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Time Stand Still


Rush Didact
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I've always loved this song, from the time I first heard it in my early teens. I always 'got it', in an intellectual sense, but as the years roll on it gains more resonance and becomes more real; real to the point of almost uncomfortable intimacy.

 

Here I sit, in the last moments of August: summer going fast and nights growing colder, my head filled in recent weeks with thoughts of children growing up and friends growing older, and I happened to stumble on this song, quite randomly, in a recommended Youtube video. The next thing I know, I have tears in my eyes, and it all seems so overwhelming.

 

I realized this summer that I'm exactly the age Neil was when he wrote the lyrics for the songs on Hold Your Fire. Being in your mid-30s seems to make you newly aware of how quickly time is going by, as if things have suddenly sped up a little, or I blinked and skipped a few years while I wasn't looking. You start to lose some friends and family to the cruel statistical inevitability of death, and when you understand that your allotted time with them is finished, you want to claw it back somehow, and freeze this moment a little bit longer with the ones who remain.

 

There are many Rush songs that feel like they're speaking directly to me, many that have had profound and powerful influences on my life, but I'm not sure any of them match the sublime beauty and poignancy of this one. Thank you, Neil, for this exquisite gift to the world. I finally get it, really and truly get it. I only wish that one day I could have the chance to tell you how much it means to me...

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I like this song better than most of the rest of the album, and the lyrics are mostly what I like about it, but the album came out when I was just veering toward other musical territory and broadening my repertoire as a drummer, and it was one of the first ones with any songs that I would hit the skip button on. I think PW was the last album that I was still all-in on. After that, I liked a few songs here or there until clockwork angels came out and I liked a good majority of that one. I think the song gets maybe unfairly lumped in with the HYF album in general, but otherwise I totally agree with your takes on it, and yeah your perception of time speeds up over time. Makes sense. When you are one day old, a day is 100% of your accumulated experience of life and is basically forever as far as you’re concerned. When you’re 50, one year is only 2% of it, and a day 1/365 of that (I don’t feel like doing math or opening a calculator app right now).
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Just because its not aggressive hard rock or proggy or has any show-offy guitar /bass/drum parts that they are known for doesn't mean its a bad Rush song. I think its a great example of the band merging a lyric with perfect music , something they got away from in the years to follow where too many songs sounded scotch taped together with lyrics shoe horned in
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I have a lot of fondness for it too; it's such a warm song, upbeat but a little sad. Musically, I think its crafted perfectly. They aren't showing off but are just servicing the lyrics, and it's one of my favourite "Geddy" songs *bass heavy.
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I love TSS. Great song from a great album. Probably my favorite Rush album. I use TSS as a ringtone for my wife’s calls.

 

Time stands still when she calls. :wub:

 

JD, I know what Rush means to you and I don't know if you ever saw this, but I know you would appreciate this as I did: http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/108121-im-almost-speechless/#entry4677874

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Always loved the song despite it being poppy.Children growing up, old friends getting older’is a great and poignant line.My son will be 38 and daughter 35 soon and I will be a grandfather in January so those words ring true. Love the Jacob Moon cover too.Its a sign of good song when it is stripped back to bare bones and it works
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:musicnote:...Summer's going fast, nights growing colder

Children growing up, old friends growing older

Freeze this moment a little bit longer

Make each sensation a little bit stronger

Experience slips away

Experience slips away

The innocence slips away ... :musicnote:

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HYF as a whole is a letdown, but TSS is a great song; the lyrics are married well to the music, and it understands the melancholy nature of temporary things we love.

 

My son does this annoying thing where he crowds me when we sit at a booth in a restaurant or in a pew at church or anywhere else he can; I usually hate the interference with my personal space, but after reading some of the comments here and thinking about the lyrics again, I'm more appreciative of the fact that there will come a point where I would give or do anything to have him do it again . . .

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I remember at Hartford Civic Center, on the Roll the Bones tour, they had 2 large speakers set up at the back of the venue, just over the soundboard. During the solo/bridge section of TSS, the effects and keyboard hits were bouncing around the venue in 4 channels. It was a very cool effect that I have never seen any other band implement. I don't think Rush ever did it again either. They were used to great effect with Force 10 as well.

 

Awesome f***ing show.

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I remember at Hartford Civic Center, on the Roll the Bones tour, they had 2 large speakers set up at the back of the venue, just over the soundboard. During the solo/bridge section of TSS, the effects and keyboard hits were bouncing around the venue in 4 channels. It was a very cool effect that I have never seen any other band implement. I don't think Rush ever did it again either. They were used to great effect with Force 10 as well.

 

Awesome f***ing show.

 

A lot of the Hartford boots are good no matter which tour.

http://youtu.be/mc8tGAEN9ss

 

Alex's guitar in Force 10. :wub: Geddy's voice is top-notch that night. They go right into Freewill. Good times!!! Happy days!!!!

Edited by Lorraine
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I've always liked that song too and don't understand the hate it gets from a segment of fans. OK, so its not exactly hard rock but the song has soul and a great melody and arrangement

Absolutely one of the band’s best songs...hands down.

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I remember at Hartford Civic Center, on the Roll the Bones tour, they had 2 large speakers set up at the back of the venue, just over the soundboard. During the solo/bridge section of TSS, the effects and keyboard hits were bouncing around the venue in 4 channels. It was a very cool effect that I have never seen any other band implement. I don't think Rush ever did it again either. They were used to great effect with Force 10 as well.

 

Awesome f***ing show.

 

A lot of the Hartford boots are good no matter which tour.

http://youtu.be/mc8tGAEN9ss

 

Alex's guitar in Force 10. :wub: Geddy's voice is top-notch that night. They go right into Freewill. Good times!!! Happy days!!!!

 

That above boot is from my very first Rush show. Nice!

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I remember at Hartford Civic Center, on the Roll the Bones tour, they had 2 large speakers set up at the back of the venue, just over the soundboard. During the solo/bridge section of TSS, the effects and keyboard hits were bouncing around the venue in 4 channels. It was a very cool effect that I have never seen any other band implement. I don't think Rush ever did it again either. They were used to great effect with Force 10 as well.

 

Awesome f***ing show.

 

A lot of the Hartford boots are good no matter which tour.

http://youtu.be/mc8tGAEN9ss

 

Alex's guitar in Force 10. :wub: Geddy's voice is top-notch that night. They go right into Freewill. Good times!!! Happy days!!!!

 

That above boot is from my very first Rush show. Nice!

 

That's one my favorite boots! Most of the boots of their shows at The Hartford were good.

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1567531133[/url]' post='4688388']

I remember at Hartford Civic Center, on the Roll the Bones tour, they had 2 large speakers set up at the back of the venue, just over the soundboard. During the solo/bridge section of TSS, the effects and keyboard hits were bouncing around the venue in 4 channels. It was a very cool effect that I have never seen any other band implement. I don't think Rush ever did it again either. They were used to great effect with Force 10 as well.

 

Awesome f***ing show.

 

Pink Floyd had 4 channel sound on the Division Bell tour. They used it throughout the whole show. It was very cool.

Edited by Mr. JD
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I remember at Hartford Civic Center, on the Roll the Bones tour, they had 2 large speakers set up at the back of the venue, just over the soundboard. During the solo/bridge section of TSS, the effects and keyboard hits were bouncing around the venue in 4 channels. It was a very cool effect that I have never seen any other band implement. I don't think Rush ever did it again either. They were used to great effect with Force 10 as well.

 

Awesome f***ing show.

 

Pink Floyd had 4 channel sound on the Division Bell tour. They used it throughout the whole show. It was very cool.

 

You are absolutely right about that - I actually saw that show at Sun Devil Stadium - can't believe I forgot that.

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