Siberian Khatru by Yes

Album: Close To The Edge (1972)

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Songfacts®:

The closing track on the Close To The Edge album, this song is about unity across cultures. Jon Anderson, who wrote the lyric, has given different accounts of what "Khatru" means. He has said that it means "winter," and also that it translates to "as you wish" in Yemenite Hebrew.

The meaning of the song is more clear: Anderson is expressing how Siberians go through the same emotions that he does. They're people like us, just geographically distant. We may be from different places, but we're all basically the same. >>
Suggestion credit:
Dino - Bandung, Indonesia
Jon Anderson is credited with writing the lyric to this song, with keyboard player Rick Wakeman, guitarist Steve Howe and Anderson credited for composing the music. The songwriting credits on Yes songs can be deceptive, since the full band was usually involved in some aspect of working up the song.

Howe said that this song was one of their more collaborative efforts. "That song came together with the arranging skills of the band," he told Guitar World. "Jon had the rough idea of the song, and Chris [Squire], Bill [Bruford], Rick and me would collaborate on getting the riffs together."
Eddy Offord, who produced the album, remembers using a primitive studio technique to get a swirling sound in the mix: he had an assistant attach a microphone to a cable and swing it around the room to get a Doppler effect.

Comments: 9

Dana from DallasIt seems to me that this song is about the clouds thaparting after a winter storm revealing a beautiful spring morning.

The "gold stainless nail" could be a ray of sunlight seen by the people "as they regard the summit", or the heavens.

Siberia "goes through the motions" of nature and the seasons, and "the morning ... comes into view". The "river running right on over my head" is the clear blue sky between the clouds.

Winter is the "cold reigning king" that hides all the life of nature, but eventually that life "produces the movement" and the livelihood of spring.

And the "green leaves" of spring "reveal the heartspoken khatru", or the wish for winter to be over and for life to come out of hiding.
Serge from StockholmI was born and raised in eastern Siberia. -40C in the winter; +35 in the summer. We went through the motions alright.
Rick Bell from Boston"Gold stainless nail
Torn through the distance of man
As they regard the summit"

The famous Golden Spike ("gold stainless nail") Ceremony (it's even part of the Nation Parks System of USA) marked the final joining of the transcontinental railway at Promontory Summit, Utah. ("As they regard the summit").

This lyric is about bringing mankind together ("torn through the distance of man") by the transcontinental railway project.

Jon Anderson is a lyrical genius.
Rockbert Zulia from ZuliaArtist love to riddle people. Maybe it makes the imagination work.

In this case, a Siberian Khatru is the wish of turning bad weather to a bright good one, by miracle.
Siberian is a deep-frozen land. Like saying "when hell freezes over" but the opposite. "Siberian Khatru" (When Siberia turns a summer place).

In short words .... a magical word or spell to change the unchangeable.... wish a miracle! (or not Mr. Anderson?)
Marla Diane Christensen from Baltimore, MarylandCould the definition of the word "Khatru" mean, in short, "The Truth"?
Fat Gorgo Cat from SwedenI just love music that isn't just 4/4. Like 7/8 and 5/8. The Yes musicians are just fantastic. Just like the people surrounding Frank Zappa.
Ladster from Basingstoke, UkI always thought it was a prediction that ultra-orthodox Communism (Winter) would eventually thaw into something warmer and less harsh in the penal province of Siberia; Lo and behold, Glasnost & Perestroika (Summer) appeared on the scene in the fullness of time, and the rest is history. A favourite Yes song dear to my heart!
Dave Erie Pa from Erie Pa"as they reguard the summit" could be relevant to todays political situation.. some of my favourite Mellotron @ 5:55 da..dat da da dat (6:50 ish)
Scott from Bothell, Wa"Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru." This song is so dear to me.

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