Dear Father?

[The Whale]

whats up with the song Dear Father? Its so good was it really left off the album at the time or was it from some were else and couldn't be used? I don't get it???

[umgekehrt]

It was the B-side of Sweet Dreams

[Terry Shea]

It's gotta be one of those (bad) decisions that record execs often make. Since the Rhino releases w/ bonus material came out I've been left wondering the same thing about 90125. Why weren't Make It Easy and It's Over included on the original album? Was it strictly a record execs decision or was it because Trevor had done the original vocal work and Jon didn't want too, but I digress.

[The Whale]

It was the B-side of Sweet Dreams

so it was done during the recording sesion for TAAW but not on the release. only as a single? I don't get it.....

[TheMiz]

I might be showing my age here but there was a time in the UK when singles ( not sure if it was just the B sides or both A & B ) were not to be issued on LP's

[umgekehrt]

Yeah, I think the album-oriented distribution like today was pioneered by The Beatles, among others. Even today there are still bands who would release a single with the B-side being a totally new song.

I guess Jeramie's point was that the song is too good to only be included on a B-side of a single, not in the album. And I agree.

[Canonsong]

Yeah its a great song and one of Squires stronger bass riffs

[The Whale]

chris is great on it but its jons vocals and the harmony really a glimps in to the future. The who album which I just got for christmas and finaly listend to for the first time in its entirety is vary strange. Its got jon and chris and bill and even eddie offord yet its missing something oh wait I got it STEVE!!!

[The Whale]

I might be showing my age here but No I think I was just showing mine! LOL!!

[Hugh Shiebler]

I think it's a great song - one of my favorites from that era. As I listened to it the other day, I wondered if it perhaps it was intended as a kind Christian allegory: Jesus addresing his "Dear Father".

Is this this something that is blindingly obvious to everyone - or am I out on a limb here?

"Dear Father (repeat)
Won't you leave me alone
Won't you let me go home
I don't think I could see
Lord, they'd crucify me
I just couldn't do that
'Cause that's not where it's at now."

[mageestout]

Quick DEAR FATHER story:

Back when I was in 9th grade (circa 1984) we had a project where we were to take a song, play it for the class, share the lyric sheet and do a speech regarding what the song meant. I chose DEAR FATHER by YES. I did it partly becuase YES was my favourite band and I wanted to turn my classmates on to them (at that moment in pop history I should have used OOALH, still in heavy radio & MTV rotation at that time) and DEAR FATHER was one of the only songs my pre-pubescent mind could comprehend lyric-wise!

I got an A on the project (plus my teacher dug YES. It was great growing up in the 70's & 80's having hippie teachers). I'm not sure if I got any converts that day, but I did get "properly" introduced to RUSH that week when a classmate did "The Spirit of the Radio" for his project.

[bjlevine]

This seems to have been written very early in the bands history. Not sure why it didn't make either of the first two albums. The live version is much superior to the orchestrated
offering on Yesterdays.

[gathernear]

Dear Father has always been a favorite of mine.

[Ernie90125]

I think its a great little song, but funnily enough my own 'Dear Father' didn't like the song. He said it was awful !

Maybe its because once when I was being told off I said "Dear father, won't you leave me a alone!"

[relayeire]

this and America were my most-listened-to tracks on Yesterdays... even before I got TaaW and Yes...

[Faceintheplace]

I always liked the song since hearing it on my dad's tape of Yesterdays as a kid. What I really like though are the orchestra free versions on Rhino's Yes reissue.