "Morning Has Broken"),
* T. Rex,
* Ozzy Osbourne,
* Black Sabbath (playing keyboards on "Sabbra Cadabra" and "Who are You" on 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath),
* Brian May and played piano on "There's no one quite like Grandma"[citation needed] by St. Winifred's School Choir.
Although Wakeman was a noted player of the Hammond Organ and the Minimoog, he also played a key part in the popularisation of the Mellotron – an electronic musical instrument that used a bank of prerecorded tape strips, activated by each key on its keyboard. It proved too unwieldy and unreliable for regular touring, and Rick eventually doused his in petrol and set fire to it in a field . Undeterred, Rick worked with David Biro to develop the Birotron, which used the then popular 8-track cassette format rather than bare tape strips. Only 35 Birotrons were produced, it was not a commercial or technical success, and Rick eventually threw his across the stage after it broke down mid-concert, an action he now regrets, as there are only 6 known remaining examples.
He has written the soundtracks for two films by Ken Russell: Lisztomania (1975), which features vocals from Roger Daltrey and which takes as its starting point the music of Liszt and Wagner; and Crimes of Passion (1985), much of which is built around themes taken from Dvorak's New World Symphony.
As announced on the official Yes website, Rick Wakeman will not be joining Yes on their 40th Anniversary tour, he will instead be replaced by his son Oliver Wakeman. In 2008, Wakeman has been touring with a solo show, "Rick Wakeman's grumpy old picture show", an evening of biography, stories and music.
Personal life
A self-confessed former alcoholic, he had several heart attacks in his twenties. The first of them occurred just after he left Yes in early 1974, during the release of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth. He married former Page Three model Nina Carter, although they have since divorced. He has had a renewal of his Christian faith, which began around the time of their marriage.
Children include Adam Wakeman, Oliver Wakeman, Oscar Wakeman, Jemma Wakeman, Ben Wakeman, and Manda Wakeman, who have inherited their father's interest in music.
A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board, he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but never stopped loving the Bees. He was also involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.
He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004 for the benefit of the party. The Arthur section of his King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table suite is used as the theme tune to the BBC's Election Night Coverage since 1979 (with the exception of 2001). Wakeman's album Fields of Green '97 featured the track "Election '97/Arthur", which was used by the BBC for their coverage of the 1997 General Election. The music was further revamped for the BBC's 2005 Election Night coverage.
Rick can currently be seen as a contributor on BBC Two's series, Grumpy Old Men. He has also appeared in a number of episodes of Countdown; about twenty per year, according to Wakeman. He currently (2008) presents a weekly Saturday morning programme, "Rick's Place", on Planet Rock. He has also appeared on the satirical panel show Have I Got News For You as a guest.
Rick appeared as himself in "Journey to the Centre of Rick Wakeman", the last episode of season two of Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music, a BBC Radio 4 comedy programme. The episode detailed a fictional war between England and Wales in 2009 which only Rick could stop. The majority of the episode was set inside Rick where Mitch and his team are sent to rouse him from a coma and thus stop the war.
In December 2006, Rick was the guest host for an episode of The Personality Test, a BBC Radio 4 programme where the panel stay the same and the host changes each week. The questions set in the programme are all about the host. Rick set a challenge for a new concept album idea, and the comedian Will Smith suggested "Spiders and Other Invertebrates". Rick said he liked that idea so much, he would include a track of his next album called "Spiders and Other Invertebrates", and would include a sleeve credit to Will. Will responded by saying that Rick had "...just made my life".
Rick has been president of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation (formerly Comic Heritage) for the past two years. The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock. In October 2007 Rick commenced a new tour 'Rick Wakeman's Grumpy Old Picture Show', where Rick accompanies video performers such as Gordon Giltrap and the English Rock Ensemble.
He also appeared on Top Gear and got a lap time of 1.55.26.
In December 2006 and 2007, Rick was the celebrity who turned on the Christmas lights in Diss, Norfolk, a town close to his home.
On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Wakeman among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. In September and October 2019, Wakeman embarked on his first solo American tour in 13 years, playing piano shows. Wakeman's Christmas-themed piano album, Christmas Portraits, was released in November 2019.
In January 2020, Wakeman started recording a new progressive rock album which was set for release in March. The album's title was revealed as The Red Planet and, according to Wakeman, harks back to albums such as The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Criminal Record; it was due for release on 3 April 2020 and features the English Rock Ensemble. It was delayed again to be released "nearer to June realistically", due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
The Answer
Rick Wakeman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have answered me, Now I answer You)
I think I know the answer to the question in my mind
And now I see a different world Within a world that's blind
(Listen, I can hear, Touch me, Through my tears)
I only want to know You, and to help You in Your plan
And show the way that You have chosen since the world began
(Help me understand
Show me the new found answers
Teach me to use them wisely
Spread the Word of Truth and might)
Where can I find peace with eyes that can give me vision,
Reason for Your gift of Heaven's light
(Seal with peace With hope and vision,
With the gift of Heaven's light)
I have to see The Truth for me,
The meaning of all that You have sent me to know
With open eyes, I look around at all that you've sent me
And the love that I have found
(If you can ask you will hear a reply
From the wisdom and knowledge on high
Come alive, breathing words that are from the Lord
When He comes to you, You must be ready for Him
Then He can take you to His Holy place
Come alive, Open your eyes, And look, And see His face)
I know I know the answer
To the questions in my mind
And never more will I go hungry,
Thirst for knowledge, Ask for reasons
I have found the answer in You, My Lord
(I have found You have found me)
Listen, I can hear
See me through my tears
You have answered me
Now I answer You.
The song "The Answer" by Rick Wakeman is a powerful and emotional expression of the search for spiritual truth and guidance. The lyrics describe the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life, and the ultimate realization that the answer lies in a deep connection with God. The song highlights the importance of listening to one's inner voice and the need for guidance from a higher power. The lyrics urge the listener to seek a deep understanding of themselves and to use the wisdom gained to spread love and truth to those around them.
The opening line, "Listen, I can hear, See me, Through my tears" sets the tone of the song, conveying a sense of vulnerability and emotion. The verse "I think I know the answer to the question in my mind, And now I see a different world Within a world that's blind" seems to be about the search for spiritual truth in a world that can be confusing and difficult to navigate. The lyrics then shift to a more personal plea for guidance, with the lines "Help me understand, Take me by the hand, Show me the new found answers." The chorus is a powerful affirmation of faith, with the repeated statement "I have found the answer in You, My Lord" serving as a reminder that spiritual fulfillment is achievable through connection with a higher power.
Overall, "The Answer" is a deeply personal and introspective song that speaks to the universal human experience of seeking meaning and purpose in life. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and emotional depth, while also offering hope and guidance to listeners who may be going through similar struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen, I can hear, See me, Through my tears
Despite my tears, I can still sense your presence and see the way you are guiding me.
You have answered me, Now I answer You
You have provided me with clarity and purpose, so now I vow to serve and follow you.
I think I know the answer to the question in my mind
And now I see a different world Within a world that's blind
I have gained insight and understanding beyond what others can see, and I believe I have found the answer to my deepest questions.
Listen, I can hear, Touch me, Through my tears
Even in my moments of vulnerability and sadness, I feel your comforting touch and guidance.
I only want to know You, and to help You in Your plan
And show the way that You have chosen since the world began
My only desire is to know you more intimately and to serve your divine plan by leading others down the path you have laid out.
Help me understand
Take me by the hand
I am asking for your support and guidance as I seek to deepen my understanding of your divine plan.
Show me the new found answers
Teach me to use them wisely
Spread the Word of Truth and might
As I uncover new insights, I ask that you help me use them with wisdom and purpose so that I may best serve the mission of spreading your divine truth and love.
Where can I find peace with eyes that can give me vision,
Reason for Your gift of Heaven's light
Seal with peace With hope and vision,
With the gift of Heaven's light
I ask for your guidance to find a sense of peace and clarity that will allow me to see the world with fresh eyes and fully appreciate the gift of your divine light and love.
I have to see The Truth for me,
The meaning of all that You have sent me to know
With open eyes, I look around at all that you've sent me
And the love that I have found
I am committed to seeking and understanding the truth, looking at the world with a fresh perspective to gain new insight into your divine will and love.
If you can ask you will hear a reply
From the wisdom and knowledge on high
Come alive, breathing words that are from the Lord
When He comes to you, You must be ready for Him
Then He can take you to His Holy place
Come alive, Open your eyes, And look, And see His face
Asking for guidance and listening for your voice will lead me to divine wisdom and knowledge, and I must always be prepared to receive your presence and guidance when it comes to me.
I know I know the answer
To the questions in my mind
And never more will I go hungry,
Thirst for knowledge, Ask for reasons
I have found the answer in You, My Lord
(I have found You have found me)
I have found the answer to my deepest questions in you and vow to never again feel lost, confused, or directionless. I know that you have always been with me and that I have finally found my way back to you.
Listen, I can hear
See me through my tears
You have answered me
Now I answer You.
I am eternally grateful for the love and guidance you have given me, and vow to serve you as you have served me, now and forever.
Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.