"Lift Me Up" is a song by the

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

. It was the first single released from their 1991 album '' Union''. It reached the number-one spot on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Album Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" fo ...

chart in May 1991, and stayed in this position for six weeks. "Lift Me Up" was Yes's third (and as of , last) single to reach number one on the ''Billboard'' Album Rock Tracks chart, following 1983's "

Owner of a Lonely Heart "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a song by British progressive rock band Yes. It is the first track and single from their eleventh studio album, '' 90125'' (1983), and was released on 24 October 1983. Written primarily by guitarist and singer Tre ...

" from ''

90125 ''90125'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 November 1983 by Atco Records. After Yes disbanded in 1981, following the ''Drama'' (1980) tour, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and Tre ...

'' and 1987's " Love Will Find a Way" from ''Big Generator''. "Lift Me Up" spent six weeks at the number one spot, from May 4 to June 8, 1991. It also charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, where it reached number 86.

Background

Following Yes's 1987–88 tour to support the '' Big Generator'' album, singer

Jon Anderson Jon Anderson (born John Roy Anderson, 25 October 1944) is a British, and latterly American, singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the former lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassis ...

left the band and formed a new group with 1970s-era Yes members Steve Howe (guitars),

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakema ...

(keyboards) and

Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording and tou ...

(drums). As their new band

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH) were an English progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised four past members of the English progressive rock band Yes. Singer Jon Anderson left Yes as he felt increasingly constrained by ...

, the quartet released a self-titled album and went on tour. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the "official" Yes, guitarist Trevor Rabin, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and keyboardist Tony Kaye, continued work on a follow-up to ''Big Generator''. Among the songs recorded was the Rabin- and Squire-penned "Lift Me Up", the lyrics of which allude to

homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

: The two competing bands had fought for the rights to use the "Yes" name, with the Squire/Rabin/White/Kaye faction filing suit to prevent Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe from using the name "Yes" during their tour promotion. However, once both factions were signed to

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

, the record label decided to combine the musicians' efforts and produce an album, ''Union'', featuring songs from each group. "Lift Me Up" was one of four Rabin or Squire songs included on the album; its follow-up single, "

Saving My Heart "Saving My Heart" is a song by British rock band Yes, written and produced by Yes vocalist and guitarist Trevor Rabin. It was the second single released from their 1991 "reunion" album '' Union'', following " Lift Me Up". "Saving My Heart" peake ...

", was another.

Charts

References

{{authority control Yes (band) songs 1991 singles Songs written by Trevor Rabin Songs written by Chris Squire 1991 songs Arista Records singles