Shoot High, Aim Low

"Shoot High, Aim Low" is a song by Yes. It appears on the 1987 Big Generator album. The song appears to have never released as a single^[1], but reached position #11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the '80s. It appeared on every show on the Big Generator tour, but nowhere else to date.^[2]

Meaning

The song, according to Jon Anderson's announcements^[3] 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.^[4]

On the album

The song, along with "Final Eyes" and "I'm Running", is often considered to be the saving grace of the album by fans of the band's 1970s incarnation, who generally dislike Big Generator for being "too poppy." 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^[5], 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^[6], this song was performed after "Big Generator."

A live version can be found on the live box set The Word is Live.

Personnel

• Jon Anderson - Vocals
• Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals (Background)
• Trevor Rabin - Producer, Guitar, Vocals (Background), Mixing, Keyboards, Engineer, String Arrangements
• Tony Kaye - Keyboards
• Alan White - Drums, Percussion
• Trevor Horn - Producer

Notes and references

1. ^ Yesworld, official Yes website, retrieved December 25, 2006.
2. ^ Forgotten Yesterdays Yes tour log, retrieved December 25, 2006.
3. ^ Forgotten Yesterdays Yes tour log, retrieved December 25, 2006.
4. ^ Forgotten Yesterdays Yes tour log, retrieved December 25, 2006.
5. ^ Image of LP, retrieved December 25, 2006.
6. ^ Forgotten Yesterdays Yes tour log, retrieved December 25, 2006