YYZumbi Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I was listening to Natural Science today and at the same time reading the lyrics... but I do not get what the song is about... Is it someone here that know and can please explain? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satchmothesnowdog Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 http://sourcefed.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ancient-aliens-guy.jpg 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satchmothesnowdog Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I think basically how we are all intertwined and affect each other. I know there's probably more to it, but... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Check out Horton Hears a Who by Dr, Seuss - same basic themes. Here's what I take away from the song, Zumbi: I think in part it's sort of about how we all live our lives really sort of unaware of what is going on outside of our own personal spheres. There are teeming worlds of life on a microscopic level, and we are so very small in cosmic terms as well - we are like the busy creatures living in their little pools who forget about the sea, etc. Jump ahead to the effects of human progress and the same message is apparent: much of our society is about image, which is egocentric or narcissistic, and we forget about deeper human connections (we lose sight of the way) and don't really think about the effects of our actions and progress. The individual can from time to time remember what it should be about - what is truly meaningful in life - through artistic expression, which causes you to reflect on meaning (rather than just using art to sell things). 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 (edited) Like The Fountain Of Lamneth, Natural Science takes us thru different stages of our existence ... But unlike Lamneth - which dealt with the events and stages in a person;s life - Natural Science looks at the bigger picture ... I see both songs as conveying a circular or cyclical pattern of existence - Natural Science begins with: When the ebbing tide retreatsAlong the rocky shoreline,It leaves a trail of tidal poolsIn a short-lived galaxyEach microcosmic planetA complete society And concludes with: Wave after wave will flow with the tide, and bury the world as it doesTide after tide will flow and recede, leaving life to go on as it was .... .. things start anew, again, the same as before - these are the beginnings of life - and things develop based on the small picture - the tide pools, and not the ocean that created them ... Everything is then fashioned on this smaller idea of what life is - the world is fashioned in "their own image" because they fail to see the what truly began everything - "nature" Mankind - which is what the song is about - will ultimately be claimed once again by nature - recycled, and have it all start up again ..... A lot of Neil's lyrics - in following some of Ayn Rand's concepts - deal with what reality truly is: Is it what we understand, is it what we surround ourselves with, or is there more, always to be discovered ? Great song . . Edited May 16, 2015 by Lucas 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digital Dad Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Natural Science is about.. Bad ass geetar riffageThunderous drumsSoaring vocalisations and Bass geetar heaven wrapped in a 10 minute fecking EPIC Slathered in rocket sauce 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narps Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Check out Horton Hears a Who by Dr, Seuss - same basic themes. Here's what I take away from the song, Zumbi: I think in part it's sort of about how we all live our lives really sort of unaware of what is going on outside of our own personal spheres. There are teeming worlds of life on a microscopic level, and we are so very small in cosmic terms as well - we are like the busy creatures living in their little pools who forget about the sea, etc. Jump ahead to the effects of human progress and the same message is apparent: much of our society is about image, which is egocentric or narcissistic, and we forget about deeper human connections (we lose sight of the way) and don't really think about the effects of our actions and progress. The individual can from time to time remember what it should be about - what is truly meaningful in life - through artistic expression, which causes you to reflect on meaning (rather than just using art to sell things).Damn, toymaker is smart... :cheers: Nice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satchmothesnowdog Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Like The Fountain Of Lamneth, Natural Science takes us thru different stages of our existence ... But unlike Lamneth - which dealt with the events and stages in a person;s life - Natural Science looks at the bigger picture ... I see both songs as conveying a circular or cyclical pattern of existence - Natural Science begins with: When the ebbing tide retreatsAlong the rocky shoreline,It leaves a trail of tidal poolsIn a short-lived galaxyEach microcosmic planetA complete society And concludes with: Wave after wave will flow with the tide, and bury the world as it doesTide after tide will flow and recede, leaving life to go on as it was .... .. things start anew, again, the same as before - these are the beginnings of life - and things develop based on the small picture - the tide pools, and not the ocean that created them ... Everything is then fashioned on this smaller idea of what life is - the world is fashioned in "their own image" because they fail to see the what truly began everything - "nature" Mankind - which is what the song is about - will ultimately be claimed once again by nature - recycled, and have it all start up again ..... A lot of Neil's lyrics - in following some of Ayn Rand's concepts - deal with what reality truly is: Is it what we understand, is it what we surround ourselves with, or is there more, always to be discovered ? Great song . .Excellent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Natural Science is about.. Bad ass geetar riffageThunderous drumsSoaring vocalisations and Bass geetar heaven wrapped in a 10 minute fecking EPIC Slathered in rocket sauce Yeah man. Without question my fave rush tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 And a quantum leap forward! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorraine Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Natural Science has some of my favorite lyrics. Time after timeWe lose sight of the wayOur causes can't seeTheir effects. In their own imageTheir world is fashioned-No wonder they don't understand And of course this which almost makes me smile sardonically: Computerized clinicFor superior cynics 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narps Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Natural Science has some of my favorite lyrics. Time after timeWe lose sight of the wayOur causes can't seeTheir effects. In their own imageTheir world is fashioned-No wonder they don't understand And of course this which almost makes me smile sardonically: Computerized clinicFor superior cynicsGreat tune and great lyrics for sure. Not unlike Witch Hunt. Some of their very best for sure... ;) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarizeMe Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I guess I interpreted Natural Science too literally then. I thought it was about science that was all natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YYZumbi Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 Check out Horton Hears a Who by Dr, Seuss - same basic themes. Here's what I take away from the song, Zumbi: I think in part it's sort of about how we all live our lives really sort of unaware of what is going on outside of our own personal spheres. There are teeming worlds of life on a microscopic level, and we are so very small in cosmic terms as well - we are like the busy creatures living in their little pools who forget about the sea, etc. Jump ahead to the effects of human progress and the same message is apparent: much of our society is about image, which is egocentric or narcissistic, and we forget about deeper human connections (we lose sight of the way) and don't really think about the effects of our actions and progress. The individual can from time to time remember what it should be about - what is truly meaningful in life - through artistic expression, which causes you to reflect on meaning (rather than just using art to sell things).Like The Fountain Of Lamneth, Natural Science takes us thru different stages of our existence ... But unlike Lamneth - which dealt with the events and stages in a person;s life - Natural Science looks at the bigger picture ... I see both songs as conveying a circular or cyclical pattern of existence - Natural Science begins with: When the ebbing tide retreatsAlong the rocky shoreline,It leaves a trail of tidal poolsIn a short-lived galaxyEach microcosmic planetA complete society And concludes with: Wave after wave will flow with the tide, and bury the world as it doesTide after tide will flow and recede, leaving life to go on as it was .... .. things start anew, again, the same as before - these are the beginnings of life - and things develop based on the small picture - the tide pools, and not the ocean that created them ... Everything is then fashioned on this smaller idea of what life is - the world is fashioned in "their own image" because they fail to see the what truly began everything - "nature" Mankind - which is what the song is about - will ultimately be claimed once again by nature - recycled, and have it all start up again ..... A lot of Neil's lyrics - in following some of Ayn Rand's concepts - deal with what reality truly is: Is it what we understand, is it what we surround ourselves with, or is there more, always to be discovered ? Great song . . Thanks guys for explaining, it helped a lot! :) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 (edited) Many of Neil's best themes early on were about creation - whether it be creation of self, creation of life, creation of justice or balance, and how this creation usually grows from what is perceived as death ... Cygnus X1 is a great example, as is Natural Science .. A person does not need to be limited to following The Bible to have been influenced by the concepts - and I wonder how familiar Neil was/is with the content of The Bible, as there is some fascinating content - Jacob's Ladder comes to mind ... Anyways, Natural Science contains some references that I find similar to sections in the Bible ... For example, Ezekiel 15-17, and the "wheels within wheels" concept : ... Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them ... The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another .... Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved ... Obviously, this requires a lot of context and interpretation, but it is fascinating nonetheless .. Also, from Corinthians 13:12: ... For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now, I know in part; then, I shall know fully, even as I am fully known ... I find these passages similar in meaning to what Neil was writing about in Natural Science - and this vague and interpretative slant gives the song some extremely interesting dimension ... . . Edited May 17, 2015 by Lucas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JARG Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 It's about nine minutes, seventeen seconds. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mother of all machines Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 As what ive seen, i guess its like any complex book, which meanings arent something sure but have some kind of definitions which cant be just left behind or untaken into account. I find it in a mix of humanity as in history, as how we have progressed. From this i guess we can take it or since stone age or since we started to trace our ways of life, either French/industrial revolutions, the beggining of philosophy, writting, year "0" or whatever. By the other hand we can also take into account the progress we make ourselves in life. "Each microcosmic planet, a complete society", think when we are kids we start thinking basics which are grown to maybe revolutinary ideas. Or scientificly speaking, our cells, so small and so huge in their insides. Things we learn, anout the pools and the sea, the end, the future. Also, driving into something completely different, lets think about what the title tells to us: Science. Its quite obvious also the appearence of facts, the big bang, the creation of the Earth, and of course our actual sittuation which is driving into our obvious future. Would like to add that meanwhile im writting this, ive thought the fact that in that time, pollution wasnt something which was very important, so the presence of something like that on the lyrics its quite impressive. We cant leave behind the fact that in the midd there are some messages to be taken, nothing to do or slowly connected to the fact of Science. By the other hand, something obvious i would like to clarify anyway is the Natural. I mean, we are talking about nature, maybe human, maybe worldly. My third and last idea (i would say the weakest, but still, may be good to know) is its maybe a complex way of telling a story, about a man whos desires to grow have been polluted arriving to a point of no escaping from his destiny to become to an end. This would mix my both arguments before: a mans story is the same as the earths, a beggining which is incredible, to grow, to be polluted, may or may be not saved, but that certainly must become to an end. I guess thats all i have to say. Its not an easy lyrics, i found issues finding some kind of solution too. Hope ive helped. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pale Facsimile Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Natural Science is one of my two absolute favorite RUSH songs (along with Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres), and love the imagery in the lyrics. One quick question for people...does anyone else think the "art as expression..." part feels way out of place in the song? It almost seems as if they had some leftover "artistic honesty good, commercial pursuits bad" lyrics left over after finishing TSoR, and decided to insert them into Natural Science, for some reason. Might just be me. Fantastic song, especially the faster-paced, T4E tour versions where the aforementioned lyrics get omitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mother of all machines Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Natural Science is one of my two absolute favorite RUSH songs (along with Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres), and love the imagery in the lyrics. One quick question for people...does anyone else think the "art as exp<b></b>ression..." part feels way out of place in the song? It almost seems as if they had some leftover "artistic honesty good, commercial pursuits bad" lyrics left over after finishing TSoR, and decided to insert them into Natural Science, for some reason. Might just be me. Fantastic song, especially the faster-paced, T4E tour versions where the aforementioned lyrics get omitted. The art as expression part... Read what i wrote... May give u an idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 It's about science, or some shit like that. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 It's about science, or some shit like that.well said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Ways Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 It's not about King Arthur? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mother of all machines Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Yeah Mr White! Yeah Science!- Jesse Pinkman 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadoood Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 (edited) It's not about King Arthur? How badly would their career been set back if they went with the original idea Neil had for that album?.. From wikepedia.. Peart was working on making a song out of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the medieval epic from King Arthur's time. Based on the story written in the 14th century, he was trying to keep its original style. It was deemed too out of place with the other material and was discarded. God damn Neil..can you get any more nerdy than that?.. Edited May 18, 2015 by Xanadoood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 It's about wheels within wheels! (in a spiral array!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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