Jump to content

Something Neil does a lot


trenken
 Share

Recommended Posts

In many of his lyrics he does a lot of word play where he'll compare opposites for example, among other ways of comparing/contrasting ideas.

 

"Be vain and smart, humble and dumb"

 

vain/humble

smart/dumb

 

Can anyone think of any others offhand? It would be nice to see a collection of these. I'm having a brain fart right now and there's just so many lyrics to think about.

Edited by trenken
Link to comment
Share on other sites

haha, i was just listening to tom sawyer and reading the lyrics! spooky!

 

is 'always hopefull, yet discontent' one? im not good with words, but it is interesting biggrin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh, what about 'cold fire' biggrin.gif
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (cyberpunk bee @ Jun 24 2011, 08:42 AM)
oh, what about 'cold fire' biggrin.gif

Yeah that would be one, looking for more word play in the lyrics though, not titles.

Edited by trenken
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big Money has a few of them:

 

Big money got a mighty voice/Big money make no sound

 

Sometimes building ivory towers/Sometimes knocking castles down

Sometimes building you a stairway - Lock you underground

 

The OP makes a good point here, Neil does do 'lyrical counterpoints' quite a bit - one of the many tools in his armamentarium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 24 2011, 09:22 AM)
Big Money has a few of them:

Big money got a mighty voice/Big money make no sound

Sometimes building ivory towers/Sometimes knocking castles down
Sometimes building you a stairway - Lock you underground


The OP makes a good point here, Neil does do 'lyrical counterpoints' quite a bit - one of the many tools in his armamentarium.

Yeah, good ones! Thanks. Anyone got anymore? He has a ton of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Distant Early Warning:

- Left and rights of passage

Black and whites of youth

 

He uses multiple meaning for the same words as well like here...

 

Territories

- In different circles

We keep holding our ground

Indifferent circles

We keep spinning round and round

 

I love the dimension this gives Neil's lyrics!

 

1022.gif 2.gif 1022.gif

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Enemy Within has a veritable quartet of the little rascals:

 

To you - is it movement or is it action?

It is contact or just reaction?

And you - revolution or just resistance?

Is it living, or just existence?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (InvisibleAirwaves13 @ Jun 24 2011, 09:26 AM)
Distant Early Warning:
- Left and rights of passage
Black and whites of youth

He uses multiple meaning for the same words as well like here...

Territories
- In different circles
We keep holding our ground
Indifferent circles
We keep spinning round and round

I love the dimension this gives Neil's lyrics!

1022.gif 2.gif 1022.gif

Yeah more good ones. It's a common thing many lyricists use, but I think he's among the best at it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, yes to yes! Between Sun and Moon has its fair share of them, although Pye Dubois had more than a hand in that song (as I remember - I can't locate my copy of Presto currently), so I don't know if it counts. Anyhow, here are the candidates:

 

There is a lake between sun and moon

 

In the silence between whisper and shout

The space between wonder and doubt

 

The space between wonder and why

 

There is a fine line between love and illusion

 

The gap between actor and act

The lens between wishes and fact

 

[Edited for typo]

Edited by Undemanding Contact
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 24 2011, 09:37 AM)
Ah, yes to yes! Between Sun and Moon has its fair share of them, although Pye Dubois had more than a hand in that song (as I remember - I can't locate my copy of Presto currently), so I don't know if it counts. Anyhow, here are the candidates:

There is a lake between sun and moon

In the silence between whisper and shout
The space between wonder and doubt

The space between wonder and why

There is a fine line between love and illusion

The gap between actor and act
The lens between wishes and fact


[Edited for typo]

Lol, it's not on presto, but those are some great ones. Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 24 2011, 03:41 PM)
QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 24 2011, 09:37 AM)
Between Sun and Moon has its fair share ... I can't locate my copy of Presto currently...

Lol, it's not on presto, but those are some great ones. Thanks.

Oops, my mistake. Here are a few more from VT:

 

Secret Touch: The way out is the way in

 

Freeze: Sometimes I'm wrong - sometimes I'm right

 

Out of the Cradle: It's a smile on the edge of sadness

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Always loved his word play.

 

popcorn.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 24 2011, 09:37 AM)
Ah, yes to yes! Between Sun and Moon has its fair share of them, although Pye Dubois had more than a hand in that song (as I remember - I can't locate my copy of Presto currently), so I don't know if it counts. Anyhow, here are the candidates:

There is a lake between sun and moon

In the silence between whisper and shout
The space between wonder and doubt

The space between wonder and why

There is a fine line between love and illusion

The gap between actor and act
The lens between wishes and fact


[Edited for typo]

What does ah, yes to yes, to ah, ah to yes mean?

 

Can't mean anything can it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jun 24 2011, 10:24 AM)
QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 24 2011, 09:37 AM)
Ah, yes to yes! Between Sun and Moon has its fair share of them, although Pye Dubois had more than a hand in that song (as I remember - I can't locate my copy of Presto currently), so I don't know if it counts. Anyhow, here are the candidates:

There is a lake between sun and moon

In the silence between whisper and shout
The space between wonder and doubt

The space between wonder and why

There is a fine line between love and illusion

The gap between actor and act
The lens between wishes and fact


[Edited for typo]

What does ah, yes to yes, to ah, ah to yes mean?

 

Can't mean anything can it?

Have you seen the movie yes man? It basically means yes to saying yes. To have a healthy amount of self-esteem and learn to say yes to yes biggrin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Good,bad,andrush @ Jun 24 2011, 10:29 AM)
QUOTE (Pound of Obscure @ Jun 24 2011, 10:24 AM)
QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 24 2011, 09:37 AM)
Ah, yes to yes! Between Sun and Moon has its fair share of them, although Pye Dubois had more than a hand in that song (as I remember - I can't locate my copy of Presto currently), so I don't know if it counts. Anyhow, here are the candidates:

There is a lake between sun and moon

In the silence between whisper and shout
The space between wonder and doubt

The space between wonder and why

There is a fine line between love and illusion

The gap between actor and act
The lens between wishes and fact


[Edited for typo]

What does ah, yes to yes, to ah, ah to yes mean?

 

Can't mean anything can it?

Have you seen the movie yes man? It basically means yes to saying yes. To have a healthy amount of self-esteem and learn to say yes to yes biggrin.gif

Ah, yes. Thanks. Makes more sense now.

 

Kind of makes me miss, "Hey baby, its a 7:45".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 24 2011, 08:44 AM)
QUOTE (cyberpunk bee @ Jun 24 2011, 08:42 AM)
oh, what about 'cold fire' biggrin.gif

Yeah that would be one, looking for more word play in the lyrics though, not titles.

She said sure, my heart is boundless

But don't push my limits too far

 

I said if love was so transcendant

I don't understand these boundaries

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 24 2011, 08:26 AM)
In many of his lyrics he does a lot of word play where he'll compare opposites for example, among other ways of comparing/contrasting ideas.

"Be vain and smart, humble and dumb"

vain/humble
smart/dumb

Can anyone think of any others offhand? It would be nice to see a collection of these. I'm having a brain fart right now and there's just so many lyrics to think about.

From the same song...

 

 

Attack the day like birds of prey

Or scavengers under cover

 

 

Too-tender hearts upon our sleeves

Or skin as thick as thieves'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got a few more:

 

Digital man:

With the answers - but no clue

Constant change is here to stay

 

Second Nature:

We fight the fire, while we're feeding the flames

 

Anagram (for Mongo - whoever the hell Mongo is/was):

The con they couldn't conceal

The saint is turning to sin

 

Bravado:

We will pay the price, but we will not count the cost

 

Face Up:

Hit the target, or you better hit the ground

 

I have checked all of FbN and CoS, and Neil did not use this technique in those albums at all. Moreover, from memory (I don't have time currently to trawl through the entire canon), I don't think he did in any of the 70's albums, or, at least, only rarely, so it seems to be something he developed in the 1980s (when, in my view, he cranked out some truly astonishing stuff).

 

BTW, fellow fans, I was wondering how many bands exist to which this kind of analysis can be applied in earnest? Not many I'm sure, probably only a bare handful of prominent bands. Just goes to show what special stuff we have in Rush.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...