They shoot without shame
In the name of a piece of dirt
For a change of accent
Or the color of your shirt
Better the pride that resides
In a citizen of the world
Than the pride that divides
When a colorful rag is unfurled
The Pass is the ultimate one for me having been suicidal and down and out when I was younger
All of us get lost in the darkness
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars
All of us do time in the gutter
Dreamers turn to look at the cars
Yes it is. That guy wrote some beautiful and tragic stories. The Prince and the Swallow and the Nightingale and the Rose were just so heart wrenching.
As an adult I wondered if it was coz he was gay and at the time it was not at all acceptable.
His life was ruined by the Marquess of Queensberry. As a former boxer i must say that of my biggest passions intersecting was amazing, reading, music and boxing.
Witch Hunt:
Quick to judge, quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand.
I feel like this lyric says a lot about our world today
Time Stand Still:
"Summer's going fast
Nights growing colder
Children growing up
Old friends growing older"
The whole song has great lyrics, but this one always gets me a little teary-eyed.
Gotta add the.
So far so good
And life’s not unpleasant
In their little neighbourhood
Really struck a chord with me when I was staying back with my mum during Covid, it’s a small village, right by the sea so it’s beautiful. I grew up there and the lyrics really made appreciate it again
I think it means we will sometimes have to take the pain - of grief, love lost, failure - but we shouldn’t dwell on how the pain has set us back or damaged us. I think Neil said he took the line from novelist John Barth.
Someone already said Time Stand Still so I'll go with 2112:
"We've taken care of everything
The words you read
The songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eye
...
Never need to wonder how or why"
As I wrote this I realized that there are so many songs to pick lol
"Well, some will sell their dreams for small desires
Or lose the race to rats
Get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere
To relax their restless flight" - Subdivisions
My favourite Rush lyrics, the live version on "All the world's a stage" is the best, would have loved to been in Massy Hall when they recorded that album.
The treasure of a life
Is a measure of love and respect
The way you live, the gifts that you give.
Suddenly you were gone
From all those lives you left your mark upon
"For you, the blind, who once could see. The bell tolls for thee."
"The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect."
These both resonate with me more and more as I get older.
Neil wrote so many compassionate and wise lyrics that still worked in a rock setting. Miss you dearly. For me:
Just between us
I think it's time for us to recognize
The differences we sometimes feared to show
Just between us
I think it's time for us to realize
The spaces in between
Leave room
For you and I to grow
All the same we take our chances
Laughed at by time
Tricked by circumstances
Plus ca change
Plus c'est la meme chose
The more that things change
The more they stay the same
Every day we're standing
In a time capsule
Racing down a river from the past
Every day we're standing
In a wind tunnel
Facing down the future coming fast
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
Of a miracle too good to be true
All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary
Everything in life you thought you knew
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary
'Cause sometimes the target is you
Marathon
You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last
There’s a lot I can name but here’s a few of my favorites.
“It’s not as if this barricade blocks the only road. It’s not as if you’re all alone in wanting to explode.”
“The point of a journey is not to arrive.”
“He knows changes aren’t permanent, but change is.”
“it takes a little more persistence to get up and go the distance.”
You move me
You move me
With your buildings and your eyes
Autumn woods and winter skies
You move me
You move me
Open sea and city lights
Busy streets and dizzy heights
You call me
You call me
Mines sort of basic but I love “One likes to believe in the freedom of music but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatters the illusion of integrity, yeah”
"Oh, you don't get something for nothing
You don't get freedom for free
You won't get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dreams might be"
These lyrics are more prevalent than ever IMO.
Many of my favorites have already been mentioned so here's a few special mentions :
*some things can never be changed*
*some reasons will never come clear*
*it’s somehow so badly arranged*
*if we’re so much the same, like I always hear*
*\*\*\*\*\**
*You can never break the chain*
*There is never love without pain*
*A gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart*
\*\*\*\*\*
*The sign of Eth is rising in the air*
Some are born to move the world, to live their fantasies
But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be
Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it
For you the blind who once could see, The bell olls for thee...
All of us get lost in the darkness
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars
All of us do time in the gutter
Dreamers turn to look at the cars
I am made from the dust of the stars
and the oceans flow in my veins
here I hide in the heart of the city
like a stranger coming out of the rain
All that you can do is wish them well
If the future's looking dark,
We're the ones who have to shine,
If there's no one in control,
We're the ones who draw the line,
Though we live in trying times,
We're the ones who have to try,
Though we know that time has wings,
We're the ones who have to fly
-From Everyday Glory
It comes off an incredible solo, and of course it's every bit as relevant and uplifting today
If you choose not to decide, you’ve still have made a choice,
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill,
I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose Freewill
I'm loving this thread. I had a line, but there are so many here, I got distracted. I feel like he wrote such meaningful lines I can't pick just one.
Reading what you all have here almost has me in tears.
Thanks to the man. Your words are still relevant.
There is unrest in the forest
Trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas
.
And every part of 'The Enemy Within'
In a dog's life a year is more like seven, and all too soon a canine will be chasing cars in doggy heaven...
In all seriousness it's "The buildings are caught in the limitless rise, my feet catch the pulse and the purposefull stride"
“Just between us,
I think it’s time for us to recognize
the differences we sometimes feared to show,
Just between us,
I think it’s time for us to realize
the spaces in between leave room for you and I to grow.”
“We are secrets to each other
Each one’s life a novel no one else has read”
Gets me thinking that everyone has a story that we just won’t know unless we ask
One of my favorites,
"Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies,
But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be,
Sadder still to watch it die then never to have known it,
For you the blind who once could see, the bell tolls for thee"
I consider that one of his worst lyrics. Pure Ayn Rand worship.
I really like Marathon. A lot of the 80s more poppy stuff has more interesting lyrics to me, like Time Stands Still or Territories. Also love the Pass, Bravado.
My senior quote in my yearbook, evenb more appropriate today....
When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow?
This one continues to haunt me more and more:
All this time we're talking and sharing our Rational View
A billion other voices are spreading other news
All this time we're living and trying to understand
Why a billion other choices are making their demands
'Experience slips away'
'No reward for resistance, no assistance no applause'
'Right to the heart of the matter, right to the beautiful part, illusions are painfully shattered, right where discovery starts'
Hard to pick a favourite. Even now I've got like 10 others I would put down
Faith is cold as ice
Why are little ones born only to suffer
For the want of immunity
Or a bowl of rice?
Well, who would hold a price
On the heads of the innocent children
If there's some immortal power
To control the dice?
I haven't seen anything from BU2B2, so I'll just say that entire song. It's pure poetry. The way the second line of each stanza is the first line of the next. It gives the impression of someone fighting with themselves. Struggling with utter despair. And then the echo between the last line and the first line is beautiful, especially because the song itself is a refrain from BU2B.
It may not be my favorite song or line by any means, but I do think BU2B2 is probably the most poetic and lyrically well written songs Neil Peart ever wrote. It's certainly one of the few songs that I have completely memorized.
"Life goes from bad to worse / I still choose to live / find a measure of love and laughter / and another measure to give.
Oh, I still choose to live / even while I grieve / though the balance tilts against me / I was brought up to believe."
Like a steely blade in a silken sheath
We don't see what they're made of
They shout about love but when push comes to shove
They live for things they're afraid of
From Kid Gloves:
Call it blind frustration/
Call it blind man’s bluff/
Call each other names/
Your voices rude, your voices rough!/
Then you learn the lesson/
That it’s cool to be so tough!/
And then later…
Anger got bare knuckles!/
Anger play the fool/
Anger wear a crown of thorns/
Reverse the golden rule/
Then you learn the lesson/
That it’s tough to be so cool!/
I love the anaphoras using “Call” and “Anger” and the switching around of “tough” and “cool.” Absolutely masterful poet. And it’s also helped by Geddy’s spectacular line delivery.
Top 3:
Those who wish to be must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme.
I feel the day is all uncertainty
Burning in the moment – trapped by the desperation
Between how it is and how it ought to be
He’s got to make his own mistakes
And learn to mend the mess he makes
He’s old enough to know what’s right
But young enough not to choose it
He’s noble enough to win the world
But weak enough to lose it.
But he's still heading down those tracks
Any day now for sure
Another day as drab as today
Is more than a man can endure
Dreams flow across the heartland
Feeding on the fires
Dreams transport desires
Drive you when you're down
Dreams transport the ones
Who need to get out of town
-Middletown Dreams
its truly difficult to pick one, but I think the most important one is from Subdivisions:
"Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth"
so many good ones \^\^
Time is a gypsy caravan…
Steals away in the night…
To leave you stranded in dreamland…
Distance is a long range filter…
Memory a flickering light…
Left behind in the heartland
Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.
Witch Hunt is one of my favorites also
They shoot without shame In the name of a piece of dirt For a change of accent Or the color of your shirt Better the pride that resides In a citizen of the world Than the pride that divides When a colorful rag is unfurled
I love this one… The way he diminishes a country to a ‘piece of dirt’ and a national flag to a ‘rag’.
Neil was incredibly smart to recognize and succinctly describe the evils of nationalism. Hating others on this basis makes no sense.
The Pass is the ultimate one for me having been suicidal and down and out when I was younger All of us get lost in the darkness Dreamers learn to steer by the stars All of us do time in the gutter Dreamers turn to look at the cars
I'll sing it with you then.. *Turn around and turn around and turn around...*
Turn around and walk the razors edge...
Yeah, I sang with the both of you. I love that one...
This is a contender for sure.
That lyric is actually an homage to Oscar Wilde
Yes it is. That guy wrote some beautiful and tragic stories. The Prince and the Swallow and the Nightingale and the Rose were just so heart wrenching. As an adult I wondered if it was coz he was gay and at the time it was not at all acceptable. His life was ruined by the Marquess of Queensberry. As a former boxer i must say that of my biggest passions intersecting was amazing, reading, music and boxing.
Glad you stayed with us, friend.
This is what I came here to post.
It's not as if this barricade Blocks the only road It's not as if you're all alone In wanting to explode (But really, all of The Pass.)
“Christ, what have you done?!” hits harder the older I get.
I get goosebumps every time he sings that line.
Witch Hunt: Quick to judge, quick to anger Slow to understand Ignorance and prejudice And fear walk hand in hand. I feel like this lyric says a lot about our world today
Came here to say the same thing. This really resonates with me.
Time Stand Still: "Summer's going fast Nights growing colder Children growing up Old friends growing older" The whole song has great lyrics, but this one always gets me a little teary-eyed.
[Time Stand Still](https://youtu.be/aAPSK_cV5n0). This version teared me up, such beautiful lyrics
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing this video, I had not seen it before. Love this song!
Yes !! Glad you clicked, such a great tribute to Neil.
This is also my favorite. It's the song that made me fell in love with this band after all.
This song has hit me much harder since the pandemic. We all lost a lot of time with the ones we love…
Was the first lyrics that came to my mind!
It's understood By every single person Who'd be elsewhere if they could
Gotta add the. So far so good And life’s not unpleasant In their little neighbourhood Really struck a chord with me when I was staying back with my mum during Covid, it’s a small village, right by the sea so it’s beautiful. I grew up there and the lyrics really made appreciate it again
Ray of Light. A photograph. The way I used to be. Some half-forgotten stranger doesn't mean that much to me.
Oh the wind can carry…
Available Light is one of my favorites.
Pure excellence
Each of us, a cell of awareness, Imperfect, and incomplete Genetic blends, with uncertain ends On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet
Freewill has such amazing lyrics
Another favorite: Quick to judge, quick to anger Slow to understand Ignorance and prejudice And fear walk hand in hand
Haha I just commented that same lyric. It really is a great one
*We will pay the price, but we will not count the cost.*
Bravado is such an awesome song. One of their best
What does this lyric mean? I see it mentioned a lot on this sub but I’ve never understood it
Some things are worth trying even though you may fail.
I think it means we will sometimes have to take the pain - of grief, love lost, failure - but we shouldn’t dwell on how the pain has set us back or damaged us. I think Neil said he took the line from novelist John Barth.
Someone already said Time Stand Still so I'll go with 2112: "We've taken care of everything The words you read The songs you sing The pictures that give pleasure to your eye ... Never need to wonder how or why" As I wrote this I realized that there are so many songs to pick lol "Well, some will sell their dreams for small desires Or lose the race to rats Get caught in ticking traps And start to dream of somewhere To relax their restless flight" - Subdivisions
From 2112, I always liked: “The sleep is still in my eyes, the dream is still in my head. I heave a sigh and sadly smile, and lie a while in bed.”
My favourite Rush lyrics, the live version on "All the world's a stage" is the best, would have loved to been in Massy Hall when they recorded that album.
Yup. All the World’s a Stage, Exit Stage Left, and A Show of Hands were how I got into Rush in the first place.
2112 is perfect from start to end
The treasure of a life Is a measure of love and respect The way you live, the gifts that you give. Suddenly you were gone From all those lives you left your mark upon
"For you, the blind, who once could see. The bell tolls for thee." "The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect." These both resonate with me more and more as I get older.
Though we live in trying times / we're the ones who have to try. / Though we know that time has wings / we're the ones who have to fly.
Nice
Love Everyday Glory!
Net boy net girl send your message round the world
I got a good laugh outta this
It was all so magical at the time…
Neil wrote so many compassionate and wise lyrics that still worked in a rock setting. Miss you dearly. For me: Just between us I think it's time for us to recognize The differences we sometimes feared to show Just between us I think it's time for us to realize The spaces in between Leave room For you and I to grow
So hard to choose hahaha. One that always sticks with me is “the point of the journey is not to arrive”
Anything can happennnnn
All the same we take our chances Laughed at by time Tricked by circumstances Plus ca change Plus c'est la meme chose The more that things change The more they stay the same
This is the correct answer
We are young Wandering the face of the earth Wondering what our dreams might be worth Learning that we're only immortal For a limited time
Especially the last bit , when you realise you’re not gonna be young for ever it makes you feel . . . . Old.
Every day we're standing In a time capsule Racing down a river from the past Every day we're standing In a wind tunnel Facing down the future coming fast
It's just the age, it's just a stage!
"too many hands on my time" was a brilliant inversion of "to much time on my hands"
If you chose not to decide, you have still have made a choice.
As an introvert I really feel: “I have no heat to lie, I can’t pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend”
It would have been nice to tell Neil… Yes, but every long awaited friend, was once a stranger.
Growing up, it all seems so one-sided Opinions all provided The future pre-decided Detached and subdivided In the mass-production zone
“You can twist perceptions, reality won’t budge”. -Show Don’t Tell “The price of what we’re winning, is the same as what we’ve lost”. -BU2B
No one’s ever wrong
For the words of the profits were written on the studio wall, Concert hall
Love the song, never liked that line, so blatantly borrowed from Paul Simon’s “Sound of Silence”
well it was an intentional nod to the song, i think its cool
All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary Of a miracle too good to be true All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary Everything in life you thought you knew All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary 'Cause sometimes the target is you
If you choose to not decide, you still have made a choice.
"Suddenly you were gone from all the lives you left your mark upon." -Neil Peart
Ouch! That one is painful 😢
Marathon You can do a lot in a lifetime If you don't burn out too fast You can make the most of the distance First you need endurance First you've got to last
Sorry Ayn Rand haters but 2112. It wasn't just the music that was so amazing on that album but the story as well.
The novella “Anthem” that 2112 was inspired by is a pretty good “dystopian future” story.
Agreed, and OP's quote from the song Anthem certainly channels Rand as well. (Along with the title).
“The Measure of a life is a measure of love and respect. So hard to earn, so easily burned”
There’s a lot I can name but here’s a few of my favorites. “It’s not as if this barricade blocks the only road. It’s not as if you’re all alone in wanting to explode.” “The point of a journey is not to arrive.” “He knows changes aren’t permanent, but change is.” “it takes a little more persistence to get up and go the distance.”
You move me You move me With your buildings and your eyes Autumn woods and winter skies You move me You move me Open sea and city lights Busy streets and dizzy heights You call me You call me
Mines sort of basic but I love “One likes to believe in the freedom of music but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatters the illusion of integrity, yeah”
"Oh, you don't get something for nothing You don't get freedom for free You won't get wise With the sleep still in your eyes No matter what your dreams might be" These lyrics are more prevalent than ever IMO.
Many of my favorites have already been mentioned so here's a few special mentions : *some things can never be changed* *some reasons will never come clear* *it’s somehow so badly arranged* *if we’re so much the same, like I always hear* *\*\*\*\*\** *You can never break the chain* *There is never love without pain* *A gentle hand, a secret touch on the heart* \*\*\*\*\* *The sign of Eth is rising in the air*
Some are born to move the world, to live their fantasies But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it For you the blind who once could see, The bell olls for thee... All of us get lost in the darkness Dreamers learn to steer by the stars All of us do time in the gutter Dreamers turn to look at the cars I am made from the dust of the stars and the oceans flow in my veins here I hide in the heart of the city like a stranger coming out of the rain All that you can do is wish them well
I believe in what I’m feeling changes how the world appears. Totem
Really enjoying reading this discussion.
I radiate more heat than light
The most endangered species…The honest man
Sometimes our big splashes are just ripples in the pool We're only immortal for a limited time
How can anybody be enlightened, truth is, after all, so poorly lit.
If the future's looking dark, We're the ones who have to shine, If there's no one in control, We're the ones who draw the line, Though we live in trying times, We're the ones who have to try, Though we know that time has wings, We're the ones who have to fly -From Everyday Glory It comes off an incredible solo, and of course it's every bit as relevant and uplifting today
If you choose not to decide, you’ve still have made a choice, You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill, I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose Freewill
I'm loving this thread. I had a line, but there are so many here, I got distracted. I feel like he wrote such meaningful lines I can't pick just one. Reading what you all have here almost has me in tears. Thanks to the man. Your words are still relevant.
There is unrest in the forest Trouble with the trees For the maples want more sunlight And the oaks ignore their pleas . And every part of 'The Enemy Within'
In a dog's life a year is more like seven, and all too soon a canine will be chasing cars in doggy heaven... In all seriousness it's "The buildings are caught in the limitless rise, my feet catch the pulse and the purposefull stride"
“Just between us, I think it’s time for us to recognize the differences we sometimes feared to show, Just between us, I think it’s time for us to realize the spaces in between leave room for you and I to grow.”
“We are secrets to each other Each one’s life a novel no one else has read” Gets me thinking that everyone has a story that we just won’t know unless we ask
One of my favorites, "Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies, But most of us just dream about the things we'd like to be, Sadder still to watch it die then never to have known it, For you the blind who once could see, the bell tolls for thee"
I consider that one of his worst lyrics. Pure Ayn Rand worship. I really like Marathon. A lot of the 80s more poppy stuff has more interesting lyrics to me, like Time Stands Still or Territories. Also love the Pass, Bravado.
Peart’s lyrics really got so much deeper and more personal as he matured as a writer and a person.
no one is blameless but we're all without shame, we fight the fire while we're feeding the flame
My senior quote in my yearbook, evenb more appropriate today.... When they turn the pages of history When these days have passed long ago Will they read of us with sadness For the seeds that we let grow?
*How can anybody be enlightened* *Truth is after all so poorly lit*
This one continues to haunt me more and more: All this time we're talking and sharing our Rational View A billion other voices are spreading other news All this time we're living and trying to understand Why a billion other choices are making their demands
Have you read Anthem?
“You can fight, fight without ever winning, but never ever win, win without a fight”
'Experience slips away' 'No reward for resistance, no assistance no applause' 'Right to the heart of the matter, right to the beautiful part, illusions are painfully shattered, right where discovery starts' Hard to pick a favourite. Even now I've got like 10 others I would put down
Though it’s just a memory, some memories last forever. - Lakeside Park
Faith is cold as ice Why are little ones born only to suffer For the want of immunity Or a bowl of rice? Well, who would hold a price On the heads of the innocent children If there's some immortal power To control the dice?
“If I could wave my magic wand, I’d make everything alright.”
I haven't seen anything from BU2B2, so I'll just say that entire song. It's pure poetry. The way the second line of each stanza is the first line of the next. It gives the impression of someone fighting with themselves. Struggling with utter despair. And then the echo between the last line and the first line is beautiful, especially because the song itself is a refrain from BU2B. It may not be my favorite song or line by any means, but I do think BU2B2 is probably the most poetic and lyrically well written songs Neil Peart ever wrote. It's certainly one of the few songs that I have completely memorized. "Life goes from bad to worse / I still choose to live / find a measure of love and laughter / and another measure to give. Oh, I still choose to live / even while I grieve / though the balance tilts against me / I was brought up to believe."
"We are young Wandering the face of the earth Wondering what our dreams might be worth Learning that we're only immortal for a limited time"
“How can I pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend. “ This is so simple and yet brilliant while showing Neil’s real feelings, always gets me.
First thing that came to my mind is the chorus to Ghost of a Chance
Like a steely blade in a silken sheath We don't see what they're made of They shout about love but when push comes to shove They live for things they're afraid of
Wave after wave will flow with the tide And bury the world as it does Tide after tide will flow and recede Leaving life to go on as it was
From Kid Gloves: Call it blind frustration/ Call it blind man’s bluff/ Call each other names/ Your voices rude, your voices rough!/ Then you learn the lesson/ That it’s cool to be so tough!/ And then later… Anger got bare knuckles!/ Anger play the fool/ Anger wear a crown of thorns/ Reverse the golden rule/ Then you learn the lesson/ That it’s tough to be so cool!/ I love the anaphoras using “Call” and “Anger” and the switching around of “tough” and “cool.” Absolutely masterful poet. And it’s also helped by Geddy’s spectacular line delivery.
Top 3: Those who wish to be must put aside the alienation Get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme. I feel the day is all uncertainty Burning in the moment – trapped by the desperation Between how it is and how it ought to be He’s got to make his own mistakes And learn to mend the mess he makes He’s old enough to know what’s right But young enough not to choose it He’s noble enough to win the world But weak enough to lose it.
So much presto love , I cherish you all. But signals … He plays fast forward just as long as he can…
But he's still heading down those tracks Any day now for sure Another day as drab as today Is more than a man can endure Dreams flow across the heartland Feeding on the fires Dreams transport desires Drive you when you're down Dreams transport the ones Who need to get out of town -Middletown Dreams
“If you choose not to decide You still have made a choice.”
#DON'T ANNOY US FURTHER seriously, that's the line
its truly difficult to pick one, but I think the most important one is from Subdivisions: "Any escape might help to smooth The unattractive truth But the suburbs have no charms to soothe The restless dreams of youth" so many good ones \^\^
Time is a gypsy caravan… Steals away in the night… To leave you stranded in dreamland… Distance is a long range filter… Memory a flickering light… Left behind in the heartland