Released September 28, 1987 Label Atco Records | Length 7:03 | |
Recorded 1985-1987 (exact date and location unknown) Writer(s) Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin Composer(s) Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Alan White | ||
"Shoot High Aim Low" is a song by Yes. It appears on the band's 1987 Big Generator album. The song appears to have never been released as a single, but reached position #11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the 1980s. It appeared on every show on the Big Generator tour, but nowhere else to date.
Contents
Meaning
The song, according to Jon Anderson's announcements on many shows of the tour, is about war; specifically, a future in which mankind will live beyond war. In most of these announcements, Anderson explains that the "blue fields" mentioned in the first line are in Nicaragua. At the time the album was being worked on, a legal battle between the U.S. and Nicaragua had occurred over U.S. aid to anti-government guerrillas.
Anderson also explains on some occasions that Trevor Rabin, who performs lead vocals on the song (alternating with Anderson) is singing in "dreamtime", while Anderson is singing in real time.
On the album
The song is the second-longest on the album, clocking in at 7:03. It is the third track on the first side.
A label upon the plastic wrapping of LP copies of the album announced that the album contained this song, which emphasizes its popularity, most likely as a staple AOR track.
In the live setting
In live performances, the song usually appeared just prior to "Big Generator". It would typically last, discounting announcements, for about 8 minutes 30 seconds. Rabin's electric guitar solo was somewhat extended live, but typically only by a short amount of time. By November 22, 1987, this song was performed after "Big Generator."
A live version can be found on the live box set The Word is Live.