Available Light

Background and Commentary

The piece uses wind and light as metaphors for how we gather information about the world. The wind, in constant motion, sees everything and carries what it sees wherever it travels. If you know how to listen to it, you can hear it speak to us as it howls through the buildings in the city. The movement of light is quite different. It captures moments in time, as in a photograph or even as in a motion picture, which is just a procession of still photos that moves too quickly for our eye to detect. Both wind and light capture what’s going on in the world, but neither brings you wisdom to understand what all this information means. For wisdom, you need to understand your life and what’s happening around you. You gather wisdom by understanding what you’re seeing in the available light around you.—Rob Freedman, Rush Vault

“On a tune like ‘Available Light,’ where the bass just provides some simple, low-end support, I’d rather play the keyboards and sing. It’s just a question of what instrument will be rewarding to play from a player’s point of view. If the keyboard is simply playing a strict, four-chord repeating pattern, then I’d rather just program it into some MIDI pedal and have some fun playing bass.” (Guitar Player, 1990)—Geddy in Songfacts

The piece was included in a jazz covers project, called Second Season, released in 2008 by Wave Mechanics Union. The project was developed by composers Ryan Fraley and Ralph Johnson and vocalist Lydia McAdams. The album interprets classic progressive rock tracks as orchestral jazz pieces. In addition to “Available Light,” the album includes Yes’s “Heart of the Sunrise,” Led Zeppelin’s “The Rain Song,” and The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

Lyrics

The restless wind
Has seen all things
In every kind of light
Rising with the full moon
To go howling through the night

The sleepless wind
Has heard all things
Between the sea and sky
In the canyons of the city
You can hear the buildings cry

Oh the wind can carry
All the voices of the sea
Oh the wind can carry
All the echoes home to me

Run with wind and weather
To the music of the sea
All four winds together
Can’t bring the world to me
Chase the wind around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light

Play of light
A photograph
The way I used to be
Some half forgotten stranger
Doesn’t mean that much to me

Trick of light
Moving picture
Moments caught in flight
Make the shadows darker
Or the colors shine too bright

Oh the light can carry
All the visions of the sea
Oh the light can carry
All the images to me

Run to light from shadow
Sun gives me no rest
Promise offered in the east
Broken in the west
Chase the sun around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light

All four winds together
Can’t bring the world to me
Shadows hide the play of light
So much I want to see
Chase the light around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light

I’ll go with the wind
I’ll stand in the light

Tablature

By Jesse Gress and Branden Robinson

Excerpted from Rock Magic.

Riff A1 (q = 64) (intro and first verse)

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–3———–3———–3———–3—————————-|
G:——–3———–3———–3———–2———————-|
D:—–5—–5—–5—–5—–5—–5—–3—–3——————-|
A:——————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|
| PM——————————————-| |
| |
| H q |
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–3———————————–3—————————-|
G:–3———————————–2—————————-|
D:–5———————————–3—————————-|
A:——————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|
(piano arranged for guitar)

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–3———–3———–3———–3—————————-|
G:——–2———–2———–2———–2———————-|
D:—–0—–0—–0—–0—–0—–0—–0—–0——————-|
A:——————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|
| PM——————————————-| |
| |
| w |
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–3—————————————————————-|
G:–2—————————————————————-|
D:–3—————————————————————-|
A:–5—————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|

Riff A2 (q = 64) (second verse)

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–5———–5———–5———–5—————————-|
G:——–5———–5———–5———–4———————-|
D:—–7—–7—–7—–7—–7—–7—–5—–5——————-|
A:——————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|
| PM——————————————-| |
| |
| H q |
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–5———————————–5—————————-|
G:–5———————————–4—————————-|
D:–7———————————–5—————————-|
A:——————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|
(piano arranged for guitar)

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–5———–5———–5———–5—————————-|
G:——–4———–4———–4———–4———————-|
D:—–2—–2—–2—–2—–2—–2—–2—–2——————-|
A:——————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|
| PM——————————————-| |
| |
| w |
e:——————————————————————-|
B:–5—————————————————————-|
G:–4—————————————————————-|
D:–5—————————————————————-|
A:–7—————————————————————-|
E:——————————————————————-|

Fill 1 (with riff A2)

h s t t s s e s s H q
e:——————————|————————————|
B:————–5—–8–8——|————————————|
G:—————–5——–7s–|–9———————————|
D:——–5h-7——————|————————————|
A:——————————|————————————|
E:——————————|————————————|

Fill 2 (with riff A2)

h s t t t e s s w
e:——————17——————|—————————-|
B:———(18b)20——20–17~-17——|—————————-|
G:———————————-19–|–17~———————–|
D:————————————–|—————————-|
A:————————————–|—————————-|
E:————————————–|—————————-|
ghost bend

Fill 3 (with riff A2)

h e s s s s s s e e H
e:————————–|—————————————-|
B:——–7s-8s-7–5–7—–|——–7——————————-|
G:——–7s-8s-7–5–7–5–|–7p-5–7——————————-|
D:————————–|—————————————-|
A:————————–|—————————————-|
E:————————–|—————————————-|

Fill 4 (with riff A2)

For complete tab, go to Rock Magic.