It was always a pleasure and well worth the money to see Kansas in concert back in the day.Each and every year it seemed they would tour and ALWAYS produced the goods live.Still 1 of the great live acts that have come from the prog rock genre.
From the 1st or 2nd time i heard this I figured out who the lyrics is about. Einstein. Livgren recently confirmed it. Music is awesome - Long Live Kansas
Nicola Tesla would be a better candidate based on the description of the lyrics. It's probably not based on any single person. It doesn't matter! It is just an awesome song!
It's not Einstein or Jesus. I heard it was Leonardo Da Vinci. Look at the cover for Left Overture. Still doesn't make sense to me though. "You've barely heard his name." ? Everyone knows Leonardo. And Einstein and Jesus for that matter
@wildweazel123 The lyric is: "you MIGHT'VE heard his name." clarify anything? I'm with you though, I think it has to do with either Da Vinci or Einstein. Einstein is more commonly known to have not completed his work in his lifetime, and is more of a household name than Da Vinci (even though so many people know both)...
@larreey69er Back when this album came out, Livgren said it was about Leonardo DaVinci. Seems that since then Albert Einstein entered the discussion since he was a great thinker, too.
@Supermassively You've gotta be fucking kidding me, right? If you didn't identify the sarcasm in that comment then you're a fucking retard. I was making fun of the people who say "Thumbs up if you're watching this in 2012"
This song is one of my favorate Kansas compositions ever! This band is so talented- they almost never put out a bad song. If you want a really good history of the band and the meaning of each of their major hits read Kerry Livgren's autobiography "Seeds of Change". Actually Kerry didn't become Christian until 1979, so this song wasn't about Christ- it was indeed about Albert Einstein. All Kerry's songs deal with his searching for meaning in life,
hes only saying whats was on his mind when he wrote the song, i think the object of the song is about just abount anyone who has an open mind with ideas rhat are not commonly accepted by the majority.
Just some thoughts. If this song is about Jesus, then Livgren is saying Jesus was not able to accomplish what He set out to do--"it died when he went away"; this makes Jesus who was and is God ineffective. Thus, why did God die on the cross if people still do not know what it all meant. Seems like a waste of God's time. So, it would make sense that the song is about a genius who was a man. And now that man is gone and we are still trying to figure out what he was after.
@PrimalRhythm ....I think it was Jimi Hendrix....he was trying to do so many things in such little time, and they all died when he went away. That is my take;)
I don't know where you people come up with this shit, Kerry Livgren has said so many times that he was always fascinated with Einstein and that's who he wrote the song about, no big mystery, do a fuckin search...
The line that's most significant is "His numbers are not the way..." as in 666. This is a "what if" thing... IF God got rid of Satan without long time ago before Adam and Eve began populating the world, then humans would have always asked why this 'special angel' of God's was so bad.
Quote from Kerry: "A lot of people thought Portrait (He Knew) was about Christ, but at the time I wrote this song I wasn't doing a lot of thinking about Christ. Instead, this was a musical portrait of Albert Einstein (though it could also apply to a number of historical figures with an extraordinary measure of charisma and vision). Seeds of Change (1983, p. 104)
For what it's worth: Although the lyrics would indicate Nikola Tesla more so than Einstein (lived alone, nobody was sure he was sane, etc), I can't find anything Kerry Livgren said about this song being about either man. Conventional wisdom among the fans seems to point towards Einstein, but I can't find anybody who knows for sure.
After Livgren converted to Christianity he began dedicating this song to God, but this song was written years before his conversion.
@LayneTheMathNerd No its about Einstein look at the lyrics they talk about, " he was in search of an answer, the nature of what we are" which Einstein was working on until the day he died which no one to this day can figure out
Such a true song about visionaries and intellectuals. We as people don't get them and scuff at the things they say that we don't understand yet when things go bad they are the first people to turn too. If only we knew...
@MrSchmuchface : Exactly the same thing happened to me...I segued from Styx to "Carry on My Wayward Son", couldn't remember the right title, and typed in "He Knew More Than Me or You", and, well, here I am... ;])
@santatigerclaus : Where would Youtube be on the list of 100 of the best inventions of the last 100 years--a university in a box. I found a locked briefcase, went on Youtube, and had the thing open in 15 minutes. ;])
@NewBGeneral oo oo ooo i know! ! ! moody blues - a question of balance i think is the album- there
fore i am,,,,,i think...... ther you go man , keep as cool as you can,,,, it riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave , and keep on thinking free......
@NewBGeneral oo oo ooo i know! ! ! moody blues - a question of balance i think is the album- there
fore i am,,,,,i think...... ther you go man , keep as cool as you can,,,, it riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave , and keep on thinking free...... yes , i know, wrong song........oh well......
My Friend Brian and I did this song for a "Gong Show" in 77 but got Gong because we didn't have the organ (Extremely Vital) so we tried it with (2) Guitars, Bass and Drums... Not goood.. Not good at all...
@Rct3snakepits I don't know but my search for it has led me to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.I was informed by Princeton University U.S.A. that they had the most exrensive writingd of Albert Einstein.I have yet to back log search through Time and Life magazines......Yet it may be metaphorical and not about Albert Einstein or perhaps someone else entirely....LOL :o)
They played this song just before their encore set in Northampton, MA the other night. (11/06/2010) It was incredible. Steve sang his heart out. It brought everyone to their feet. and there was not a dry eye in the crowd. It was that good.
I used the STAR TREK episode for A SEPARATE PEACE and the duality of everything -- I had a copy of ECCELSIASTES and also The Byrds "Turn, Turn, Turn" -- for everytime there is a reason and for every thing there is a season. And talked about the necessity of the dark side to "get things done" -- tearing down the old to make room for the new. Nature destroys to make room for the next crop. I think it colored my acceptance of death -- I dont mourn much
@juicyv420 Actually I believe the original version was about Albert Einstein. Kerry Livgren didn't become a Christian until a few years after he wrote the song. Once he did, a lot of Christians thought it was about the Lord. So in the late 80's he rerecorded an updated version of the tune that actually is about Jesus. Warren Ham did a very credible job singing the updated version.
I thought this was about Satan... (His numbers are not the way.. meaning 666) Lost in the deepest enigma...would be Hell. This song maybe would answer why God lets Satan run rampant today... if Satan were to disappear, many people yet to be born would be questioning who he was and why it was necessary to delay ridding the world/universe of him.
@morphix4 , With humbleness, Kerry Livgren has stated that this song is about Albert Einstein. Many people believed it was about Jesus Christ when it came out and still do in fact. Kerry would re-record and change the lyrics to tell about Christ on a late 1980's solo CD.
Maybe I was having some bad luck trying to find who this song was about, but I couldn't find it.
I even read up on some of Kerry Livgren, nothing.
Interestingly enough, I did find a lot of people who "know" who this song is about, Jesus, einstein, de vinci, mlk jr, and so on, claiming it as a known fact.
I get the feeling no one really knows (except the writers), but I could be wrong.
please reply if you know where the answer can be found (if at all), thanks.
@kvash3154 This piece segues into a song written about Albert Einstein, "Portrait (He Knew)". "Portrait". I'm pretty sure it is Einstein, thats what most sources say
@kvash3154 the song has nothing to do about jesus, it was written about albert einstien . the answer can be found on a box set that kansas put out around 1994 with a booklet giving the meaning of many songs.
also includes that steave walsh was a window washer back in the day......i can see that!
@ke2323 I didn't know who it was, if I had to guess I probably would have guessed de vinci. Thanks for saying where the information is (box set), most people said it was einstein or some one else w/o the source of the information.
There is a very rare concert video of Kansas playing at the Whiskey in Hollywood. If you ever get the opportunity watch it, buy it!
iamrwg2u 1 week ago
It was always a pleasure and well worth the money to see Kansas in concert back in the day.Each and every year it seemed they would tour and ALWAYS produced the goods live.Still 1 of the great live acts that have come from the prog rock genre.
SouthJerseyGuy1 1 week ago
Great song!
Faithwitness 1 week ago
HE HAD GAS
FOOTBALL94534 3 weeks ago
I won This album off the radio station ...I was hooked Most talented band!! Try to duplicate them once or ELO?
PongStar69 3 weeks ago
This song is concerning spooks and how Edison designed a machine that enabled some peeps to communicate with spooks.I speak to the chubby behemoth.
erikdesoir1 3 weeks ago
The song is about Einstein. Band says so.
KnightKingRider 4 weeks ago
First song of 2012... Gonna be a damn good year.
PhoeniXaDc 4 weeks ago
This is a bad Ass band period!!!
drummer593 1 month ago
Kerry wrote this and a few months later found out why...he WAS looking and he found CHRIST...got BORN AGAIN obvious who he was writing about
carnyumic68 1 month ago
@carnyumic68 come on man the lyrics He was in search of an answer
The nature of what we are
He was trying to do it a new way
He was bright as a star
But nobody understood him
"His numbers are not the way"
He's lost in the deepest enigma
Which no one's unraveled today
so your telling us jesus didn't know the nature of what we are?
vitalsfading 4 weeks ago
@carnyumic68 yeah, Howard Hughs
dritz003 4 weeks ago
The best of all their songs.....Blows Hot...Intense
priscillalovesdollyp 1 month ago in playlist Favorite videos
From the 1st or 2nd time i heard this I figured out who the lyrics is about. Einstein. Livgren recently confirmed it. Music is awesome - Long Live Kansas
jokersbonus 1 month ago
Livgren had an intrest in physics. He wanted an answer, the nature of what we are. He later turned to God and religion.
larreey69er 1 month ago
Albert Fuckin Einstein!!
larreey69er 1 month ago
Nicola Tesla would be a better candidate based on the description of the lyrics. It's probably not based on any single person. It doesn't matter! It is just an awesome song!
wildweazel123 1 month ago in playlist music2
It's not Einstein or Jesus. I heard it was Leonardo Da Vinci. Look at the cover for Left Overture. Still doesn't make sense to me though. "You've barely heard his name." ? Everyone knows Leonardo. And Einstein and Jesus for that matter
wildweazel123 1 month ago in playlist music2
@wildweazel123 Very good point my friend....most astute...but who then???
mundrubjet 1 month ago
@wildweazel123 Perhaps it was the King from the Closet Chronicles?? Well that would make it Howard Hughes...how silly!!!
mundrubjet 1 month ago
@wildweazel123 The lyric is: "you MIGHT'VE heard his name." clarify anything? I'm with you though, I think it has to do with either Da Vinci or Einstein. Einstein is more commonly known to have not completed his work in his lifetime, and is more of a household name than Da Vinci (even though so many people know both)...
MrHeitz17 1 month ago
...but who was that man?...I've always wondered...
iamrwg2u 2 months ago
It's not about Einstein nor Jesus, it's about Mark Zuckerberg (!)
polpfp666 2 months ago
they played our famlyfest in the 90's
MOAONAABE 2 months ago
Livgren wrote it about einstein. closet chronicles is about howard hughes
johnnyg71667 2 months ago
I can remember listening to this album in the den with all the lights off and head phones on.I was 10 and knew all the words.
TheDwb1 2 months ago
Must be some alien being...it sure doesn't sound like he's from here!
Louie1157able 2 months ago
How about Da Vinci?
greenshp 2 months ago
@greenshp Portrait, "You could tell by the picture he drew". Sounds like a solid idea
IDoSoLoveGreenEggs 1 month ago
i saw them in early 1981...really close seats...WAS AWSOME....
sinfulchild40 2 months ago
BRILLIANT BAND, SOOOOO CREATIVE & CUTTING EDGE FOR '77
sweenykim 3 months ago
One of the Coolest Albums to come out in the 70's for sure.....
trumpetmano 3 months ago
I remember this album came out at the same time as the Cat Scratch Fever album and the Rumours album. Just killer music back in 1977.
rvhawkeye 4 months ago 3
Comment removed
rvhawkeye 4 months ago
This song is about nostradamus; prophecies, ideas, writings and drawings, and his persecutions.
rock1musician 4 months ago
who the f@c^ cares...it's Steve's voice that I miss.
bladesonly 4 months ago in playlist YouTube Mix for Kansas
Albert Einstein is who this song refers to, despite Kerry Livgrens Christianity.
larreey69er 4 months ago
@larreey69er Back when this album came out, Livgren said it was about Leonardo DaVinci. Seems that since then Albert Einstein entered the discussion since he was a great thinker, too.
ShutlOrbit 4 months ago
Anyone wanna smoke a spliff
Drsnafubar 4 months ago 2
Thumbs up if you're watching this in 1977.
malofa99 4 months ago 22
@malofa99 I am SO in 1977!
misskittie1313 3 months ago
@malofa99 watching no, listening the heII out of it YES.......
finzup12663 2 months ago
@malofa99 Stop whoring for thumbs up to satisfy your childish craving for artificial online popularity.
Thumbs down, faggot.
Supermassively 2 days ago
@Supermassively You've gotta be fucking kidding me, right? If you didn't identify the sarcasm in that comment then you're a fucking retard. I was making fun of the people who say "Thumbs up if you're watching this in 2012"
Ya damn idiot...
malofa99 18 hours ago
These piece-of-shit commercials are pissing me off. Isn't it enough that we pay for the mother fuckin' online service!!
jeffreygaudreault 4 months ago
@jeffreygaudreault Commercials are how YouTube pays to keep itself online and free.
lledec 4 months ago
Y'know it's possible he had one man in mind but his muse had quite another.
MidasWelbyAnonymous 4 months ago
Thanks for posting this.
MidasWelbyAnonymous 4 months ago
livegren lovers
Rawbie100 5 months ago
This song has the most epic intro.
It just makes me want to strut along my merry way, with a mini orchestra(including a floating pipe organ) following me around.
HamsterPants522 5 months ago
Oh. I read it was about Howard Hughes. And not jeebus, AT ALL!
Paganguy1 5 months ago
great fuc;;;; song. My favorite
priscillalovesdollyp 5 months ago
thumbs down to the 2 dickheads that dislike this song.
Choctaw468 5 months ago
He's said repeatedly, the song was originally written about Albert Einstein. He later rewrote it about Jesus Christ. :-)
truerock74 5 months ago
This song is one of my favorate Kansas compositions ever! This band is so talented- they almost never put out a bad song. If you want a really good history of the band and the meaning of each of their major hits read Kerry Livgren's autobiography "Seeds of Change". Actually Kerry didn't become Christian until 1979, so this song wasn't about Christ- it was indeed about Albert Einstein. All Kerry's songs deal with his searching for meaning in life,
But he and Walsh wrote masterpieces!! Fantastic!
MrHobbes2001 5 months ago
i just won tickets to see kansas with blue oyster cult on aug. 11. what a rockin' show this will be!!!!
12161euclid 5 months ago
Every time I listen to this song it seems as if the writer of this song is talking about Jesus Christ not about Albert Einstein
71muzikman 6 months ago
@71muzikman HE WAS TALKING OF THE ONE TO COME WHO HAS BEEN.... AND ALWAYS IS.....
dead168 5 months ago
The genius of Kerry Livgren and Kansas!
LutherRayable 6 months ago
He had a thousand ideas..........................You barely caught his name.
He lived alone with his vision.......................Not searching for fortune and fame.
He never said too much to speak of...............He was off on an other plane.
The words that he said were a mystery...............no onebodys sure he was sane.
BUT HE KNEW!HE KNEW MORE THAN ME AND YOU!
No one could see his views...........what was he gonna do?
LutherRayable 6 months ago
i hope i leave enough of a legacy when i die for someone to play this at my funeral. goddamn these guys are so underrated!!!
BulletProofBananaMan 6 months ago
hes only saying whats was on his mind when he wrote the song, i think the object of the song is about just abount anyone who has an open mind with ideas rhat are not commonly accepted by the majority.
pauperpoet 6 months ago
gotta love the laid back, in the pocket percussion from ehart on this one
ultrakool 6 months ago
I say Jesus.
CSavageSr 6 months ago
He looks like Nosrodamus to me
moontunes1912 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
opinions are like assholes, everyone has one
nflsteelerfan1 7 months ago
Just some thoughts. If this song is about Jesus, then Livgren is saying Jesus was not able to accomplish what He set out to do--"it died when he went away"; this makes Jesus who was and is God ineffective. Thus, why did God die on the cross if people still do not know what it all meant. Seems like a waste of God's time. So, it would make sense that the song is about a genius who was a man. And now that man is gone and we are still trying to figure out what he was after.
PrimalRhythm 7 months ago
@PrimalRhythm ....I think it was Jimi Hendrix....he was trying to do so many things in such little time, and they all died when he went away. That is my take;)
drummer4hire12 7 months ago
@drummer4hire12 ....or Edward Leedskalnin.....
drummer4hire12 7 months ago
@PrimalRhythm It is(this version anyway) is about Einstein, Livgren changed it to Jesus when he performed the song later on.
iloverush123 6 months ago
really its about neo and how he changed the matrix
juicyv420 7 months ago
Whether it's about Einstien or Jesus Christ no matter. That fact is, the song is fantastic.
guitardds 7 months ago 17
@guitardds - It's also theorized to be about DaVinci...
exemplar1 7 months ago
@guitardds Could you imagine if Einstein and Tesla got together
danno5662 7 months ago
@guitardds YES IT IS! I always thought the song was about Nostrodamus!
outtheboxers 3 months ago 2
hey love my whatever, your a stupid asshole..
scoley33 7 months ago
@scoley33 you blow your father with that mouth??
luvmycorso 7 months ago
I don't know where you people come up with this shit, Kerry Livgren has said so many times that he was always fascinated with Einstein and that's who he wrote the song about, no big mystery, do a fuckin search...
luvmycorso 7 months ago
@luvmycorso hey,, your so fucking smart .... and a fucking retarded asshole
scoley33 7 months ago
@scoley33 would not have anticipated such comments on a thread below a kansas song... sad.
guins99 7 months ago
@luvmycorso lol ty
stickdog1000 7 months ago
This song is about Einstein. Take from it what you will.
enigmaduo 8 months ago
@enigmaduo this song is clearly about Jesus, not Einstein.
michschafer 8 months ago
The line that's most significant is "His numbers are not the way..." as in 666. This is a "what if" thing... IF God got rid of Satan without long time ago before Adam and Eve began populating the world, then humans would have always asked why this 'special angel' of God's was so bad.
dawnabrendan 8 months ago
This song is about Einstein
MrJamVon 8 months ago
@MrJamVon No, its not. Its about Jesus
michschafer 8 months ago
@IMBAGO243 why, the song is about Satan
dawnabrendan 8 months ago
@dawnabrendan No It's not...
Winonasalibi 8 months ago
This song is about Nicola Tesla
kind regards
Sietze van de Burgt
TheTest1977 8 months ago
@TheTest1977 No. It's not.....
Winonasalibi 8 months ago
I wonder if this counts as "Christian music" that I can play in church...
malofa99 8 months ago in playlist Kansas
The opening hammond organ riff is classic prog.
SonOfYoungwood 8 months ago
Great Tune!
kricky71 9 months ago
Great song! Not enough air play.
MrOverthehills 9 months ago
It's about any and all of us who are willing to make a diferance.
Mikoki101 9 months ago
Quote from Kerry: "A lot of people thought Portrait (He Knew) was about Christ, but at the time I wrote this song I wasn't doing a lot of thinking about Christ. Instead, this was a musical portrait of Albert Einstein (though it could also apply to a number of historical figures with an extraordinary measure of charisma and vision). Seeds of Change (1983, p. 104)
wicklunda 9 months ago
Who KNEW ?
CHRISTSmusiciansSEA 10 months ago
My favorite band. I have all the original vinyls.
dumdumdiddly423 10 months ago
Thee BEST!
joezuz1966 10 months ago
KANSAS---''PORTRAIT''
www41WorldUSAcom 10 months ago
For what it's worth: Although the lyrics would indicate Nikola Tesla more so than Einstein (lived alone, nobody was sure he was sane, etc), I can't find anything Kerry Livgren said about this song being about either man. Conventional wisdom among the fans seems to point towards Einstein, but I can't find anybody who knows for sure.
After Livgren converted to Christianity he began dedicating this song to God, but this song was written years before his conversion.
Mr. Livgren, any hints?
LayneTheMathNerd 10 months ago
Actually this is about Nikola Tesla, not Albert Einstein.
LayneTheMathNerd 10 months ago
@LayneTheMathNerd Nikola, deifinatly building a shrine for that guy.
benopolly 10 months ago
@LayneTheMathNerd No its about Einstein look at the lyrics they talk about, " he was in search of an answer, the nature of what we are" which Einstein was working on until the day he died which no one to this day can figure out
vitalsfading 10 months ago
Great song. PS- they aren't really underrated. They have sold over 15 millions records. There are 1000's of bands that havent done that
NathanRyanAllen 10 months ago
1 person didn't see the portait or find God for the matter.
Kerry Livgren claims he wrote it about his faith in God.
bucky468 10 months ago 2
Such a true song about visionaries and intellectuals. We as people don't get them and scuff at the things they say that we don't understand yet when things go bad they are the first people to turn too. If only we knew...
MVT44 10 months ago
This song is about Albert Einstein
coldfarted 10 months ago
i'm glad it's not about alister crowlsy
bdogshredder 11 months ago
this song kicks so much ass it makes my foot hurt
bdogshredder 11 months ago
@bdogshredder HAHAHAHAHA NO DOUBT, i'm wrapping my foot in ice now.
Rock on brother
LutherRayable 6 months ago
George W. Bush still touches himself to this day when he hears this tune .
anotherbluesguy 11 months ago
Who's the bum who disliked this
Reierdacool 11 months ago
one of my most favorite groups seen them in 1978 memory still burns bright for them -real rock band !
Richsonny61 11 months ago
master has a clean album.
floridabb 11 months ago
I've read it's about einstein
snuffsan 11 months ago
Up my my backbone it goes!! And my spirit cries "give me more!!!" Fuck yeah!!! Kansas Rocks!!!
mundrubjet 11 months ago
I always thought this was about Tesla.
kevinwildcelt 11 months ago
Kansas?....Damn right it's Kansas. I absolutely love this tune.
Zrock0076 11 months ago
Tesla?
OrisLover 11 months ago
Leonardo D' Vinci, The worlds foremost inventor that never lived to see his work.
SuperFred1968 1 year ago
I always thought this song was about Jesus. Was I wrong.
CSavageSr 1 year ago
@CSavageSr I read somewhere it was about Einstein but da Vinci makes more sense.
SAAB7899 11 months ago
Sucks Ass, i was mislead
westerndrummer5 1 year ago
dig it-- i typed" he knew "and found this song- love the youtube search function - i wasnt far off with my search tho -- lol
santatigerclaus 1 year ago
@santatigerclaus yeah me too. except i typed in but he knew. i just had a flash back from 78. and thought id give it a try.
MrSchmuchface 1 year ago
@MrSchmuchface : Exactly the same thing happened to me...I segued from Styx to "Carry on My Wayward Son", couldn't remember the right title, and typed in "He Knew More Than Me or You", and, well, here I am... ;])
buzzclick500 1 year ago
@santatigerclaus : Where would Youtube be on the list of 100 of the best inventions of the last 100 years--a university in a box. I found a locked briefcase, went on Youtube, and had the thing open in 15 minutes. ;])
buzzclick500 1 year ago
NOPE, not just a relative exression or about a civil rights hero lawyer Fred Phelps.
This song was written to represent all those artists who fall...
I drew the picture. I think. AND therefore I am. Where did that come from? Anybody? CLASS?!!
NewBGeneral 1 year ago
@NewBGeneral oo oo ooo i know! ! ! moody blues - a question of balance i think is the album
santatigerclaus 1 year ago
@NewBGeneral oo oo ooo i know! ! ! moody blues - a question of balance i think is the album- there
fore i am,,,,,i think...... ther you go man , keep as cool as you can,,,, it riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave , and keep on thinking free......
santatigerclaus 1 year ago
@NewBGeneral oo oo ooo i know! ! ! moody blues - a question of balance i think is the album- there
fore i am,,,,,i think...... ther you go man , keep as cool as you can,,,, it riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave , and keep on thinking free...... yes , i know, wrong song........oh well......
santatigerclaus 1 year ago
My Friend Brian and I did this song for a "Gong Show" in 77 but got Gong because we didn't have the organ (Extremely Vital) so we tried it with (2) Guitars, Bass and Drums... Not goood.. Not good at all...
jseph1234567890 1 year ago
man what words can express more poignantly what was said.
Peace: Morph
HighArchDruidMorph 1 year ago
Great album and best album cover ever!
lrambach 1 year ago
What famous picture did Einstein draw?
Rct3snakepits 1 year ago
@Rct3snakepits I don't know but my search for it has led me to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.I was informed by Princeton University U.S.A. that they had the most exrensive writingd of Albert Einstein.I have yet to back log search through Time and Life magazines......Yet it may be metaphorical and not about Albert Einstein or perhaps someone else entirely....LOL :o)
Peace: Morph
HighArchDruidMorph 1 year ago
@Rct3snakepits Good question, the only piece of this song that doesn't fit....still a great piece of writing and music.
Tim22410 1 year ago
@Rct3snakepits This is a relative expression picture being an idea or concept.
vitalsfading 1 year ago
This song is about a civil rights hero lawyer Fred Phelps.
MrHurricaneIKE 1 year ago
@MrHurricaneIKE
Eat crap, IKE.
txmarko 1 year ago
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nhewitt44 1 year ago
EXCUSE ME? This song is about Einstein! Get it right!! LOL
The #'s they speak of is E=MC-2 !
caspr1023 1 year ago
EXCUSE ME? This song is about Einstein! Get it right!! LOL
caspr1023 1 year ago
Not Tesla, Howard Hughes
Quamieriver 1 year ago
They played this song just before their encore set in Northampton, MA the other night. (11/06/2010) It was incredible. Steve sang his heart out. It brought everyone to their feet. and there was not a dry eye in the crowd. It was that good.
williamsj3 1 year ago
great song never gets old i like it way better than wayward son imo!! belexxes is a headknocker too!!
GRILLBUOY101 1 year ago
I've always wondered who they are referring to...Tesla perhaps?
Tim22410 1 year ago
I have that CD and also Audio Visions and Vinyl Confession!
Great Band
VisorTM 1 year ago
Wow... what a powerful, POWERFUL song....
sadiesmama1160 1 year ago
According to the liner notes included with the remasterd CD, this song is about Einstein.
lyonsd1875 1 year ago
@lyonsd1875 Thanks, now that I've listened again, it makes much more sense.
Tim22410 1 year ago
Wish I was not so stoned when I seen them I might be able to remember the show
dmhappy2777 1 year ago
I used the STAR TREK episode for A SEPARATE PEACE and the duality of everything -- I had a copy of ECCELSIASTES and also The Byrds "Turn, Turn, Turn" -- for everytime there is a reason and for every thing there is a season. And talked about the necessity of the dark side to "get things done" -- tearing down the old to make room for the new. Nature destroys to make room for the next crop. I think it colored my acceptance of death -- I dont mourn much
TheElvoz 1 year ago
I think this songs about JC
juicyv420 1 year ago
@juicyv420 Actually I believe the original version was about Albert Einstein. Kerry Livgren didn't become a Christian until a few years after he wrote the song. Once he did, a lot of Christians thought it was about the Lord. So in the late 80's he rerecorded an updated version of the tune that actually is about Jesus. Warren Ham did a very credible job singing the updated version.
ipykipyk 1 year ago
This is one tremendous piece. As a drummer this really allows you to do so many different thing. Great writing.
Also I agree I have to stop hitting replay.
misemarc 1 year ago
must
stop
hitting
replay xD
dd1995100 1 year ago
I JUST LOVE IT
MAWPARKER 1 year ago
I thought this was about Satan... (His numbers are not the way.. meaning 666) Lost in the deepest enigma...would be Hell. This song maybe would answer why God lets Satan run rampant today... if Satan were to disappear, many people yet to be born would be questioning who he was and why it was necessary to delay ridding the world/universe of him.
brendandawna 1 year ago
@brendandawna perception myhombre
trivium109tm 1 year ago
@brendandawna I can see what you mean
switcherx 1 year ago
HE KNEW
MrHellmeowmix 1 year ago
i totally agree one of their best songs for sure!
axeslinger56 1 year ago
What a great intro and tune. This song was written about Albert Einstein. Listen to the lyrics and think about crazy hair and brown suits!
kd8lcx 1 year ago
@kd8lcx The song was written about Vincent Van Gogh.
morphix4 1 year ago
@morphix4 , With humbleness, Kerry Livgren has stated that this song is about Albert Einstein. Many people believed it was about Jesus Christ when it came out and still do in fact. Kerry would re-record and change the lyrics to tell about Christ on a late 1980's solo CD.
AmericanFireBrand 1 year ago
WOW. I AGREE. Very underrated band.
thegermanntwins 1 year ago 9
Love the grinding Hammond organ at the beginning and the Baroque style interplay. Love the subject matter too.
adam872 1 year ago
awesome
Zuberzuber 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i think this song is about Kramer from Seinfeld.
kackzendall13 1 year ago
One of the best!
axeslinger56 1 year ago 9
My favorite
kjmg65 1 year ago
I had a friend who died in a car crash the. next day we all were driving around and this song was playing TO YOU SCOTT, HOWARD WEREVER YOU ARE
Cyberfender1 1 year ago 2
Maybe I was having some bad luck trying to find who this song was about, but I couldn't find it.
I even read up on some of Kerry Livgren, nothing.
Interestingly enough, I did find a lot of people who "know" who this song is about, Jesus, einstein, de vinci, mlk jr, and so on, claiming it as a known fact.
I get the feeling no one really knows (except the writers), but I could be wrong.
please reply if you know where the answer can be found (if at all), thanks.
kvash3154 1 year ago
@kvash3154 This piece segues into a song written about Albert Einstein, "Portrait (He Knew)". "Portrait". I'm pretty sure it is Einstein, thats what most sources say
SubSk3tch 1 year ago
@kvash3154 the song has nothing to do about jesus, it was written about albert einstien . the answer can be found on a box set that kansas put out around 1994 with a booklet giving the meaning of many songs.
also includes that steave walsh was a window washer back in the day......i can see that!
ke2323 1 year ago
@ke2323 I didn't know who it was, if I had to guess I probably would have guessed de vinci. Thanks for saying where the information is (box set), most people said it was einstein or some one else w/o the source of the information.
kvash3154 1 year ago
An ode to Einstein that shall never be forgotten
dd1995100 1 year ago
I just recently heard this song for the first time...
True excellence...
It sorta reminds of Dream Theater...
Drastoe88 1 year ago
the modern day bachs and mozarts.
mdelair420 1 year ago