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Rate the Rush song: Witch Hunt


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Rate the Rush song: Witch Hunt  

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  1. 1. Rate the Rush song: Witch Hunt



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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

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Three or four stars. :huh:

 

It's a good song. My least favorite song on Moving Pictures...but there isn't a bad song on that album.

 

It's a good one, Witch Hunt is.

Edited by Blue J
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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

I think you have misinterpreted its meaning but I guess alot can be read into it. I could be wrong and have been before of course... :cheers:
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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

I think you have misinterpreted its meaning but I guess alot can be read into it. I could be wrong and have been before of course... :cheers:

 

What do you think it means?

 

I've always seen Witch Hunt as a metaphorical parallel to the attacks on creativity that those in power so often seem intent upon.

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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

I think you have misinterpreted its meaning but I guess alot can be read into it. I could be wrong and have been before of course... :cheers:

 

What do you think it means?

 

I've always seen Witch Hunt as a metaphorical parallel to the attacks on creativity that those in power so often seem intent upon.

Government banning this and banning that. Anti libertarian principles essentially and your post seemed to focus on the religious attempting to impose their will. Government does plenty of that i.e regulating how big a Pepsi I drink, what I can and can't do on my property etc etc. Just my take...
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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

I think you have misinterpreted its meaning but I guess alot can be read into it. I could be wrong and have been before of course... :cheers:

 

What do you think it means?

 

I've always seen Witch Hunt as a metaphorical parallel to the attacks on creativity that those in power so often seem intent upon.

Government banning this and banning that. Anti libertarian principles essentially and your post seemed to focus on the religious attempting to impose their will. Government does plenty of that i.e regulating how big a Pepsi I drink, what I can and can't do on my property etc etc. Just my take...

 

Since the lyrics mention the righteous rising, the threats in movies and the threats of books, and the threats of infidels, I definitely see it about religious authority encroaching on our right to think how we wish and about what we wish.

 

That religious imposition was and is enforced through the government, so I don't think my reading is inconsistent with yours. I focused on the overt censorship the lyrics refer to, and cries for censorship were most heavily called for from the theocratic fringe.

 

Even the descriptive of a mob imposing its will seems more in line with my interpretation.

 

I think libertarian principles fit with my reading, so I don't think either of us are wrong. But my focus has always been on folks like Falwell.

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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

I think you have misinterpreted its meaning but I guess alot can be read into it. I could be wrong and have been before of course... :cheers:

 

What do you think it means?

 

I've always seen Witch Hunt as a metaphorical parallel to the attacks on creativity that those in power so often seem intent upon.

Government banning this and banning that. Anti libertarian principles essentially and your post seemed to focus on the religious attempting to impose their will. Government does plenty of that i.e regulating how big a Pepsi I drink, what I can and can't do on my property etc etc. Just my take...

 

Since the lyrics mention the righteous rising, the threats in movies and the threats of books, and the threats of infidels, I definitely see it about religious authority encroaching on our right to think how we wish and about what we wish.

 

That religious imposition was and is enforced through the government, so I don't think my reading is inconsistent with yours. I focused on the overt censorship the lyrics refer to, and cries for censorship were most heavily called for from the theocratic fringe.

 

Even the descriptive of a mob imposing its will seems more in line with my interpretation.

 

I think libertarian principles fit with my reading, so I don't think either of us are wrong. But my focus has always been on folks like Falwell.

 

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3721

 

Vocalist Geddy Lee told The Plain Dealer newspaper in a 2011 interview the song's message is even more relevant today than when it was first recorded: "It's one of those songs that means as much today, if not more, considering what's gone on in the world with racial profiling and all these different issues. The sentiment of that song is as appropriate as ever."

 

And I didn't know for this: Hugh Syme played synthesizers on this song. He created most of the Rush cover art.

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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

I think you have misinterpreted its meaning but I guess alot can be read into it. I could be wrong and have been before of course... :cheers:

 

What do you think it means?

 

I've always seen Witch Hunt as a metaphorical parallel to the attacks on creativity that those in power so often seem intent upon.

Government banning this and banning that. Anti libertarian principles essentially and your post seemed to focus on the religious attempting to impose their will. Government does plenty of that i.e regulating how big a Pepsi I drink, what I can and can't do on my property etc etc. Just my take...

 

Since the lyrics mention the righteous rising, the threats in movies and the threats of books, and the threats of infidels, I definitely see it about religious authority encroaching on our right to think how we wish and about what we wish.

 

That religious imposition was and is enforced through the government, so I don't think my reading is inconsistent with yours. I focused on the overt censorship the lyrics refer to, and cries for censorship were most heavily called for from the theocratic fringe.

 

Even the descriptive of a mob imposing its will seems more in line with my interpretation.

 

I think libertarian principles fit with my reading, so I don't think either of us are wrong. But my focus has always been on folks like Falwell.

 

http://www.songfacts...ail.php?id=3721

 

Vocalist Geddy Lee told The Plain Dealer newspaper in a 2011 interview the song's message is even more relevant today than when it was first recorded: "It's one of those songs that means as much today, if not more, considering what's gone on in the world with racial profiling and all these different issues. The sentiment of that song is as appropriate as ever."

 

And I didn't know for this: Hugh Syme played synthesizers on this song. He created most of the Rush cover art.

 

The immigrant line fits that beautifully. My focus was always religious authority, but certainly any measure of US as above THEM fits my reading.

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Interestingly, and a fact I am sure not lost on Neil, is that the witch trials and subsequent murders that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts involved all of the above: religion, politics and immigration ..

 

The gist, I feel, is trying to overcome that fatal flaw in human nature, and, the mob mentality when driven by fear

 

 

.

 

 

.

Edited by Lucas
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I love Witch Hunt.

 

When I first heard it the Moral Majority was becoming powerful and the PMRC was on the way. The line, "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves" was a big deal to me.

 

I had yet to form an opinion of what Rush should sound like, so the drone like nature of the song didn't bother me at all.

 

In fact, I think it fits the metaphor.

 

The song is weaker to my ears now than it was then, but nevertheless it remains a great song.

Great point in regards to the timing of the song. I loved it when I first heard it back in '81, and still like it, but not as much. It's great with headphones.
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