Heart of the Sunrise
| "Heart of the Sunrise" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Yes | |
| from the album Fragile | |
| Released | 26 November 1971 |
| Recorded | September 1971 |
| Genre | Progressive rock |
| Length |
10:37 (original version) 11:27 (Fragile Version) |
| Label | Atlantic Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman (uncredited) |
| Producer(s) | Yes and Eddie Offord |
| Fragile track listing | |
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"Heart of the Sunrise" is a progressive rock song by British band Yes. It is the closing track on their fourth album, 1971's Fragile. The compositional credits go to Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, and Chris Squire, though keyboardist Rick Wakeman contributed some uncredited sections.
The song eventually rose to become the band's fourth most-played song, and appears on Yessongs, Classic Yes, In a Word: Yes (1969 - ), and many other studio and live retrospectives.
According to Anderson, the song is about being lost in the city. This was explained on many tours. In the Big Generator tour, Anderson said that the song is about the power and energy of the sunrise. In 1978, however, he said the song was about the power of love. Sometimes, he made other comments regarding its meaning. For example, in the October 16, 1971 show, Anderson stated that the organ in the song is inaudible and will be performed without it. He further notes that the organ is "one of the best jokes in the business."
The song begins with a churning, bass-heavy riff that alternates between 6/8 and 3/4 time. After one full sequence, it merges into a new, slightly funky section in 4/4 that lasts for a minute and a half. It afterwards breaks back into three full cycles of the main riff.
At around 3:25, after the final cycle, the song switches to a much softer style, where Jon Anderson begins singing. This section starts in 6/8 but includes many individual sequences, including a quirky 5/8 riff that appears in various speeds and arrangements. The song gradually builds in intensity, eventually including the main riff interspersed with the other sections. A brief 9/8 classical snippet of Rick Wakeman's is used as well in both classical and rock arrangements.
The song itself ends very abruptly around 10:35, but a reprise of "We Have Heaven" from earlier on the album is included as a hidden track, extending it to 11:27 (11:32 on the 2003 release). Some vinyl pressings of the album, as well as most pre-recorded tape editions, end without this reprise. At either length, it is the longest song on the album. Original North American pressings of Fragile contain the reprise, but list "Heart of the Sunrise"'s timing as 10:34, not reflecting its inclusion.
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