trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) 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 June 24, 2011 by trenken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Another similar one. No hero in your tragedy No daring in your escape No salutes for your surrender Nothing noble in your fate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Another one sort ofsimilar I guess. He knows changes aren't permanent But change is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberpunk bee Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberpunk bee Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 oh, what about 'cold fire' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) QUOTE (cyberpunk bee @ Jun 24 2011, 08:42 AM) oh, what about 'cold fire' Yeah that would be one, looking for more word play in the lyrics though, not titles. Edited June 24, 2011 by trenken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
InvisibleAirwaves13 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
The Mighty Dudad Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Two off the top of my head: New World Man "He's old enough to....but young enough not to..." "He's noble enough to...but weak enough to..." "He's wise enough to...but fool enough to..." Half The World ...pretty much the whole song... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 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! 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 More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) 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 June 24, 2011 by Undemanding Contact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
Gompers Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Always loved his word play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pound of Obscure Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Did I have a dream or did the dream have me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good,bad,andrush Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pound of Obscure Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 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 More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 24 2011, 08:44 AM) QUOTE (cyberpunk bee @ Jun 24 2011, 08:42 AM) oh, what about 'cold fire' 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 More sharing options...
goose Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 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 More sharing options...
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