Close to the Edge Released 13 September 1972 Recorded April–June 1972 Personnel: Jon Anderson – vocals Steve Howe – guitars, vocals Chris Squire – bass, vocals Rick Wakeman – keyboards Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
I. Cord Of Life (Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire)
A man conceived a moment's answers to the dream, Staying the flowers daily, sensing all the themes. As a foundation left to create the spiral aim, A movement regained and regarded both the same, All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you.
Changed only for a sight of sound, the space agreed. Between the picture of time behind the face of need, Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid, Emotion revealed as the ocean maid, All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you. Oh.
Turn round tailor, Coins and Assaulting all the mornings of the Crosses Interest shown, Never know Presenting one another to the cord, Their fruitless worth; All left dying, rediscovered Cords are broken, Of the door that turned round, Locked inside To close the cover, the mother earth. All the interest shown, They won't To turn one another, to the sign Hide, hold, they won't At the time Tell you, watching the world, To float your climb. Watching all of the world, Watching us go by.
And you and I climb over the sea to the valley, And you and I reached out for reasons to call.
II. Eclipse (Anderson/Bruford/Squire)
Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid, Emotion revealed as the ocean maid, As a movement regained and regarded both the same, All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you.
III. The Preacher the Teacher (Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire)
Sad preacher nailed upon the coloured door of time; Insane teacher be there reminded of the rhyme. There'll be no mutant enemy we shall certify; Political ends, as sad remains, will die. Reach out as forward tastes begin to enter you. Ooh, ooh.
I listened hard but could not see Life tempo change out and inside me. The preacher trained in all to lose his name; The teacher travels, asking to be shown the same. In the end, we'll agree, we'll accept, we'll immortalise That the truth of the man maturing in his eyes, All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you.
Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid, As a moment regained and regarded both the same, Emotion revealed as the ocean maid, A clearer future, morning, evening, nights with you.
IV. Apocalypse (Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire)
And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning. And you and I climb, over the sun for the river. And you and I climb, clearer, towards the movement. And you and I called over valleys of endless seas.