My prog nerd confession: Yours Is No Disgrace

[proggy_jazzer]

Possibly inspired by the 'mandela effect' thread, I have a couple things I need to get off my chest concerning this great tune:

1) Even though I've been listening to YIND for 45 years or so, until I saw someone quote the correct lyric recently I was 100% sure in my belief that the line was "shining flying purple bullfrog" ;

2) Until I bought the Progeny set and heard the track with different ears, prompting me to seek out the source material from which the lick is borrowed (theme from The Big Country), I always heard the opening riff as starting on the 'and' of 4, instead of the 'and' of 1. After so many years of hearing it that way I still struggle to turn it around to its proper place in the measure. I guess I always conveniently ignored the fact that the way I heard it caused it to not line up with the time signature once the groove starts!

There - I feel better. Anyone else have anything they'd like to confess?

[pb2015]

I had the same issue with the '1' in that riff.

[malgeo]

I've also heard the opening lick was borrowed from the theme song of a '60s BBC detective show called Gideon's Way.

https://youtu.be/3MUbOg2b6cw

[Zappathustra]

I thought for 45 years that Supertramp was American.

I am currently 46.

[mozo-pg]

As a 12 year old, I thought Dylan's Tangled Up In Blue - was Tang Luck Blue. My sister politely told me the right song name. For Gabriel's San Jacinto - I kept hearing Silent Central (when it was released).

[ThomasKDye]

After 25 years, I finally discovered the opening verse section (when Peter starts singing "Along the forest road...") of "The Battle of Epping Forest" was in 7/8.

[SongForAmerica]

I confess that "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Heart of the Sunrise" were the first two Yes songs I heard and loved, and I had no idea they were done by the same band. All I knew was that they were great songs and that the radio station wasn't very good at identifying the artist. Nor did I know that Rick Wakeman, whom I was already a fan of due to his Journey to the Centre of the Earth, had anything to do with Yes.

I confess that the electric guitar that enters around 5:55 sounds like a violin, and it takes a few seconds for its true nature to become apparent to me.

[yodathedog]

My problem with mis-hearing lyrics was exacerbated by the disappearance of 12" records that had large writing on their covers or liner notes, by CDs with their tiny little 5" cases and even tinier lyric sheets - when they were even included at all.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

I used to hear:
cigarettes, ice cream, fig-leaves for the Virgin Mary

[proggy_jazzer]

Great stuff so far, exactly what i was hoping for - keep it coming!

[awebert]

No drugs we're digested while those lyrics we're being formulated... Fact

[JAMOOL]

my Dad told me PG's "Big Time" was actually called "Pig Time" and I can't hear it any differently

[Painter]

Until a year ago, I thought the second verse of “Dodo” was “Darth Vader, agitator”. It is in fact “dog baiter, agitator”

[Dave (in MA)]

I thought for 45 years that Supertramp was American.

I am currently 46.

That was Trammps.
I was not aware of either Supertramp or Trammps when I was 1.

[the winter tree]

Until a year ago, I thought the second verse of “Dodo” was “Darth Vader, agitator”. It is in fact “dog baiter, agitator”

I always thought it said "Darth Vader" until just now!

[the winter tree]

I thought for 45 years that Supertramp was American.

I am currently 46.

Their drummer was American.

[proggy_jazzer]

After 25 years, I finally discovered the opening verse section (when Peter starts singing "Along the forest road...") of "The Battle of Epping Forest" was in 7/8.

This is just what I had in mind with the "nerd" part of the OP. Being one myself, I live to figure things out musically, and passages that are in odd time signatures but don't necessarily "feel" like it are great. Genesis were particularly good at that IMO.

In addition to the YIND "finding one" adventure, I've had a similar thing happen with the opening of Crimson's Frame By Frame, where it's easy for me to hear Belew's first chord strike as being on the and of 4 instead of the and of 1. It's not until Bruford and Levin enter on the downbeat about 10 seconds later that the time signature resolves itself in my ear.

[Koreabruce]

This is a bit of a diversion from the OP's intention, but... back in the day, I'd long heard one line in Clapton's version of "I Shot the Sheriff" as "Killing people ain't gross" ("Kill it before it grows"). Also, I was briefly puzzled why Mr. Mister sang "Carry a laser down the road that I must travel / Carry a laser through the darkness of the night." Wouldn't the light beam from that be far too thin and too highly concentrated to provide much illumination?

[moecurlythanu]

Not Prog Nerd at all, but my misheard lyric back in the day was Hot Chocolate -"You Sexy Thing." I always heard "I believe in my cause, where's your bra? You sexy thing."

[Yestronomy]

Is it "armies scatter the earth" or "armies gather near" ? I have only ever heard the latter.

[Paul]

I always thought it said "Darth Vader" until just now!

Me too!

[proggy_jazzer]

Is it "armies scatter the earth" or "armies gather near" ? I have only ever heard the latter.

That's an excellent question! There are times when I think I hear one, other times the other. "Scatter the earth" makes more sense to me, but who knows?

Maybe our PE compatriots Henry or Aymeric could weigh in?

[Vic2012]

I always thought Robert was singing...."all we seek, with threshing on, I wanna go where we can twist and shout" instead of until "we reach the western shore."

[moecurlythanu]

Reasonably sure it's "armies gather near," and that's the only way I've ever heard it.

[Joe F.]

In Marillion's Sugar Mice all I ever hear is "Daddy took a ranch hand".