goose Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 We all agree that Neil's a great lyricist, but some of his opening lines set a perfect tone for a song, and some, well... What line would you hold up as one of his best opening lines and which could have used a little re-working? My choices Best: A hot and windy August afternoon has the trees in constant motion (Rhythmic, poetic, and captivating!) Worst: I knew he was different in his sexuality (Great song, but this is the way to open it, seriously?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthshine21122 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Off the cuff: Best: Basic elemental, instinct to survive, stirs the higher passions, thrilled to be alive. Least: Nothing can survive in a vacuum.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 Thanks for the vote of confidence, Earthshine. Excellent "best" choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthshine21122 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 QUOTE (goose @ Aug 25 2006, 11:32 PM) Thanks for the vote of confidence, Earthshine. Excellent "best" choice! You are very welcome. Thank you for your compliment of my best choice. To be completely honest.....(The emoticons don't lie-guess what Rush song I'm thinking of. Hint: replace emoticons with a "reflective" Peart Lyric.) Back to being honest....This was an excellent topic. If there were more topics posted similar to yours...I would spend less time in the political forum. I noticed your pic of the Caress of Steel Album Cover. What are your thoughts on "The Fountain of Lamneth"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rocinante Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Best: Can't Decide Worst: When we lift the covers from or feelings...(I love this song, but whenever I hear that line it sounds boring) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 QUOTE (earthshine21122 @ Aug 26 2006, 12:08 AM) QUOTE (goose @ Aug 25 2006, 11:32 PM) Thanks for the vote of confidence, Earthshine. Excellent "best" choice! You are very welcome. Thank you for your compliment of my best choice. To be completely honest.....(The emoticons don't lie-guess what Rush song I'm thinking of. Hint: replace emoticons with a "reflective" Peart Lyric.) Back to being honest....This was an excellent topic. If there were more topics posted similar to yours...I would spend less time in the political forum. I noticed your pic of the Caress of Steel Album Cover. What are your thoughts on "The Fountain of Lamneth"? I'm a big fan. It's the "epic" I listen to most these days and really appreciate the variety of styles within the piece of work. It strikes me as something they really wanted to do, and seems more personal then a lot of stuff that followed. Not that i'm opposed to great ideas, but they don;t alwyas translate well in rock music, especially of that era. Tackling Siddharta on a double-necked guitar, for example, almost has to come across as silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 QUOTE (The Rocinante @ Aug 26 2006, 12:09 AM) Worst: When we lift the covers from or feelings...(I love this song, but whenever I hear that line it sounds boring) Ah, yes, a great example of "You're sure you want to open with this, Neil?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
what went wrong? Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Best: Hold your fire, keep it burning bright Worst: A modern day warrior, mean mean stride I've always been partial to "Mission" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
what went wrong? Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 The absolute best first line: "And the meek shall inherit the earth..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KublaKhan Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 QUOTE (what went wrong? @ Aug 26 2006, 09:46 AM) The absolute best first line: "And the meek shall inherit the earth..." agreed Best: When They Turn The Pages of History. Worst: I See Red. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 Now we're rolling. Tom Sawyer a daring choice for worst! And I was considering that as the prototype for "best" when I started the thread, just to get it out of the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclops Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Best: You and I, we are strangers by one chromosome. Worst: A to B -Different degrees... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 Worst: Oh God... "I knew he was different in his sexuality" "You and I, we are strangers by one chromosome" "When we lift the covers from our feelings..." "It was long after midnight when we got to unconditional love" "A modest man from Mandrake" "I see the Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth, like the Chinese call the country of their birth" Best: Well, the best Rush opening is either the synth blast that kicks off "Subdivisions" or the inhuman guitar riff on "The Spirit of Radio", obviously. But I have to give it up..."Radio". "Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 QUOTE (Kudzu @ Aug 26 2006, 03:38 PM) Worst: Oh God... "I knew he was different in his sexuality" "You and I, we are strangers by one chromosome" "When we lift the covers from our feelings..." "It was long after midnight when we got to unconditional love" "A modest man from Mandrake" "I see the Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth, like the Chinese call the country of their birth" Best: Well, the best Rush opening is either the synth blast that kicks off "Subdivisions" or the inhuman guitar riff on "The Spirit of Radio", obviously. But I have to give it up..."Radio". "Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive..." "A Modest Man from Mandrake" is not Neil it's a Geddy lyric... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 26, 2006 Author Share Posted August 26, 2006 Hey, Kudzu, no hogging! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudzu Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 26 2006, 03:08 PM) QUOTE (Kudzu @ Aug 26 2006, 03:38 PM) Worst: Oh God... "I knew he was different in his sexuality" "You and I, we are strangers by one chromosome" "When we lift the covers from our feelings..." "It was long after midnight when we got to unconditional love" "A modest man from Mandrake" "I see the Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth, like the Chinese call the country of their birth" Best: Well, the best Rush opening is either the synth blast that kicks off "Subdivisions" or the inhuman guitar riff on "The Spirit of Radio", obviously. But I have to give it up..."Radio". "Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive..." "A Modest Man from Mandrake" is not Neil it's a Geddy lyric... Did Geddy write "Cinderella Man"? Really? Figures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 QUOTE (Kudzu @ Aug 26 2006, 07:04 PM) QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 26 2006, 03:08 PM) QUOTE (Kudzu @ Aug 26 2006, 03:38 PM) Worst: Oh God... "I knew he was different in his sexuality" "You and I, we are strangers by one chromosome" "When we lift the covers from our feelings..." "It was long after midnight when we got to unconditional love" "A modest man from Mandrake" "I see the Middle Kingdom between Heaven and Earth, like the Chinese call the country of their birth" Best: Well, the best Rush opening is either the synth blast that kicks off "Subdivisions" or the inhuman guitar riff on "The Spirit of Radio", obviously. But I have to give it up..."Radio". "Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive..." "A Modest Man from Mandrake" is not Neil it's a Geddy lyric... Did Geddy write "Cinderella Man"? Really? Figures. Yep... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 27, 2006 Author Share Posted August 27, 2006 From VT Best: The city crouches, steaming, in the early morning half-light Sets great tone of the song, like he did with Analog kid Worst: Did I have a dream, or did the dream have me? Too obvious 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrdrummer Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 "I'm runnin here, I'm runnin there, I'm looking for a girl" Not a Neil lyric, but it hasn't been mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted August 27, 2006 Author Share Posted August 27, 2006 QUOTE (jrdrummer @ Aug 26 2006, 09:24 PM) "I'm runnin here, I'm runnin there, I'm looking for a girl" Not a Neil lyric, but it hasn't been mentioned. Best or worst? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Enemy_Within Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Best? I can't pick a BEST, but I'll mention some of my favorites. "Suddenly you were gone, from all the lives you left your mark upon." "Proud swagger out of the schoolyard." "I don't want to face the killer instinct." "All that we can do is just survive." "If we burn our wings, flying too close to the sun." "And the meek shall inherit the earth." "So many things I think about, when I look far away." "A world of difference, a world so out of touch." Not the worst, but some that aren't really my favorites.. "I see red." "Just another hunter." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Enemy_Within Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 (edited) my post posted twice Edited August 27, 2006 by The_Enemy_Within Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fledgehog Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 (edited) QUOTE (goose @ Aug 26 2006, 10:33 PM) QUOTE (jrdrummer @ Aug 26 2006, 09:24 PM) "I'm runnin here, I'm runnin there, I'm looking for a girl" Not a Neil lyric, but it hasn't been mentioned. Best or worst? I'm assuming that he was assuming that it would be understood as "worst" without him having to state the obvious... : "All of teh seasons/.." "I am born..." "It was long after midnight..." "When they turn the pages..." "An ill wind..." "Suddenly you were gone..." "Things crawl in the darkness..." "All that we can do is just survive..." "To live between a rock..." yes, Grace Under Pressure is full of great lyrics "lalalalalala...I love singing...it's so easy..." ( ) "Tough times..." "I turn my back to the wind..." "I don't want to face the killer instinct..." "Hold your fire..." "When the waters rose in the dakness..." "Living on the lighted stage..." "The clouds prepare for battle..." "When the ebbing tide retreats..." "Imagine the place where it all began..." "The restless wind..." "Sprwaling on the fringes of the city..." "I can learn to resist anything but temptation..." : "And the meek shall inherit the earth..." "I looked in the mirror today..." "I knew he was different in his sexuality..." "And the men who hold high places..."...who starts a song with "and"? "I see red..." "Nothing can survive in a vacuum..." "Unstable condition..." "Bug money goes around the world/.." "It's not how fast you can go..." "I see the middle kingdom..." "When we lift the covers from our feelings..." "So many things I think about..." that "Heyyyy..." at the beginning of Scars. Not a genuine lyric, but still frickin annoying "Well, you can stake that claim..." probably most of the rest of RtB too... Most of Rush (not Neil lyrics, go figure...) but I have to give a seperate entry to In the Mood "Here we go, vertigo..." "In a dog's life..." Something like that. EDIT: ignore the typos. I do that alot Edited August 27, 2006 by fledgehog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fledgehog Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 QUOTE (The_Enemy_Within @ Aug 26 2006, 10:43 PM) my post posted twice so? Now your post count is one higher...what's so bad about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemispheric Waves Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 I have to agree that the opening 'Hey' to Scars is painful to listen to. Its even worse listening to it live all tricked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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