‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’ By Yes: In The Can
‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ by Yes has an interesting history. The song, in fact, all of the album, 90125, was a distinct departure from the Yes sound and style of the albums that came before it. It is the only number-one song that Yes has had. ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ spent two weeks at number one and 17 weeks in the Billboard Top 40 in 1983-84.
In a recent interview with GuitarPlayer.com, Trevor Rabin said, “I was on the toilet with my acoustic guitar and I just started playing the riff. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s either something or it’s just a bunch of irrelevant notes’. The next day, the riff came back.”
In Loo of Acoustics
Trevor has been pretty upfront for decades about the song’s place of origin. On the DVD, Yes Greatest Video Hits. Trevor talks about coming up with the bass line and title in his bathroom (he loved the acoustics in there). He further adds that it was during a “particularly long visit.” There’s no shame in Trevor’s game. He says he often sings in the loo too.
The Video Freaked Me Out
I still remember the worms in the Chinese food box. I was not well with that. It gets disturbing around 3:44. The full-form video runs 6:46. I never saw the full version until YouTube. MTV played ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ by Yes a lot. The early days of MTV didn’t have many rock bands that were making videos., so when they had a good one, they played it in heavy rotation.
‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ by Yes – The Video
The song was a very collaborative effort. Trevor Rabin started things. Jon Anderson, Trevor Horn, and Chris Squire also contributed to the song. In an interview with Songfacts.com, Jon said, “I came in and all the songs were virtually put together, but there was a lack of choruses here, verses there. I went in for three weeks with Trevor and sort of filled everything in.”
“Owner of a Lonely Heart’ by Yes: The Rock Hall Induction
Yes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman shared the stage with Steve Howe and Alan White (leaders of the official version of Yes). They played two songs: ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ and “Roundabout.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is always a fun topic. It is also triggering. I’m glad Yes has been inducted, but you won’t believe some of these artists who have never received a nomination.
Rock Hall Snubs: 45 Artists Never Nominated with 5+ Years of Eligibility
