Wonderous Stories
Yes Lyrics


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I awoke this morning
Love laid me down by a river.
Drifting I turned on upstream
Bound for my forgiver.
In the giving of my eyes to see your face.
Sound did silence me
Leaving no trace.
I beg to leave, to hear your wonderous stories.
Beg to hear your wonderous stories.

He spoke of lands not far
Or lands they were in his mind.
Of fusion captured high
Where reason captured his time.
In no time at all he took me to the gate.
In haste I quickly checked the time.
If I was late I had to leave to hear your wonderous stories.
Had to hear your wonderous stories.

Hearing
Hearing
Hearing your wonderous stories.
Hearing your wonderous stories.
It is no lie I can see deeply into the future.
Imagine everything
You're close
And were you there to stand
So cautiously at first and then so high.
As he spoke my spirit climbed into the sky.
I bid it to return
To hear your wonderous stories.
Return to hear your wonderous stories.

Hearing,
Hearing,
Hearing,




Hearing,
Hearing,

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Yes's song Wonderous Stories are full of metaphors and cryptic meaning. The first verse speaks of finding love and being forgiven, and a journey upstream towards enlightenment. The image of giving one's eyes to see someone's face suggests a sense of sacrifice and devotion to this person. The silence that follows could represent a sense of awe or reverence. The singer then begs to hear the other person's "wonderous stories," suggesting a desire to learn from them and absorb their wisdom.


The second verse speaks of a man who speaks of "lands not far" and "fusion captured high," suggesting that the person is a visionary or has a heightened sense of imagination. He takes the singer to a gate, and the line "if I was late, I had to leave" suggests that the opportunity for knowledge or understanding might be fleeting or limited in some way. The final verse returns to the idea of hearing "wonderous stories," with the singer expressing a willingness to transcend time and space in order to experience them.


Overall, the song seems to be about the power of storytelling and the transformative effect it can have on the listener. The image of the river and the journey upstream suggest a sense of spiritual growth or enlightenment, while the repeated plea to hear "wonderous stories" suggests a deep hunger for knowledge and understanding.


Line by Line Meaning

I awoke this morning
I woke up this morning


Love laid me down by a river.
I felt loved and peaceful as I lay by a river


Drifting I turned on upstream
I floated upstream without effort


Bound for my forgiver.
I was looking for forgiveness for my mistakes


In the giving of my eyes to see your face.
I am willing to give everything to see your face


Sound did silence me
I became speechless because of the beauty I witnessed


Leaving no trace.
It felt so fleeting, like it didn't even happen


I beg to leave, to hear your wonderous stories.
I'm eager to leave everything behind and hear your amazing stories


Beg to hear your wonderous stories.
I desperately want to hear your incredible stories


He spoke of lands not far
He told me about places that weren't too far away


Or lands they were in his mind.
Or maybe these places existed only in his imagination


Of fusion captured high
He described a unity that brought people together


Where reason captured his time.
Where logical thinking occupied his thoughts


In no time at all he took me to the gate.
Incredibly quickly, he brought me to the entrance


In haste I quickly checked the time.
In a rush, I verified the hour


If I was late I had to leave to hear your wonderous stories.
If I was tardy, I’d have to leave to miss your incredible tales


Had to hear your wonderous stories.
I needed to hear your phenomenal stories


Hearing Hearing Hearing your wonderous stories.
Listening to, internalizing, and cherishing your amazing stories


It is no lie I can see deeply into the future.
It's the truth, I have a profound intuition about what's to come


Imagine everything
I picture everything


You're close
You are nearby


And were you there to stand
And if you were standing there


So cautiously at first and then so high.
At first, cautiously, then confidently extending higher


As he spoke my spirit climbed into the sky.
As he spoke, my soul elevated skyward


I bid it to return
I asked it to come back down


To hear your wonderous stories.
To listen to your fabulous stories


Return to hear your wonderous stories.
Come back to listen to your marvelous stories


Hearing,
Listening to,


Hearing,
Internalizing


Hearing,
Cherishing


Hearing,
Listening to


Hearing,
Internalizing




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JON ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Wonderous Stories
Yes

I awoke this morning
Love laid me down by the river
Drifting I turned on up stream
Bound for my forgiver
In the giving of my eyes to see your face
Sound did silence me
Leaving no trace
I begged to leave, to hear your wonderous stories
Begged to hear your wonderous stories 'LA AHA'

He spoke of lands not far
Nor lands they were in his mind
Of fusion captured high
Where reason captured his time
In no time at all he took me to the gate
In haste I quickly
Checked the time
If I was late
I had to leave, to hear your wonderous stories

Had to hear your wonderous stories 'LA AHA, LA AHA'

Hearing
Hearing hearing your wonderous stories
Hearing your wonderous stories
It is no lie I see deeply into the future
Imagine everything
You're close
And were you there
To stand so cautiously at first
And then so high
As he spoke my spirit climbed into the sky
I bid it to return
To hear your wonderous stories
Return to hear your wonderous stories

Return to hear your wonderous stories
LA AH LA AH AH AH

Hearing
Hearing
Hearing
Hearing
Hearing



All comments from YouTube:

Philip Renshaw

Words cannot describe how beautiful this song resonates with me, a timeless classic

Ron Colem

The melody , chords , Jon's voice!!

Carl Thomas

Spot on.

PaulLonden

Sure ...thumbs up to Beat-Club for not wiping their tapes like the BBC has done so senselessly .Which doesn't make this less ridiculous.....👍😂

steve preston

Jon Anderson's voice reaches an astral plane in this wonderful song. And along with the incredible musicianship of the band, this one will stay at the very top for me.

Anne Buus

You're never alone music lover.

Rusty Knyffe

I saw YES in 1979 and it was one of the most memorable performances that I have ever seen. Rick Wakeman was dressed in silver and looked like a mad wizard. Steve Howe was absolutely masterful, Chris Squire was equally masterful and dwarfed his bass, and Jon Anderson broke my heart that night - me being female, I was mesmerized by his voice and the fact that he didn't leap about and cavort as did so many singers of that era. Anderson connected with his audience and gave his voice to them - each of them - as an ethereal and spiritual gift. I fell hopelessly in love and I've loved him ever since. RIP Peter, Chris, and Alan........

David Hefner

Well, that was eloquently said

steve preston

@David Hefner thank you.

Victoria Rosario

@Rusty Knyffe Beautifully expressed. I remember that silver wizard outfit. Was that during the same 'Going For The One' Tour?
I "fell in Love" with Chris Squire that night. Totally mesmerized by him.
One of the Best Concerts of a lifetime.
But, THIS song...Ohhh💔🥲

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