Anderson was aware of the title of Starship Troopers, the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein, and from that got the idea of a "Starship Trooper being another guardian angel and Mother Earth". "Starship Trooper" was constructed from pieces of music written separately by Anderson, Howe and Squire. Anderson was the primary author of "Life Seeker". Squire wrote most of the "Disillusion" section; this section had earlier been used with slightly different lyrics as the bridge for the song, with Squire providing the lead vocals. Howe had written the instrumental "Würm" section while he was in an earlier band. The song was heavily constructed in the recording studio, and as a result the band were never able to play it live quite the way it was recorded. The song changes mood, rhythm, tempo and style continually, but according to Yes biographer Chris Welch, it still manages to "hang together". Authors Pete Prown and Lisa Sharken describe the "Würm" section as "a Bolero-paced chord sequence that builds into an explosive solo". They note that Howe's solo incorporates rockabilly and country music elements rather than on blues-based music with distortion as is typical for these types of solos. A theme of "Life Seeker" is the search for God. Anderson has stated that the lyrics: refer to "the point within yourself that knows you," which we call "God." The lyrics accept the fact that "no matter how much you want to get clearer visions of what you're up to, you're only going to get a certain amount." The song uses UFO imagery. Other themes that have been inferred for the song include new age ideas and environmentalism.
Song Construction
The song consists of three movements: a. Life Seeker - full instrumental and vocal b. Disillusion - acoustic guitar only plus vocals c. Würm - full instrumental, no vocals, crescendo.
Critical reception
Yes biographer Chris Welch describes "Starship Trooper" as "one the most astonishing pieces" in Yes' repertoire. Welch particularly praises the "Würm" section for its "grinding intensity." The New Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Ernesto Lechner described the song as being "ethereal." Pitchfork Media considered "Howe's slow, spacey guitar build at the end" of the song to be "one of the great Yes moments."
Other appearances
"Starship Trooper" has appeared on many of Yes' live albums and DVDs, including Yessongs, 9012Live, Keys to Ascension, Symphonic Live, , and, most recently, Topographic Drama - Live Across America. It has also appeared on compilation albums such as Yesstory.
