Cygnalschick Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 QUOTE Very, very weird, as those were the first two books that I sto... erm... borrowed from the library I work at. Yes I've hunted you down....I was working at that library!! kidding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physics23 Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 QUOTE The creators were not selfless. It is the whole secret of their power - that it was self-sufficient, self-motivated, self-generated. A first cause, a fount of energy, a life force, a Prime Mover. The creator served nothing and no one. He lived for himself. The author's choice of words is certainly interesting. The notions of "first cause," "fount of energy," and "life force" don't suggest sentience; in fact, they sound like natural and arbitrary phenomena, much as the blowing of the wind or a glorious sunset -- profound, but ultimately meaningless and purposeless. "Prime Mover," on the other hand, does suggest a consciousness, an entity with purpose, a God -- especially considering the author chose to capitalize the phrase, which she did not have to. "Prime Mover," therefore, seems conspicuously out of place alongside the preceding collocations. How does one reconcile this paradox? Maybe someone else has an idea, because I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crushtopher Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 I remember hearing an interview with Geddy and Alex after the album was released and they were hitting the road for the tour. During the interview they were asked about the song in question. The song itself can take on so many interpretations . For instance : at the time of this album the Space shuttle Challenger exploded just after lift off. For that reason i thought the line "the point of the journey is not to return " definitely made a strong case that the song itself was about the space shuttle challenger. However ,during the interview if i remember correctly, they explained that the song itself was about the stage crew behind the scenes setting the wheels in motion. Now re-examine the words and see if it makes sense to you. I am not 100% sure ,but i do remember the interview and feeling shocked to hear it had absolutely nothing to do with what i had interpreted it to be.Great album ! Best song on the album in my oppinion next to the mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madra sneachta Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Interesting debate, here's my take on it. I've always thought that Lock and Key and Prime Mover are in the wrong order, and can be interpreted as stages in human evolution. Lock and Key represents the control we exercise on our base instinct. The core of our animalistic nature is to satisfy needs and take what we need, and woe betide anyone or anything that gets in our way. To strove towards our potential as humans, we control those urges and set boundaries and frameworks within which we operate. Basic ethics, if you will. Prime Mover takes that a stage further, moving away from the basic elemental will to survive. That opens a range of possibilities, and we begin to make choices, ultimately striving for the higher plane. Far from acknowledging an external influence/guifing hand, I think the I is just that. The human who is reaching a higher level of evolution is becoming a Prime Mover, and does not need a god or a guide (in some celestial voice, perhaps??) to guide him/her. They are guiding their own destiny. "The point of the journey is not to arrive". Could this be a rejection of traditional notions of heaven/nirvana??. The purpose of life is not to reach a pre-defined state of oneness with a Godhead, but to continue to develop as a person, to reach the full potential of humanity. Conversely the point of departure is not to return suggests that once we rise above the elemental instinct reflected in Lock and Key, our evolution should continue and not return to what we were. Just a few half baked ideas to throw into the melting pot. As refards Prime Mover, I've often argued that both lyrically and musically, if there was to be one song that defined what Rush means to me, Prime Mover is the one that comes closest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeman Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 intersesting thought. i always related this song to us, the human spirit, free will the drive and passion within us, maybe our relation between us and god. we do resist rationality when we respond to an unwise urge. ie , why do e do stupid things when we know we shouln't. but hey only neil knows. grea song and always makes me think of the power of life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohnoo Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I have recently rediscoverd HYF after a long time away from this album, I really don't have a firm opinion of what the song means' but the line' ...the point of a journey is not to arrive... caught me as life is a journey, you are born and you die, and when you reach your final destination...death...the ride is over. just my simple view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physics23 Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 QUOTE (crushtopher @ Jan 25 2006, 01:22 AM)I remember hearing an interview with Geddy and Alex after the album was released and they were hitting the road for the tour. During the interview they were asked about the song in question. The song itself can take on so many interpretations . For instance : at the time of this album the Space shuttle Challenger exploded just after lift off. For that reason i thought the line "the point of the journey is not to return " definitely made a strong case that the song itself was about the space shuttle challenger. However ,during the interview if i remember correctly, they explained that the song itself was about the stage crew behind the scenes setting the wheels in motion. Now re-examine the words and see if it makes sense to you. I am not 100% sure ,but i do remember the interview and feeling shocked to hear it had absolutely nothing to do with what i had interpreted it to be.Great album ! Best song on the album in my oppinion next to the mission. The Challenger interpretation fits the lyrics rather nicely, but I don't think it has a place within the context of the album as a whole. As for the song being "about the stage crew behind the scenes setting the wheels in motion," they may indeed have said that in an interview, but it's rare that we get any real answers through Rush's interviews - and more often than not they seem to enjoy screwing with our heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physics23 Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 QUOTE (madra sneachta @ Jan 25 2006, 03:13 AM)Interesting debate, here's my take on it. I've always thought that Lock and Key and Prime Mover are in the wrong order, and can be interpreted as stages in human evolution. Lock and Key represents the control we exercise on our base instinct. Well said. "Lock and Key" does address the more primitive, primal layers of human behavior; "Prime Mover" is, in a sense, exploring the more self-aware and spiritual layers of thought. QUOTE The core of our animalistic nature is to satisfy needs and take what we need, and woe betide anyone or anything that gets in our way. To strove towards our potential as humans, we control those urges and set boundaries and frameworks within which we operate. Basic ethics, if you will. Prime Mover takes that a stage further, moving away from the basic elemental will to survive. That opens a range of possibilities, and we begin to make choices, ultimately striving for the higher plane. Far from acknowledging an external influence/guifing hand, I think the I is just that. The human who is reaching a higher level of evolution is becoming a Prime Mover, and does not need a god or a guide (in some celestial voice, perhaps??) to guide him/her. They are guiding their own destiny. Though I disagree with this approach to human psychology, I think it's exactly the message Neil is expressing. And though I reject that there is a hand guiding our behavior, I am convinced it is entirely determined by forces beyond our or anyone else's control. QUOTE "The point of the journey is not to arrive". Could this be a rejection of traditional notions of heaven/nirvana??. The purpose of life is not to reach a pre-defined state of oneness with a Godhead, but to continue to develop as a person, to reach the full potential of humanity. Nice thought. Maybe by setting a target to aspire towards, we're actually limiting ourselves. Perhaps we should be focusing our energies not on evolving to some finite ideal, but on the process of improvement itself. QUOTE Conversely the point of departure is not to return suggests that once we rise above the elemental instinct reflected in Lock and Key, our evolution should continue and not return to what we were. Again, a refreshing analysis! Certainly one that I can embrace. QUOTE Just a few half baked ideas to throw into the melting pot. As refards Prime Mover, I've often argued that both lyrically and musically, if there was to be one song that defined what Rush means to me, Prime Mover is the one that comes closest. It's one of my favorites too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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