Starship Trooper
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| "Starship Trooper" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
| "Life Seeker" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Yes | |
| from the album The Yes Album | |
| A-side | "I've Seen All Good People: Your Move" (UK) |
| Released | 1970 |
| Genre | Progressive rock, space rock |
| Length | 3:26 |
| Label | Atlantic Records |
| Writer(s) | Jon Anderson |
| Producer(s) | Yes and Eddy Offord |
"Starship Trooper" is a song written by Jon Anderson, Steve Howe and Chris Squire that first appeared on Yes' 1971 album The Yes Album. The song is in three parts, "Life Seeker," "Disillusion" and "Würm." "Life Seeker" was released as a single on the b-side of the UK release of "Your Move."
Contents
Lyrics and music
The title of "Starship Trooper" comes from the 1959 novel by Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers.[1] "Starship Trooper" was constructed from pieces of music written separately by Anderson, Howe and Squire.[2] Howe had written the instrumental "Würm" section while he was in an earlier band,[2] Squire wrote most of the "Disillusion" section and Anderson wrote most of the rest of the song, particularly "Life Seeker."[3]
The song was heavily constructed in the recording studio, and as a result the band were never able to play it live quite the way it was recorded.[3] The song changes mood, rhythm, tempo and style continually, but according to Yes biographer Chris Welch, it still manages to "hang together."[4] Authors Pete Brown and Lisa Sharken describe the "Würm" section as "a Bolero-paced chord sequence that builds into an explosive solo.[5] They note that Howe's solo incorporates rockabilly and country music elements rather than on blues-based music with distortion as is typical for these types of solos.[5]
A theme of "Life Seeker" is the search for God.[1][3] Anderson has stated that the lyrics:
- Mother life hold firmly onto me
- Spread my knowledge higher than the day
- Release as much as only you can show
refer to "the point within yourself that knows you," which we call "God."[3] The lyrics accept the fact that "no matter how much you want to get clearer visions of what you're up to, you're only going to get a certain amount."[3]
The song uses UFO imagery.[1] Other themes that have been inferred for the song include new age ideas and environmentalism.[1][6]
Critical reception
Yes biographer Chris Welch describes "Starship Trooper" as "one the most astonishing pieces" in Yes' repertoire.[4] Welch particularly praises the "Würm" section for its "grinding intensity."[4] The New Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Ernesto Lechner described the song as being "ethereal."[7] Pitchfork Media considered "Howe's slow, spacey guitar build at the end" of the song to be "one of the great Yes moments."[8]
Other appearances
"Starship Trooper" has appeared on many of Yes' live albums and DVDs, including Yessongs, 9012Live, Keys to Ascension and Symphonic Live.[9] It has also appeared on compilation albums such as Yesstory.[9]
Personnel
- Jon Anderson – lead vocals
- Chris Squire – bass guitar, vocals
- Steve Howe – electric and acoustic guitars
- Tony Kaye – Hammond organ
- Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
References
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