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1991 single by Yes

"Lift Me Up" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes. It was the first single released from their 1991 album Union. It reached the number-one spot on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in May 1991, and stayed in this position for six weeks. "Lift Me Up" was Yes`s third (and as of 2025, last) single to reach number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, following 1983`s "Owner of a Lonely Heart" from 90125 and 1987`s "Love Will Find a Way" from Big Generator.[2]

"Lift Me Up" spent six weeks at the number one spot, from May 4 to June 8, 1991.[3]

It also charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it reached number 86.[2]

Background

Following Yes`s 1987–88 tour to support the Big Generator album, singer Jon Anderson left the band and formed a new group with 1970s-era Yes members Steve Howe (guitars), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and Bill Bruford (drums). As their new band Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, the quartet released a self-titled album and went on tour.[4]

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.[4]

Among the songs recorded was the Rabin- and Squire-penned "Lift Me Up", the lyrics of which allude to homelessness:

Lyrically, the verse was a little dark, we tried to make it somewhat vague as to what it was about, but one of the pictures is that it`s a homeless person... `Look around, I`ve got nowhere to stay... you look me up, you look me down` the guy who goes into the restaurant to use the bathroom and they look at him, `No you can`t come in here.` And he just looks to the sky [and says], `Lift me up and turn me over,` you know, help me out.

— Trevor Rabin, Yesstories: Yes in their own words by Tim Morse[5]

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.[4] However, once both factions were signed to Arista Records, the record label decided to combine the musicians` efforts and produce an album, Union, featuring songs from each group.[4] "Lift Me Up" was one of four Rabin or Squire songs included on the album; its follow-up single, "Saving My Heart", was another.[5]

Charts