Release Release

[BrianD]

This is one of my favourite tracks on Tormato - liked it from my first listening. Until today I hadn't given the lyrics much consideration beyond the obvious political commentary (indeed its interesting that when you put this track along with two other tracks on the Rhino remaster - Money & Countryside - this was a theme of their music of the period).

Anyhow it struck me today that at another level Release Release was also a commentary about the politics within the band at the time and their struggle to make Yesmusic relevent to the late 70s punk scene. Lets look at a few sections

Have you heard before, hit it out, don't look back
Rock is the medium of our generation
Stand for every right, kick it out, hear you shout
For the right of all of creation

The introduction sets the scene about how it is important for their music to change to be relevent in the new generation

We've heard before, but we just don't seem to move
The pressure's on is there lack of concentration

Power defy our needs, lift us up, show us now
Show us how amid the rack of confusion
Drive in thoughts of high, satisfy, in a plan
Set it out for all to understand it

But change is difficult - 'the pressures on,' they can't concentrate on what to do, they are looking for guidance 'show us how amid the rack of confusion'

They need a plan that needs to be set out 'for all to understand it'

Lost and wondering, maybe, how it is
Seems to me, it's as simple as this
No matter, where you go, you're going to find
You won't see me in front, but you can't leave me behind

Then Chris chips in with a very pragmatic verse suggesting that maybe they are making things too complicated, Yes may not know where it is heading, and it may no longer be leading the trend, but at the same time 'you can't leave me behind' - they'll be still (Chris was right about that!)

Power at first to the needs of each others days
Simple to lose in the void sounds of anarchy's calling ways
All unaccounted for in the craziness of power
In the craziness
Release all, release all, or abandon your hope for your brother
Release all, release all, or abandon your hope for your sister
Release, release, enough controllers
Show some signs of appreciated loyalties
Release, release, enough controllers
Show some signs of appreciated loyalties

Jon commented about Tormato that on this album he was less of a dictator than on their earlier albums and was less forceful abouthis own views. here he talks about the anarchy of the situation - how he has 'released his control' and is asking for some loyalty from the others.


Straight jacket, freedom's march, is it all, far beyond
Our reason of understanding
Campaign everything, anti-right, anti-left
Anticipate the love of creation
Stand for every right
Kick it out, hear you shout
Further the right
Further the right
Further the light
Of all of creation

This continues the theme of giving free reign to all members of the band by removing the 'straight jacket' and asking for them to 'anticipate the love of creation'


I have never been inclined to read too much into lyrics - to get too preoccupied by possible interpretations at another level - so I'm quite happy to concede that this is likely to be a very over interpreted piece of lyrical dissection - but hey, thats what we are here for isn't it!

[Sheerah]

Well, I think that's a very insightful dissection of the lyrics.
Very thought provoking.
I've never made the correlation before, but methinks you may have something here!

[pedro skychaser]

just goes to show what a master lyricist jon is-i wonder if chris authored his own bit???
is he talking to the punks ,his bandmates or the wider world?-and all running up to 1984-oh those were the cold war days!!!would love to hear them go @ this one in concert-and give requisite cheering over drum+guitar solo!!!!

petermcguiness.tripod.com

[BrianD]

just goes to show what a master lyricist jon is-i wonder if chris authored his own bit???
is he talking to the punks ,his bandmates or the wider world?-and all running up to 1984-oh those were the cold war days!!!would love to hear them go @ this one in concert-and give requisite cheering over drum+guitar solo!!!!

petermcguiness.tripod.com

Once this interpretation occured to me this morning I wondered the same thing about the verse Chris sings

[Hed G.]

It does seem like a manifest of what the band felt they should
be doing with their music within a post-punk industry, and at the
same time, it's an understated dialog betwee the two founding
members. Thanks for the insight, Brian. I never read it this way
before!

[RickyG]

Brian, thanks for the great analysis! As I mentioned elsewhere, this was my least favorite song on Tormato initially, but have grown over time to really like it. (Though I still don't like that drum solo break!)

In all honesty, I've long viewed these lyrics as both social/political commentary and also a parallel commentary on the internal dynamics and struggle of the band at that time, though I've never broken it down with the detail that you have. So I don't think you are over interpreting it as I pretty much agree with all you've said.

"We've heard before, but we just don't seem to move
The pressure's on is there lack of concentration"

Those lines always made me laugh because whenever I heard them I always imagined Jon presenting the lyrics to the band and their possible reactions to what he was saying to them!

[BrianD]

It is also interesting to ponder on those last rounds of Release Release sung at the end of the song - how they are sung out of harmony possibly symbolising the dysharmony within the group at the time.

[RickyG]

It is also interesting to ponder on those last rounds of Release Release sung at the end of the song - how they are sung out of harmony possibly symbolising the dysharmony within the group at the time.


Ok, now you are over-interpreting it!!! Maybe it was just a lack of concentration ?

Seriously, on a purely musical level I just think it's a moment of playing around with it and making it more interesting as is often a good device to throw in at the end of a song.

However, it does reflect the cover photograph with them all looking in different directions. Jon said once that was his idea to have them all look in different directions and to wear the sunglasses - because that's what they were doing with their disparate musical visions at the time.