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Terrible Neil Peart lyrics?


StellarJetman
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QUOTE (Mara @ Mar 17 2011, 09:22 AM)
QUOTE (trenken @ Mar 17 2011, 10:16 AM)
I really never had a problem with Going Bald, for the same reason I don't mind the lyrics for Red Lenses (even though I hate that song), it's just kind of a playful break and a very serious band.

Only ones I have an issue with are ones that just SOUND stupid, like little effort went into them, like a lot of the counterparts lyrics, Dog Years, stuff like that, or ones that are way too descriptive, like Countdown. Rivendell also makes me cringe because that really sounds like a very young band way too into all that fantasy stuff. It's just not thought provoking at all, which is what Neil is so good at. It's just so corny, even knowing that it wasnt that unusual for prog bands to write about fantasy themes, but something so clearly about lord of the rings just does not work for me.

I'm not into the fantasy stuff either - the appeal for me, regarding that era of Rush, is almost totally because of the music. There's the occasional clever play on words, but yeah no. I'm not knocking the sci-fi/fantasy fans or their genre, or even Neil's short obsession with it, but it's just never interested me.

That doesn't mean they are "terrible" lyrics - it's just the subject matter I find dull. Kinda like Bruce Springsteen's car-themed stuff - not everyone cares.

Same here, I dont love much of Neil's lyrics really until PeW, when they started maturing. I love fantasy, sci fi, but not so much in music, it just comes off as really corny to me.

 

I know they were young then, and many young bands arent all that good at writing really strong lyrics, but that doesnt mean I have to like it either.

 

Just loved the music, Geddy's powerful voice, their extreme energy at that time, but the lyrics were the weak point until the 80s.

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laugh.gif I'm the complete opposite of you guys. I LOVE the sci-fi lyrics, and will take them any day over the more 'serious' ones. I really enjoyed the narrative style Rush demonstrated throughout the 70's. Sure, I crack up every time I hear "the elder race of men", but I love the story of 2112.
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At least Neil's lyrics mean something and you can generally understand him.

 

Compare him to Led Zeppelin: "There's a lady who knows all that glitters is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven." Huh?

 

or Yes: "In and around the lake Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there"

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Acid helps with YES lyrics...

 

but to reply to this: "Im a total space geek too, just not a big fan of lyrics that are written so descriptively like that. I would have rather it been more abstract, at least a little more. It just ends up sounding a little silly to me, almost like Geddy isnt really singing song lyrics, but more of just a blog post neil wrote about seeing a launch. "

 

well, for me hearing this decades before blogs were popular, its still a wonderful poem Neil wrote about a profound experience he marveled at. So its completely understandable why its so descriptive. It paints the picture verbally very well to my ears. just a different perspective

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QUOTE (zogoto @ Mar 18 2011, 11:19 AM)
laugh.gif I'm the complete opposite of you guys. I LOVE the sci-fi lyrics, and will take them any day over the more 'serious' ones. I really enjoyed the narrative style Rush demonstrated throughout the 70's. Sure, I crack up every time I hear "the elder race of men", but I love the story of 2112.

I'm right there with you.

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Just to clarify a few points mentioned in earlier posts:

 

1) Red Barchetta - "from a better-managed time" is actually "from a better, vanished time."

 

2) Spirit of Radio - "For the words of the prophets were written on the studio wall". The correct word is "profits", and not "prophets".

 

Maybe these corrections will change how the lyrics come across, if they're heard correctly.

 

Carl

 

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QUOTE (carlh6902 @ Mar 20 2011, 12:37 AM)
Just to clarify a few points mentioned in earlier posts:

If you'd read the thread, you'd realize that both have already been said, and by multiple people. Besides, that's pages and pages back; what was the point of dredging up such an old topic long after everybody had already moved on?

 

eh.gif

 

(Although, if we're going to do that kind of thing, I might as well revisit the "OF SALESMEN!" line. I still think that it's terrible in the context of the song, regardless of its inspiration. Even Peart had major second thoughts about it.)

Edited by StellarJetman
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BUMP!

Alien Shore has some really dumb ones.

"You and me, sex is not a competition,

You and me, sex is not a job description"

Vital Signs is also bad. It's basically "cool" sounding tech words strung together.

And then, of course...

"Net boy, net girl, send your impulse round the world, put your message in a modem, and throw it in the cyber sea".

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just off the top of my head, Rush songs with lyrics that kind of stink or are just plain corny:

 

Chemistry is pretty dopey

Second Nature (not just the lyrics but the way Geddy sings "now I lay me down in dreamland" makes me cringe)

Red Tide

Animate

Alien Shore

Speed Of Love (first Rush song I immedatly hated)

Double Agent (dopey)

Nobodys Hero (too serious)

Color Of Right (still not sure what the hell was going on here)

Virtuality (dated. Sooooooooo dated....)

Peaceable Kingdom

Freeze

Nocturne

Out Of The Cradle

every song on Snakes except for Far Cry

The Wreckers

Wish Them Well

The Garden (too shmaltz-ey)

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Catch the spit

 

A Modest man from Mandrake

 

Net boy, net girl

Send your signal 'round the world

Let your fingers walk and talk

And set you free

Net boy, net girl

Send your impulse 'round the world

Put your message in a modem

And throw it in the Cyber Sea

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Silence shrouds the forrest..as the birds announce the dawn.. WTF? ?
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Silence shrouds the forrest..as the birds announce the dawn.. WTF? ?

This is the Forest:

http://www.monkeytownhq.com/images/forestgump.jpg

 

These are the birds that can announce things:

http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/nature/wallpapers/parrots.jpg

 

And here is the Dawn:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/895/photo87.jpg

 

It makes perfect sense. :smoke:

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None of those are even close to his worst. Dog Years is immediately what I think of when it comes to that.

 

The line from TSOR fits the song perfectly. The words written on the studio walls I always thought referred to a wall that rocks stars signed while visiting a radio station studio. Or possibly autographed pictures of them hanging up on a wall in the studio.

 

The line "echoes with the sounds of salesmen" makes perfect sense because it's referring to advertisements on the radio. And since it's a song about radio what's the big deal?

 

HAHAHAHA!!! No shit buddy! I mean DOG SHIT!

 

I just read the title header and instantly thought of that steamy pile of lyrical poop! Music is ok but nothing great either!!

 

SNOOPY POOPY!

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"Virtuality" just kills me man! "NET BOY NET GIRL" spread your disease around the world! Pure crap.

 

I really hate "Half The World" too. How many times does Geddy have to repeat that shit?

 

"Test For Echo" has some killer riffs and music on it but man overall it's Neil's worst lyrical output.

 

Counter that with the time off due to Neil's horrific tragedies and then right into "Vapor Trails?" Lyrically stronger but musically mundane.

 

Two stinkers back to back. JMO

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"Virtuality" just kills me man! "NET BOY NET GIRL" spread your disease around the world! Pure crap.

 

I really hate "Half The World" too. How many times does Geddy have to repeat that shit?

 

"Test For Echo" has some killer riffs and music on it but man overall it's Neil's worst lyrical output.

 

Counter that with the time off due to Neil's horrific tragedies and then right into "Vapor Trails?" Lyrically stronger but musically mundane.

 

Two stinkers back to back. JMO

 

I think Vapor Trails is great lyrically and musically but I agree about Test for Echo!

 

On my way to work this morning Carve Away The Stone came on and it's been a long time since I heard it. I forgot that it's actually a really good song with an awesome bridge and some really horrible lyrics :(

 

And honestly I've come to the conclusion that some of his later lyrics aren't bad, but just bad in the context of a rock song if that makes sense. (some are obviously just bad though! (wish them well (cough :chickendance: )))

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Silence shrouds the forrest..as the birds announce the dawn.. WTF? ?

This is the Forest:

http://www.monkeytownhq.com/images/forestgump.jpg

 

These are the birds that can announce things:

http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/nature/wallpapers/parrots.jpg

 

And here is the Dawn:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/895/photo87.jpg

 

It makes perfect sense. :smoke:

 

Ya.. :smoke: is key here!

 

Those are some smart birds to be able to silently announce the dawn.. I'm picturing miming a sunrise with their wings or something.. (hi Marry-Ann :) )

 

Wait.. it actually makes perfect sense your way.. nice!

Edited by MMCXII
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I actually uncovered some Neil lyrics from a demo they never finished. It was from of his earliest work.

 

Mary had a little lamb,

and it fell into a black hole...

 

oh it's all so clear now.

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