GeminiRising79 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Hi All. I was listening to some old Rush CDs and came upon a part of a song that I forgot about that really gave me chills. It took me back to a time during my teens which reminded me about how entranced I was with Rush and their music. Scary but wonderful at the same time. Anyone experience this? Here is the passage: [V. Oracle: The Dream] I stand atop a spiral stair An oracle confronts me there He leads me on light years away Through astral nights, galactic days I see the works of gifted hands That grace this strange and wondrous land I see the hand of man arise With hungry mind and open eyes They left the planet long ago The elder race still learn and grow Their power grows with purpose strong To claim the home where they belong Home to tear the Temples down... Home to change! This passage, lyrics and music, exudes and defines the essence of Rush for me personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRocinanteKid Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Mission I watch their images flicker Bringing light to a lifeless screen I walk through their beautiful buildings And I wish I had their dreams We each pay a fabulous price For our visions of paradise But a spirit with a vision Is a dream with a mission About 3 weeks ago now I was walking home from college at about 9:30 in the morning after finding out it had been cancelled. It had been raining on my way down but stopped as I got to the doors and the security guard told me it was a "training day" I turned around and walked by a different, longer, route since it was sunny. Had my iPod on listening to Mission on my iPod and as I walked through the streets of the city centre I can't explain it the first passage especially the second two lines just made me feel like crying, but in a good way. The second passage have just always been some of my favourite lyrics ever and I can't help singing along with them. Mission rocks! The Camera Eye Wide-angle watcher On life's ancient tales, Steeped in the history of London. Green and grey washes In a wispy white veil Mist in the streets of Westminster. Wistful and weathered, The pride still prevails, Alive in the streets of the city Here's another one that has similar connonations to the other one. With one slight difference that I'm not afraid to admit as an 18 year old boy. I have cried while listening to those lyrics. They're the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Far more so than any love poem I can't help been blown away each and every time I hear them and usually end up rewinding and relistening several times. Resist You can surrender Without a prayer But never really pray Pray without surrender You can fight Without ever winning But never ever win Without a fight Plain and simple pure lyrical genius. Test For Echo was the first Rush album I fell in love with although I don't believe I paid attention to Resist or these lyrics in particular they always stand out for me and often just randomly find themselves in my head. Freewill Each of us A cell of awareness Imperfect and incomplete Genetic blends With uncertain ends On a fortune hunt That's far too fleet No reason really I just think these are in fact some of the greatest lyrics ever written. For the longest time I had no idea what Geddy was singing but I loved the way it sounded. I think it was more to do with the way his voice was so high on this part I liked to start with but the lyrics are just as amazing now I know them. Jacob's Ladder Follow men's eyes As they look to the skies The shifting shafts of shining Weave the fabric of their dreams Walking through the park one day (Once again on my way home from college) these lyrics just hit me and I couldn't help pressing repeat on my iPod just to hear them again. Hemispheres Some who did not fight Brought tales of old to light My Rocinante sailed by night On her final flight To the heart of Cygnus' fearsome force We set our course Spiralled through that timeless space To this immortal place Like Freewill I think at first this way more about the way it was sang rather than the actual lyrics. I just loved the melody but once I did learn them I loved them even more. Guess that's the geek within really. Always loved Greek mythology and anyone who can mix it with something as contrasting as space travel has my respect. I remember me and my best friend sat in my house across the room from each other with some marijuana just mouth the words to the entire song to each other and pretending to play the drum parts etc. The Necromancer Stealthily attacking By-Tor slays his foe The men are free to run now From labyrinths below The Wraith of Necromancer Shadows through the sky Another land to darken With evil prism eye Just another passage that I was drawn to accidentally. The melody and the solo blew me away and as I learned the lyrics they went hand in hand with that. Absolutely amazing. Reminds me of me stood on my bed with my bass trying to sing it and sound like Geddy. The Spirit Of Radio Begin the day Wth a friendly voice, A companion, unobtrusive Plays the song that's so elusive And the magic music makes your morning mood. Off on your way Hit the open road, There is magic at your fingers For the Spirit ever lingers, Undemanding contact In your happy solitude. The first Rush song I learned the lyrics all the way through to. I remember pacing my bedroom with the open lyric book from the CD on my bed trying to memorise the lines and read them back. That would have been perhaps the first day I ever heard any Rush. Great times. Sorry if I overdid it a bit on your thread but I just kept thinking of more and more and yes I could go on but I don't wanna be seen as too much of an obsessive. What more is there to say other than welcome to the site, enjoy yourself here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syaoran_2001 Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 QUOTE (GeminiRising79 @ Jan 21 2008, 04:23 PM) [V. Oracle: The Dream] ...I see the works of gifted hands That grace this strange and wondrous land I see the hand of man arise With hungry mind and open eyes This passage, lyrics and music, exudes and defines the essence of Rush for me personally. I know exactly what you mean, that's my favorite part of 2112, it always give me a chill up my spine when I hear it. It's just something about the way Geddy sings it that makes it so powerful and chilling. That's what Rush is all about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edie Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Oh, definitely. I recently listened to Caress of Steel for the first time in what must be 20 years. It took me straight back to the summer of 84 when I was revising for my A levels (the exams you do at 18 in England & Wales) and reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time (instead of revising ). Silence shrouds the forest As the birds announce the dawn Three trav'llers ford the river And southward journey on The road is lined with peril The air is charged with fear The shadow of his nearness Weighs like iron tears Literally made my hair stand on end. I was driving at the time, and probably should have pulled over! Oh - and welcome to TRF. You'll never leave........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakeHaste Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 A simple kind of mirror To reflect upon our own All the busy little creatures Chasing out their destinies Living in their pools They soon forget about the sea... The most endangered species The honest man Will still survive annihilation Forming a world- State of integrity Sensitive, open and strong This song means so much to me. The passages in bold are golden. We draw our own designs But fortune has to make that frame This one has been growing on me, I sometimes recite it to myself. We go out in the world and take our chances Fate is just the weight of circumstances That's the way that lady luck dances Another good one that I tell people. who can you believe? it's hard to play it safe but apart from a few good friends we don't take anything on faith until later Something my friend do toooooo much. you can twist perceptions reality won't budge GREAT line. Ignorance and prejudice And fear Walk hand in hand. You just can't deny this one... Let the truth of love be lighted Let the love of truth shine clear Sensibility Armed with sense and liberty With the Heart and Mind united In a single perfect sphere This has meant the most to me out of any lyric that I have ever heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeminiRising79 Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Syaoran- I revised my post, but it is the same part that i was describing. Nice to see you other guys have the same experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Territorial_Game Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Great topic! Here's a few of mine that are really special to me. Losing It The dancer slows her frantic pace In pain and desperation, Her aching limbs and downcast face Aglow with perspiration Stiff as wire, her lungs on fire, With just the briefest pause - The flooding through her memory, The echoes of old applause. This one always gets me, going back to my basketball days. It's an indescribable feeling to have a whole school cheering for you, and I miss it a lot. Middletown Dreams Dreams transport desires Drive you when you're down - Dreams transport the ones Who need to get out of town Simple, to the point, I'm a dreamer. This one just gives me chills. One Little Victory Just one little victory A spirit breaking free Basically the realization of Middletown Dreams. Anytime something good happens, this one rings in my head. On "free," I get this jumpy feeling in my chest. Faithless But I still cling to hope And I believe in love And that's faith enough for me I get so sick of the fire-and-brimstone evangelicals. This is basically the summation of my religious sentiments, and it gets me when I hear it sung so beautifully. And most recently, I went and pulled FBN out for the first time in a while, and Best I Can really got me. "I'll just give it a try, won't let good times pass me by/ They're all I've got" is a great line. Especially at this point in my life (18, soon to be 19 and in college). I could go on for pages...but that's plenty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Ways Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 We can go from boom to bust From dreams to a bowl of dust We can fall from rockets' red glare Down to "Brother can you spare-" Another war-another waste land- And another lost generation... How many references can be fit into one verse? A lot. And they are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumnut Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 "One likes to believe in the freedom of baseball!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The O' Sullivan Factor Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Its Rush! So many good ones to choose from It's such a cloudy day It seems we'll never see the sun Or feel the day has possibility Frozen in the moment The lack of imagination Between how it is and how it ought to be This song means more to me than any other... I recite the lyrics to myself all the time A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you He SMILES and says he's pleased to meet you I love how Gedz sings this... recorded in one take I believe... The day I heard this in my dad's car was the day I became a Rush fan. Like a righteous inspiration overlooked in haste Like a teardrop in the ocean, a diamond in the waste Some world-views are spacious And some are merely spaced Ahh Neil the master wordsmith, this is SO inspirational... You can't help but feel a certain jubilance from this song A quality of justice A quantity of Light A particle of mercy Makes the color of right Gravity and distance change the passage of light Gravity and distance change the color of right One of the most overlooked magic moments in Rush's discography IMO everytime Ged hits the high notes I get the chills I could go on and on and on... It seems like Rush make it a point to make every song with one (or more) of those "moments" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weatherman2112 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Wow, all such great choices!! I'll add... It ought to be Second Nature At least that's what I feel Now I lay me down in dream land I know perfect's not for real I thought we might get closer But I'm ready to make a deal brrr...chills Never played live. Would make a great '08 addition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRocinanteKid Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 QUOTE (The O' Sullivan Factor @ Jan 22 2008, 03:03 AM) It's such a cloudy day It seems we'll never see the sun Or feel the day has possibility Frozen in the moment The lack of imagination Between how it is and how it ought to be This song means more to me than any other... I recite the lyrics to myself all the time This is just brilliant. Easily one of my favourite Rush songs ever, the melody on that part is just amazing coupled with the lyrics I can't understand how anyone can claim that it's garbage (Damn Vapor Trails haters). I actually started a topic about how underrated I think How It Is is. Which while we're on the topic of underrated songs; Dog Years It seems to me As we make our own few circles 'round the sun We get it backwards And our seven years go by like one It seems to me While it's true that every dog will have his day When all the bones are buried There is barely time to go outside and play Okay so some of the lyrics in this song are horrible for example "I'd rather be a tortoise from Galapagos or a span of geological time" but I stick with my theory that it's Rush just having a laugh in the same way they did 20 years earlier on I Think I'm Goin' Bald. The two passages I highlighted above though I absolutely can't get enough of. Once again like some of the choices in my post from last night it's more about how Geddy sings the passage than the lyrics. Reminds me of being stood outside the pub before the Sheffield gig and discussing Dog Years with some guys who'd come from Manchester for the gig. They just wouldn't accept that it's supposed to be a joke!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Duio Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 This is my favorite part of all of Hemispheres, especially the last line: Apollo was atonished Dionysus thought me mad But they heard my story further And they wondered, and were sad Looking down from Olympus On a world of doubt and fear Its surface splintered Into sorry hemispheres I just like how he yells "Into SORRY Hemispheres!" Geddy's the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Duio Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 QUOTE (The O' Sullivan Factor @ Jan 21 2008, 09:03 PM) Like a righteous inspiration overlooked in haste Like a teardrop in the ocean, a diamond in the waste The "diamond in the waste" part is my favorite part of Grand Designs too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRocinanteKid Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 QUOTE (Del_Duio @ Jan 22 2008, 04:13 PM) This is my favorite part of all of Hemispheres, especially the last line: Apollo was atonished Dionysus thought me mad But they heard my story further And they wondered, and were sad Looking down from Olympus On a world of doubt and fear Its surface splintered Into sorry hemispheres I just like how he yells "Into SORRY Hemispheres!" Geddy's the best The entire song is just genius totally get what you're saying about the way Geddy sings that part though and how about; "We will call you Cygnus, the God of Balance you shall be!" - So much atmosphere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeminiRising79 Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hemispheres holds a special place in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDDAP Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 QUOTE Mission I watch their images flicker Bringing light to a lifeless screen I walk through their beautiful buildings And I wish I had their dreams We each pay a fabulous price For our visions of paradise But a spirit with a vision Is a dream with a mission Definitely my favorite lyrics, Mission is my favorite Rush song and this is pretty much why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PassTheAmmunition Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 There are so many. From the point of ignition To the final drive The point of the journey is not to arrive Anything can happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeahawkRush Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 QUOTE (REDDAP @ Jan 22 2008, 01:37 PM) QUOTE Mission I watch their images flicker Bringing light to a lifeless screen I walk through their beautiful buildings And I wish I had their dreams We each pay a fabulous price For our visions of paradise But a spirit with a vision Is a dream with a mission Definitely my favorite lyrics, Mission is my favorite Rush song and this is pretty much why. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE MISSION KICKS A$$!!!!!! I ALMOST CRY EVERY TIME IT COMES ON. Not only does Mission have incredible lyrics, everything about that song is brilliant. I am a drummer, and I think Neils drumming on this song is genius. couple that with these lyrics, and you have one of my top 3 Rush songs. The other 2 being Armor and Sword and Tom Sawyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borough of Shmeng Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 This is an excellent thread, I think we all get that shiver down the spine when we hear certain songs or parts of songs at different times. I could go on forever but I stick to the most recent one I think. Middletown Dreams The middle-aged madonna Calls her neighbour on the phone Day by day the seasons pass And leave her life alone But she'll go walking out that door On some bright afternoon To go and paint big cities From a lonely attic room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DallasRUSHian Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Here are some of my favorite lines from my favorite songs I strip away the old debris That hides a shining car Quick to judge, quick to anger Slow to understand Ignorance and prejudice and fear Walk hand in hand Some will sell their dreams for small desires Imagine a time when it all began In the dying days of a war A weapon, that would settle the score I find no absolution In my rational point of view If I could wave my magic wand... Wilderness of mirrors So easy to deceive My precious sense of rightness Is sometimes so naive Chip away the stone... Make the burden lighter If you must roll that rock alone Dream of a Peaceable Kingdom Dream of a time without war We build our defenses, a place of safety And leave the darker places unexplored I will quietly resist You might as well rise Put on your bravest face Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRocinanteKid Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Here's another I'd like to mention that I missed from my original post. Available Light Chase the wind around the world I want to look at life - In the available light I remember me and my friend walking home from a show by my local Rush tribute band, Bravado, at almost 1am through the almost deserted streets of Sheffield city centre just singing this one to each other. You have to raise your hands as you sing that last line. We do it all the time since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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