When Yes performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003, lead singer Jon Anderson said, "This is a song about climbing mountains. It's dangerous, but we all must climb mountains every day." The liner notes to the remastered edition of Fragile aren't so optimistic, describing the song as about a tragic polar expedition that ends in death.
Anderson wrote this song with Yes bass player Chris Squire. Running 8:04, it's one of the epics on Fragile, along with "Heart Of The Sunrise" and "Roundabout." The album is one the band looked back on as a creative peak, thanks in part to their new member, keyboard player Rick Wakeman, who brought a fresh energy. It was also the first Yes album with cover art by Roger Dean, whose bold, ornate artwork became instantly identifiable with the band.
Jon Anderson is a student of philosophy receptive to the idea that we have many lives. In "South Side Of The Sky," reaching the top of the mountain represents the end of this life and the transition to the next one.
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