Yes: And Asimov And I?

For many years I've noticed a connection berween And You And I and Asimov's "Foundation Trilogy". The text in blue show the main points.

• First line could be about Hari Seldons Plan
• Second line is referring to The Foundations settling at the edge of the Galaxy, to re-establish order when civilisation declines
• The third blue line is the clincher for me, mentioning the Mutant Enemy (The Mule) that could have upset the whole Foundations plans.

I'm not saying the whole song is about the trilogy, just that Anderson must have read the books and used some ideas.

Any Comments?

 

I. cord of life
(anderson/bruford/howe/squire)

A man conceived a moment's answers to the dream,
Staying the flowers daily, sensing all the themes.
As a foundation left to create the spiral aim,
A movement regained and regarded both the same,
All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you.

Changed only for a sight of sound, the space agreed.
Between the picture of time behind the face of need,
Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid,
Emotion revealed as the ocean maid,
All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you.
Oh.

Turn round tailor, coins and
Assaulting all the mornings of the crosses
Interest shown, never know
Presenting one another to the cord, their fruitless worth;
All left dying, rediscovered cords are broken,
Of the door that turned round, locked inside
To close the cover, the mother earth.
All the interest shown, they won't
To turn one another, to the sign hide, hold, they won't
At the time tell you, watching the world,
To float your climb. watching all of the world,
Watching us go by.

And you and i climb over the sea to the valley,
And you and i reached out for reasons to call.

Ii. eclipse
(anderson/bruford/squire)

Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid,

 
Emotion revealed as the ocean maid,
As a movement regained and regarded both the same,
All complete in the side of seeds of life with you.

Iii. the preacher the teacher
(anderson/bruford/howe/squire)

Sad preacher nailed upon the coloured door of time;
Insane teacher be there reminded of the rhyme.
There'll be no mutant enemy we shall certify;
Political ends, as sad remains, will die.
Reach out as forward tastes begin to enter you.
Ooh, ooh.

I listened hard but could not see
Life tempo change out and inside me.
The preacher trained in all to lose his name;
The teacher travels, asking to be shown the same.
In the end, we'll agree, we'll accept, we'll immortalise
That the truth of the man maturing in his eyes,
All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you.

Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid,
As a moment regained and regarded both the same,
Emotion revealed as the ocean maid,
A clearer future, morning, evening, nights with you.

Iv. apocalypse (anderson/bruford/howe/squire)

And you and i climb, crossing the shapes of the morning.
And you and i reach over the sun for the river.
And you and i climb, clearer, towards the movement.
And you and i called over valleys of endless seas.


Edited by Snow Dog

Foundation was written in the 1950's I believe.

Here you go....

  1  Pebble In The Sky      1950
  3  The Stars, Like Dust--     1951
  4  Foundation      1951
  5  David Starr, Space Ranger     1952
  6  Foundation and Empire      1952
  7  The Currents of Space       1952
  9  Second Foundation    1953

 

Although all three Foundation books are earlier short stories collected. Except for the first part, where Hari Seldon comes to Trantor.

Edited by Snow Dog

It was the first Science Fiction I ever read!

Thank Seldon that you replied to my thread anyway, thanks!

Do you think there'll be any more takers?

Edited by Snow Dog

Snow Dog wrote: Here you go....   1  Pebble In The Sky      1950   3  The Stars, Like Dust--     1951   4  Foundation      1951   5  David Starr, Space Ranger     1952   6  Foundation and Empire      1952   7  The Currents of Space       1952   9  Second Foundation    1953   Although all three Foundation books are earlier short stories collected. Except for the first part, where Hari Seldon comes to Trantor.

there are 2 more foundation books. "Foundation's Edge" (1982) and "Foundation and Earth" (1986)

Snow Dog wrote: Thank Seldon

well, maybe - strikes me as a bit of a stretch. 

 

since the title is 'and you and i', is this just the perspective of a couple of folks somewhere midstream in the plan?

 

why then the focus on preacher/teacher? preacher could be seldon, but the line mentioning 'nailed' seems to refer elsewhere... so is teacher seldon? doesn't seem to fit. it's been a while since i've read them all, but except for the seldon, the mule, and daneel, there isn't a whole lot of personal continuity and the latter is unknown until the very end.

 

the volume of the lyrics seem to be in another direction, so it'd be a passive reference, but anderson probably read asimov at some point in his life.... who knows?

I think you have it there snow dog. That's why I suggested earlier that Anderson may have been reading or read the series when the song was penned.

as foundation left to create the spiral aim... where else would this come from.


Edited by cobb

Snow Dog wrote: I don't think he read my first post properly, it happens all the time here.

i did - i was trying to come up with a way to agree with you. as i first said, it's a bit of a stretch... ;)

There is a connection between the Foundation series and You and I? One of my favourite pieces of literature, and one of my favourite tracks? This must be investigated immediately!