Tom Sawyer is a really weird song.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I think as Rush fans we often take for granted that Tom Sawyer is their most iconic song and overlook the fact that it’s by far one of their least conventional, especially in terms of their shorter songs. It has repeated sections, but they aren’t really arranged in a verse-chorus structure, and they all sound like they could be the “hook” of the song. And that’s just the vocals. Then there’s the famous synth riff, which doesn’t show up till midway through the song. The solo section is also weird because it starts by the synth riff becoming the bassline (certainly something only Geddy would think to do), and ends with a full fledged drum feature that miraculously leads back into one of the vocal hooks. And on top of all of that, it fades out, which isn’t Rush’s usual approach (though certainly not unfamiliar ground to them). Plus it just sounds weird, and that opening synth filter sweep is almost totally unique in the annals of rock history.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

It really is a weird song. Someone brought up the lyrics in another thread recently, mocking the "Catch the spirit, catch the spit" lines, but I argued that the quirky lyrics (co-written by Pye Dubois) fit the song perfectly because the whole song is quirky.

 

The song may have repeated sections, but it doesn't have the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure that most non-prog pop and rock songs have. It says a lot that Rush's two biggest hits -- Tom Sawyer and Spirit of Radio -- are anything but typical rock songs. They're "accessible" but still distinctly Rush.

[ST3V]

7 hours ago, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

It really is a weird song. Someone brought up the lyrics in another thread recently, mocking the "Catch the spirit, catch the spit" lines, but I argued that the quirky lyrics (co-written by Pye Dubois) fit the song perfectly because the whole song is quirky.

 

The song may have repeated sections, but it doesn't have the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure that most non-prog pop and rock songs have. It says a lot that Rush's two biggest hits -- Tom Sawyer and Spirit of Radio -- are anything but typical rock songs. They're "accessible" but still distinctly Rush.

i mean yeah, spirit of radio is the only radio hit i know of that randomly breaks into a reggae bridge (although, not the only song i know)

[Weatherman]

1 hour ago, ST3V said:

i mean yeah, spirit of radio is the only radio hit i know of that randomly breaks into a reggae bridge (although, not the only song i know)

The Police built many of their biggest hits on bits of reggae. Rush copied them.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Weatherman

[Weatherman]

When I used to play Rush cover songs with a small band in college, the singer/bassist (who was a huge music geek and classical opera singer as well) used to complain about Tom Sawyer. It was difficult to replicate live and he didn't like much about the song, as a singer.

Also, we both **hated** the guitar solo, and we devised something else for me to do for those 8 bars instead of the amelodic weird shit that Alex threw on that track. I can't remember what we did instead. 

That said, I still **love** the song overall. It has an undeniable energy and some great parts. 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Weatherman

[Chicken hawk]

Tom Sawyer is so over played here.   They should give some of their other , better, songs a spin.   ♪♪♪

[grep]

Tom Sawyer was so over played live.  The band always pulled it off perfectly. But sometimes you could see it on Ged and Al's faces 'this again'.   Ged even sounded bored sometimes when he sang.

[Timbale]

Lyrics are a big part of what I like about Rush...and Tom Sawyer has always left me cold.  The two instances off the top of "mean, mean" are annoying to me, and most of the lyrics do nothing for me, save for "changes aren't permanent, but change is", which is a nice turn of phrase.

 

I think the concept of a modern day Tom Sawyer just doesn't conjure anything for me.  I don't connect to it.  And,  I believe Dubois gave Peart the partial lyrics when they were "Louis the warrior"...so the Tom Sawyer thing is down to Neil.  

[tangy]

So was the space he invades a reference to space invaders?

 

 

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Holy cow I didn’t mean for this to be a space to vent all your pent up dislike of Huck Finn!

I just wanted to talk about how unusual of a song it is, not how often it got played, lol.

[Weatherman]

11 hours ago, Entre_Perpetuo said:

Holy cow I didn’t mean for this to be a space to vent all your pent up dislike of Huck Finn!

I just wanted to talk about how unusual of a song it is, not how often it got played, lol.

Haha. 

Okay, here goes:

Other than that glorious drum break, I think the unusual thing about the song is the way Ged and Alex pass that motif back and forth between one another. You know the one. 

First Ged on keys, then to Alex on guitar, then back to Ged on bass. Right now I can't think of any other charting rock song that does that kind of call-and-response. 

The only comparable song I can think of is "Closer" by the Chainsmokers. It does recycle a single motif in many forms throughout the tune, in a very artful way, but it's never explicitly passed back and forth like a hot potato between two players the way Ged and Alex do. 

[Pressure/Hopenosis]

On 7/3/2023 at 10:46 AM, Chicken hawk said:

Tom Sawyer is so over played here.   They should give some of their other , better, songs a spin.   ♪♪♪

Radio drives me crazy in that aspect.  Artists like Rush, Yes, Journey,  ZZ Top and on and on have more than two friggin' hits!

[Pressure/Hopenosis]

22 hours ago, grep said:

Tom Sawyer was so over played live.  The band always pulled it off perfectly. But sometimes you could see it on Ged and Al's faces 'this again'.   Ged even sounded bored sometimes when he sang.

Loved the tour they opened with it (I'm too lazy to look it up, Vapor Trails maybe?)  There!  Now let's get on with the show.

[Rick N. Backer]

It's a great song.  The lyrics are shockingly dumb, but the melody is exceptional.

 

 

[Rhyta]

4 hours ago, Pressure/Hopenosis said:

Radio drives me crazy in that aspect.  Artists like Rush, Yes, Journey,  ZZ Top and on and on have more than two friggin' hits!

Exactly, around here they only play Tom Sawyer and Limelight.  Although I heard Fly by Night recently which was a surprise.  Rock radio has a formula and they stick to it to their detriment.

The drum solo is amazing,  I knew of it long before I became a Rush fan.  It did impress people.

Edited July 4, 2023 by Rhyta

[Rhyta]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:17 AM, Weatherman said:

The Police built many of their biggest hits on bits of reggae. Rush copied them.

New World Man was their Police homage and they did pretty good. 

[Entre_Perpetuo]

8 hours ago, Weatherman said:

Haha. 

Okay, here goes:

Other than that glorious drum break, I think the unusual thing about the song is the way Ged and Alex pass that motif back and forth between one another. You know the one. 

First Ged on keys, then to Alex on guitar, then back to Ged on bass. Right now I can't think of any other charting rock song that does that kind of call-and-response. 

The only comparable song I can think of is "Closer" by the Chainsmokers. It does recycle a single motif in many forms throughout the tune, in a very artful way, but it's never explicitly passed back and forth like a hot potato between two players the way Ged and Alex do. 

Man. I HATE Closer.  You don't realize how insufferable that three note riff can be until you live next to the party dorm the year it comes out.

[Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios]

I  Tom Sawyer and ain’t sick of it yet … keep playing it on the Radio I say ! 
🤣  

[Rick N. Backer]

3 hours ago, Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios said:

I  Tom Sawyer and ain’t sick of it yet … keep playing it on the Radio I say ! 
🤣  

The "real" fans can tell you how Half the World was their favorite live song.  The rest of the population who saw them after 1981 can tell you how the crowd erupted when that opening synth chord was played.

[Lurkst]

On 7/4/2023 at 1:03 AM, tangy said:

So was the space he invades a reference to space invaders?

 

Always thought that was a neat cultural reference from the time. They did namecheck Space Invaders in album credits (either on MP or PW, can't recall).