"South Side of the Sky" is a song by progressive rock band Yes from their a… Read Full Bio ↴"South Side of the Sky" is a song by progressive rock band Yes from their album Fragile. It is one of the relatively few group performances on the album.

It opens with the sound of a howling wind. It then bursts into a heavy, riff-dominated rock song. At around 2:08, Rick Wakeman's piano comes in along with another few seconds of wind. The piano is gentler than the rest of the song, and even somewhat classical, but with a similar melody to it. At around 3:19, Chris Squire and Jon Anderson start singing wordless vocal harmonies along with the piano. This continues until about 5:42, when the earlier heavy riff part returns, with the wind in the background. The song fades out in the end to the same howling wind that occurred throughout.

Rick Wakeman contributed to the writing of "South Side of the Sky" (and fellow album piece "Heart of the Sunrise") by adding piano interludes to both songs, but wasn't credited due to contractual conflicts. He was instead promised more money by Atlantic studio executives, which he claims he never saw.

In the liner notes of the remastered edition of Fragile, it is said that this song is about a tragic polar expedition that ends in death, as evidenced by lyrics such as "A river, a mountain to be crossed/ the sunshine, in mountains sometimes lost/ around the south side, so cold that we cried" and "The moments, seem lost in all the noise/ a snow storm, a stimulating voice".[1] In the second half of the song, the references to the cold switch to lyrics that seem to reflect hypothermia, such as "Of warmth of the sky/ of warmth when you die" and "Were we ever warmer on that day". In the introduction to this song in Yes' 2003 concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jon Anderson said, "This is a song about climbing mountains... It's dangerous, but we all must climb mountains every day."

South Side of the Sky
Yes Lyrics

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A river a mountain to be crossed
The sunshine in mountains sometimes lost
Around the south side so cold that we cried
Were we ever colder on that day
A million miles away
It seemed from all eternity

Move forward was my friend's only cry

In deeper to somewhere we could lie
And rest for the the day with cold in the way
Were we ever colder on that day
A million miles away
It seemed from all eternity

The moments seemed lost in all the noise
A snow storm a stimulating voice
Of warmth of the sky of warmth when you die
Were we ever warmer on that day
A million Miles away
We seemed from all eternity

La la la la la la, la la la la la la la la

The moments seemed lost in all the noise
A snow storm a stimulating voice
Of warmth of the sky of warmth when you die
Were we ever warmer on that day
A million Miles away
We seemed from all eternity

The sunshine in mountains sometimes lost
The river can disregard the cost
And melt in the sky warmth when you die

Were we ever warmer on that day a million miles away
We seemed from all of eternity

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Yes's song "South Side of the Sky" speak about a journey through difficult terrain, with cold weather and dangerous conditions. The opening lines, "A river a mountain to be crossed, the sunshine in mountains sometimes lost," suggest the challenges the travelers face as they journey through mountains and cross a river. The journey is difficult and the harsh weather makes it even more challenging. The line "Around the south side so cold that we cried" emphasizes the harsh conditions of their journey.

The following verses discuss the feelings of the travelers as they continue their journey. They feel exhausted and cold, and the line "Were we ever colder on that day, a million miles away, it seemed from all eternity" highlights their sense of despair and isolation. However, they eventually find a place to rest and the line "And rest for the day with cold in the way" shows that they are able to take a break despite the difficult conditions.

The chorus of the song speaks about the moments of warmth and comfort the travelers experience in the midst of the harsh conditions. The line "Of warmth of the sky of warmth when you die" suggests that they find comfort in the warmth of the sun and the hope that there is warmth waiting for them after death. The repetition of the line "Were we ever warmer on that day?" emphasizes the contrast between the cold and warmth of their journey.

Overall, "South Side of the Sky" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks about the challenges of a dangerous journey and the hope that travelers can find in the moments of warmth and comfort.

Line by Line Meaning

A river a mountain to be crossed
Facing obstacles and challenges

The sunshine in mountains sometimes lost
The highs and lows of life

Around the south side so cold that we cried
Experiencing extreme hardships

Were we ever colder on that day
Reflecting on the severity of the situation

A million miles away
Feeling isolated and disconnected

It seemed from all eternity
Feeling like the situation will never end

Move forward was my friend's only cry
Encouragement to keep going

In deeper to somewhere we could lie
Finding a safe haven

And rest for the the day with cold in the way
Taking a break despite challenges

The moments seemed lost in all the noise
Feeling overwhelmed

A snow storm a stimulating voice
Chaos and confusion