Turn of the Century - 2003 Remaster

"Turn of the Century" is a profound exploration of love, loss, and the transcendent power of art. At its core, it is a retelling of the Pygmalion myth—where a sculptor falls in love with his creation—but infused with the tragic, human element of grief found in operas like La Bohème.

The song tells the story of Roan, a sculptor whose wife dies young. Unlike the original myth where Pygmalion scorns real women for a statue, Roan creates the statue because he loves a real woman who is taken from him. The central theme is the artist's attempt to conquer death through creation. Roan pours his "passion into clay," trying to capture his wife's vitality before she fades.

Implicitly, the song asks whether art can truly replace life or if love is a force strong enough to bridge the gap between the living and the dead. The ending is intentionally ambiguous and metaphysical. When the statue "comes to life," it may be interpreted in several ways:

• Literal Magic: Like Galatea in the myth, the gods (or the power of Roan's love) grant the statue life.
• Spiritual Reunion: Roan passes away or enters a visionary state where he is reunited with her spirit.
• The Immortality of Art: The "life" is the enduring legacy of the art piece; she lives on forever in the perfection of the sculpture.

Ultimately, the song suggests that true devotion and the act of creation can heal the wounds of mortality, allowing memory to become as tangible and warm as "moonlight."

The narrative unfolds with Roan, a master sculptor, deeply immersed in his craft. He is shaping a form out of stone, his hands moving with the rhythm of his heart, molding his passion into clay. In the room with him is his beloved lady, a vibrant muse who dances and sings completely, filling his world with light. However, Roan, perhaps sensing the fleeting nature of the moment, implores her to be still. He believes he has time and wishes to capture her essence in his sculpture, crying out for the clay to transform her beauty into something eternal.

Tragedy strikes as the season shifts. The deep cold of winter calls, and despite Roan's desperate pleas to not be denied his love, she falls gravely ill. The lyrics personify time as a hunter that has caught her and will, for all reasons, take her away. In the quiet, still light of dawn, she passes away, leaving Roan with his helpless hands and a soul laid bare. The song reflects on the fragility of life, comparing humans to leaves that touch and wither, acknowledging that we all eventually know this story of loss.

Consumed by grief, Roan isolates himself. As winter threatens to starve him, he focuses his entire existence on one goal: to see the stone take on life. He sheds no more tears but instead channels his remaining strength into his work. The creation process transforms him as much as it does the stone. He becomes so absorbed in realizing the form that he begins to question the boundaries of reality—asking if she can hear or see him.

In a climactic moment of artistic and spiritual transcendence, the room begins to glow. The boundaries between the statue and the spirit of his wife blur. The stone, carved with such love and perfection, seems to breathe. The lyrics describe a transformation where the 'statue' and the 'lady' become indistinguishable. She stands before him, no longer cold stone but warm as moonlight. The grief of winter is washed away by a metaphorical spring; tears have flown away. In this reunion, whether literal, spiritual, or a manifestation of his madness and love, they are together again. The song concludes with a sense of eternal connection, where they smile and touch like leaves once more, transcending the physical separation of death through the immortality of art and memory.

"Turn of the Century" was released on Yes's 1977 album, Going for the One. The song was a collaborative effort primarily between vocalist Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe, with significant contributions from drummer Alan White (who provided the initial chord structure). It was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland.

The genesis of the song began with Steve Howe playing a series of acoustic chords that Alan White had written on the piano. Jon Anderson, hearing the emotional weight of the music, was inspired to write a narrative lyric. Anderson has stated in interviews that he was thinking about the opera La Bohème and the idea of a relationship cut short by illness, combined with the Greek myth of Pygmalion. He wanted to tell a story of a sculptor who refuses to accept the finality of his wife's death.

The 2003 Remaster, released by Rhino Records as part of the expanded edition of Going for the One, is notable for its sonic clarity. It removed layers of "mud" from the original mix, allowing Steve Howe's intricate acoustic fingerpicking and the subtle textures of Rick Wakeman's synthesizers (specifically the Polymoog and Bi-Tron) to shine with greater definition. This version is often cited by audiophiles as the definitive way to experience the track's dynamic range.

Rhyme Scheme: The song does not follow a strict rhyme scheme. Jon Anderson employs free verse and slant rhymes (e.g., "stone/hands," "clay/completely"). This looseness gives the lyrics a conversational, storytelling quality, rather than a rigid poetic structure. Occasional perfect rhymes appear at emotional peaks (e.g., "stone/bone" or internal rhymes), but the focus is on flow and imagery.

Rhythm and Meter: Musically, the track is complex. While it largely feels like a slow 4/4 ballad, there are frequent shifts in meter and tempo (rubato) to accommodate the phrasing of the vocals and the guitar melody. The rhythm is fluid, mirroring the sculpting process—at times methodical and steady, at other times rushing with passion. The interplay between the vocal rhythm and the guitar is intricate; Anderson often sings behind the beat or stretches phrases across bar lines, enhancing the feeling of longing and suspension.

Musical Techniques:

• Classical Guitar Intro: Steve Howe opens the piece with a complex, classical-inspired acoustic guitar figure that sets a melancholic and intimate tone. This differs from the electric-heavy sound of previous albums.
• Through-Composed Structure: The song lacks a traditional verse-chorus structure. Instead, it flows linearly like a symphonic poem, following the narrative of the story from the quiet intro to the grand, orchestral climax.
• Polymoog Synthesizer: Rick Wakeman utilizes the Polymoog to create lush, orchestral swells that mimic strings and woodwinds, providing a cinematic backdrop without using a real orchestra.
• Dynamic Crescendo: The song is a masterclass in dynamics. It starts with a whisper (single guitar and voice) and slowly builds, layer by layer, matching Roan's growing obsession and the eventual miraculous climax.

Literary Techniques:

• Narrative Voice: The song uses a third-person omniscient perspective, allowing the listener to observe Roan's tragedy from a distance, like a fable.
• Personification: Time is personified as a predator or captor: "Time has caught her, And will for all reasons take her."
• Assonance: Anderson uses soft vowel sounds ("stone," "roan," "home," "glow") to create a soothing, dreamlike quality that contrasts with the harsh reality of death.

While not a radio single, "Turn of the Century" holds a legendary status among Yes fans and progressive rock aficionados. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful compositions in the band's discography.

• Critical Acclaim: It showcased the band's ability to move away from the dense, abrasive complexity of the Relayer era toward a more melodic, symphonic, and emotionally resonant sound.
• Live Performance: The song became a staple in Yes concerts, allowing Steve Howe to showcase his classical guitar skills.
• Annie Haslam Cover: The song was notably covered by Annie Haslam (of Renaissance) and Steve Howe on a tribute album, highlighting its connection to the classical-crossover and folk-prog styles.
• Legacy: It is frequently cited as a prime example of "prog rock as high art," demonstrating how rock instrumentation could be used to tell complex, mythological stories with the emotional weight of an aria.

The lyrics are dense with symbolic imagery relating to nature, art, and time:

• Clay and Stone: These represent the physical, cold, and immutable aspects of reality. Roan's attempt to "mold his passion into clay" symbolizes the human desire to impose will and emotion onto the unyielding permanence of the material world.
• Winter vs. Spring/Sun: The seasons track the narrative arc. Winter symbolizes death, illness, and isolation ("In the deep cold of night, Winter calls"). The return of the lady is associated with the Sun and warmth ("As warm as moonlight"), symbolizing resurrection and the return of life.
• Working Hands: Roan's hands are mentioned repeatedly. They are the vessel of his power and his grief. They are "helpless" when she dies, but they become the tools of his salvation as he works the stone.
• Leaves: The line "Like leaves we touch, we learn" uses leaves as a metaphor for the fragility and transient nature of human life—beautiful but destined to fall.

"Realizing a form out of stone": This phrase (and variations of it) acts as the central motif of the song. It appears at the beginning to establish Roan's profession and returns later to signify his obsessive grief work. It anchors the listener, reminding them that the central action is the act of creation.

"Set hands moving": This focuses on the physical act of the artist. It emphasizes that Roan's solution to his emotional pain is physical action—using his hands to create what his heart has lost.

"Winter calls": This motif signals the antagonist of the story—death and time. Its recurrence marks the turning points of the narrative, from the threat of illness to the desperation of the artist.