5 Ways Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha Shaped Yes’s ‘Close to the Edge’
- The 18-minute epic directly borrows its lyrics from Hesse’s novel, using Siddhartha’s spiritual journey as a lyrical foundation.
- Drummer Bill Bruford coined the title “Close to the Edge” to reflect the band’s precarious state during recording, not the book.
- The song’s structure mirrors Siddhartha’s arc, moving from chaos to enlightenment across its four movements.
- Jon Anderson’s abstract lyrics pull phrases like “the river” and “the seeker” straight from Hesse’s text.
- The album’s cover art, a green field with a river, visually echoes Siddhartha’s final scene by the river.