The Ancient: Giants Under the Sun

The next song on the Tales from Topographic Oceans double album (previous tracks can be found here and here) is a mix of wildness and beauty called The Ancient: Giants Under the Sun. Steve Howe begins the piece with a primal guitar journey through the past, with Jon all the while adding previous names of various gods. It concludes with the "Leaves of Green" section beginning at the 12:30 mark in which Steve transfers over to acoustic guitar, which is pure majesty.

PURANAS: The Ancient probes still further into the past beyond the point of remembering. Here Steve's guitar is pivotal in sharpening reflection on the beauties and treasures of lost civilizations, Indian, Chinese, Central American, Atlantean. These and other people left an immense treasure of knowledge.

Lyrics

As one with the knowledge and magic of the source

Atuned to the majesty of music

They marched as one with earth

Sol, Dhoop

Sun

Ilios

Naytheet

Ah Kin

Saule

Tonatiuh

Qurax

Gunes, Grian

Surje

Ir

Samse

 So the flowering creativity of life wove its
Web face to face with the shallow
And their gods sought out and conquered, Ah Kin

Do the leaves of green stay greener through the autumn
Does the color of the sun turn crimson white
Does a shadow come between us in the winter
Is the movement really light

And I heard a million voices singing
Acting to the story that they had heard about
Does on child know the secret and can say it
Or does it all come out along without you
along without you
along without you

Where does reason stop and killing just take over
Does a lamb cry out before we shoot it dead
Are there many more in comfort understanding
Is the movement in the head

And I heard a million voices singing
Acting to the story that they had heard about
Does one child know the secret and can say it
Or does it all come out along without you
along without you
along without you