I've Seen All Good People: Your Move
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "I've Seen All Good People" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Yes | ||
| from the album The Yes Album | ||
| Released | 1971 | |
| Recorded | 1970 | |
| Genre | Progressive Rock | |
| Length |
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| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Producer(s) | Yes and Eddie Offord | |
| The Yes Album track listing | ||
| Starship Trooper (3) |
"I've Seen All Good People" (1) |
A Venture (4) |
"I've Seen All Good People: Your Move" is a song performed by the band Yes and written by Jon Anderson. It is included on The Yes Album. The song is one of Yes' most well-known, notable for being a staple of classic rock radio.
[edit] Interpretation
The song is essentially a monologue on how to play chess, as if it's said by a Bishop running the black diagonal squares to the player (left wing when you are playing white, right wing when you are playing black)[1], but could also be seen as a piece comparing life itself to the game of chess. It is also considered an anti-war song. For example, the lyric "Don't surround yourself with yourself" is a reference to self-righteous entities, and the song discusses how news is captured by the queen to manipulate troops against enemies, a criticism of the Vietnam War of the time.
[edit] Trivia
- The song references "Instant Karma" and "Give Peace A Chance" by John Lennon.
- Your Move was covered by the band Shaw Blades and was met with a very positive reception.
[edit] In Pop Culture
- The song is used on the soundtracks of Mr. Deeds, Almost Famous, and Big Fish.
