"Saving My Heart" is a song by the progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Yes

Yes (band)

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

, written and produced by Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin

Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...

. It was the second single released from their 1991 "reunion" album Union, following "Lift Me Up

Lift Me Up (Yes song)

"Lift Me Up" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes. It was the first single released from their 1991 "reunion" album Union. It reached the number-one spot on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in May 1991, and stayed at the top for six weeks...

". "Saving My Heart" peaked at number nine on Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1991.

Background

The Union album contained songs from two competing factions of Yes: the official band, featuring Rabin, bassist Chris Squire

Chris Squire

Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...

, drummer Alan White

Alan White (Yes drummer)

Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...

 and keyboardist Tony Kaye

Tony Kaye (musician)

Tony Kaye is a British musician.Kaye was the original keyboard player for the progressive rock group Yes from 1968 to 1971, and rejoined Yes from 1983 to 1995...

, and the Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...

-led spinoff band Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was a project of four progressive rock musicians, vocalist Jon Anderson, drummer Bill Bruford, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and guitarist Steve Howe . They had played together in Yes in the early 1970s...

, featuring 1970s-era Yes members Steve Howe

Steve Howe (guitarist)

Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...

 (guitars), Rick Wakeman

Rick Wakeman

Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...

 (keyboards) and Bill Bruford

Bill Bruford

William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...

 (drums).

"Saving My Heart" was one of the four songs on the album to be written by the Rabin–Squire faction; the others were "Lift Me Up" (the lead-off single), "Miracle of Life", and "The More We Live", a song co-written by future Yes member Billy Sherwood

Billy Sherwood

William "Billy" Wyman Sherwood is a musician, record producer, and engineer.-Family:Sherwood comes from a musical family which includes his father Bobby Sherwood, who was an actor, musician, and big band leader, his mother Phyllis, a singer and drummer, and brother Michael, a keyboardist and...

. All four featured Anderson on vocals.

According to Rabin, the song was originally planned as a collaboration with Supertramp

Supertramp

Supertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...

 vocalist Roger Hodgson

Roger Hodgson

Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is a British musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman, and founding member, of progressive rock band Supertramp....

.
Rabin initially felt the song, a "pop reggae tune" with a "bluesy guitar solo", was not appropriate for a Yes album, but Anderson disagreed and wanted Yes to perform it.

Chart performance

"Saving My Heart" reached number nine on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It did not perform as well as "Lift Me Up", the lead single from Union (which topped the chart for six weeks) but outperformed competing Yes single "Make It Easy

Make It Easy

"Make It Easy" is a 1981 song by the progressive rock band Yes. An early version of this song was written and sung by Trevor Rabin, originally as a demo titled "Don't Give In"...

", a 1981 song released by Yes's old record label, Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

, to promote the Yesyears boxed set. "Lift Me Up" and "Saving My Heart" were both issued by Arista Records

Arista Records

Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

.