mother of all machines Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Ok, it was no longer than 20 minutes ago i was coming home and while in the bus, i started listening to Presto. It was long time since the last time i listened to Rush, and i started listening carefully to the lyrics. Nothing more than The Pass and War Paint. Both of these songs, for me, as a lucky teenager that doesnt have self esteem issures, were like... I cant explain. All i can say is i almost cried in the middle of the bus, it really touched me. Knowing i have friends with the mentioned issues in the song, that do not have this help as rush is, broke my heart. Of course its not my first time feeling touched with their lyrics, either the last. But, what about you? When was the last time and how was it? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbobby10 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Subdivisions is one of those songs that everyone i feel like can relate to. The feeling of being a "cast out" and "fitting in" with everyone else, it is the major reason why i love that song so much. But things like 2112, and the 2 Cygnus books i pay attention to also. They tell a story and as good as the music is, if you understand what they are actually saying, i feel like it makes the song just that much better. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Analog Cub Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Never. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geddy's Soul Patch Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) The lyrics to War Paint are one my favorite sentiments Neil has ever expressed in his lyrics."To the powerful and the wise, the mirror always lies..." Edited October 6, 2015 by Geddy's Soul Patch 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mother of all machines Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 The lyrics to War Paint are one my favorite sentiments Neil has ever expressed in his lyrics."To the powerful and the wise, the mirror always lies..." The thing that touched me a lot was painting the mirror black.... First time i got it message REALLY clearly 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRushmonkey Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Ok, it was no longer than 20 minutes ago i was coming home and while in the bus, i started listening to Presto. It was long time since the last time i listened to Rush, and i started listening carefully to the lyrics. Nothing more than The Pass and War Paint. Both of these songs, for me, as a lucky teenager that doesnt have self esteem issures, were like... I cant explain. All i can say is i almost cried in the middle of the bus, it really touched me. Knowing i have friends with the mentioned issues in the song, that do not have this help as rush is, broke my heart. Of course its not my first time feeling touched with their lyrics, either the last. But, what about you? When was the last time and how was it? This ^^^ . Exactly how I felt when I watched Rush in Rio and saw the Pass and Resist. The Pass especially. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I don't know if I really relate to them in that way. I think I use it more as a kind of escape. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 When I first began listening to Rush, I was 10 years old ( 1977 ), and admittedly, I didn't fully comprehend the meaning of some of the songs .... I loved Geddy's voice, and the band just seemed odd and very individualistic ... Geddy sang and looked different - this was the 1970s, and yes, a lot of people had long hair, but Geddy was sort of this eccentric guy who you weren't sure if he was male or female, and his voice didn't help solve that issue :) .... Alex was awesome going from classical to hollowbody electric and Neil was always pictured quietly reading - I identified with them that way at first - this band of outsiders .. As I got older, I really latched on to the individualism aspect - I felt encouraged and inspired to believe in myself, and that made me feel as if I could contribute in a positive way to the big picture - I will say that the music itself is really what helped paint the pictures for me ... Jacob's Ladder, Cygnus X1, Natural Science, etc all contained some great lyrics, but the mood that the music provided really was powerful . For me, what is important about the earlier songs is that they allowed the listener to be inspired by their own imagination - it wasn't simply sci-fi stuff for me - and it still isn't - it is some of the greatest recorded music because I become a part of it 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadu Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm still learning the lyrics. I am way too in love with the music. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disembodied Spirit Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 'Net boy, Net girl' was ahead of it's time. Little did we know our dial up modems would progress toAOL Chatrooms, Lycos, Geocities, Worldcom, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Tinder, Ashley Madison etc....Basically making stalking and perversion an acceptable hobby. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue J Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Open Secrets strikes a major chord with me...has for a long time, really. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segue Myles Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Open Secrets strikes a major chord with me...has for a long time, really. I was about to say this! It went right by meJust another wallThere should have been a momentWhen we let our barriers fallI never meantWhat you're thinkingThat is not what I meant at all... Well I guess we allHave these feelingsWe can't leave unreconciledSome of them burned on our ceilingsSome of them learned as a child 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 The lyrics to War Paint are one my favorite sentiments Neil has ever expressed in his lyrics."To the powerful and the wise, the mirror always lies..." The thing that touched me a lot was painting the mirror black.... First time i got it message REALLY clearlyIt's a great message that you can carry forever. :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hcm Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Too many to mention, and many still ring true 40 years later 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. JD Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 It's all about the music for me. I'll sing along to a song for years without ever putting the meaning of the lyrics together. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clem Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 'Net boy, Net girl' was ahead of it's time. Little did we know our dial up modems would progress toAOL Chatrooms, Lycos, Geocities, Worldcom, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Tinder, Ashley Madison etc....Basically making stalking and perversion an acceptable hobby.The first few you mention were definitely already around in 1996. In fact, it was the spawn of these that caused him to write (rather negatively) on the topic. I was chatting with Rush fans way back in 1992 on Prodigy and AOL. Clem 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 'Net boy, Net girl' was ahead of it's time. Little did we know our dial up modems would progress toAOL Chatrooms, Lycos, Geocities, Worldcom, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Tinder, Ashley Madison etc....Basically making stalking and perversion an acceptable hobby. And raising narcissism to new heights. Billions of "selfie" posts . . . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanMeanPride Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) The lyrics are a huge reason why I've stayed with Rush my whole life. Of course every member of the band is a master musician and the music they created has enormous artistic merit, but I just don't think Rush would be Rush without Neil's lyrics. From the early fantasy-inspired days to introspective concepts and even world view perspectives....you can hear the band grow up through the lyrics and the music progressively. To me, that is the hidden meaning of "progressive rock" - not necessarily a band that plays technical licks in odd time signatures, but a band that improves and reinvents (grows) with each new album. But here is what is truly wild about Neil's lyrics to me. As a young adult, I almost feel like I can place myself in Neil's shoes when he was my age - all by listening to whatever album he would have been writing at the time. It turns out that 26 year old Neil and I think a lot alike, and wonder about similar things. But I may find that as I get older, my views and thoughts will change. And I wonder how I'll listen to Rush differently then. Edited October 7, 2015 by MeanMeanPride 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mother of all machines Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) [repeated post] Edited October 7, 2015 by mother of all machines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mother of all machines Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Last night I was remembering one of the moments I cried the most: 40 minutes crying after listening to Everyday's Glory with my dad on the car. No matter how much I resisted I finally broke into tears. "Just a small spark of decency,Against the starless night,With all hope and dignity,A child can follow the lightNo matter what they say..." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue J Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 ^ I love Everyday Glory as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toymaker Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 The lyrics are a huge reason why I've stayed with Rush my whole life. Of course every member of the band is a master musician and the music they created has enormous artistic merit, but I just don't think Rush would be Rush without Neil's lyrics. From the early fantasy-inspired days to introspective concepts and even world view perspectives....you can hear the band grow up through the lyrics and the music progressively. To me, that is the hidden meaning of "progressive rock" - not necessarily a band that plays technical licks in odd time signatures, but a band that improves and reinvents (grows) with each new album. But here is what is truly wild about Neil's lyrics to me. As a young adult, I almost feel like I can place myself in Neil's shoes when he was my age - all by listening to whatever album he would have been writing at the time. It turns out that 26 year old Neil and I think a lot alike, and wonder about similar things. But I may find that as I get older, my views and thoughts will change. And I wonder how I'll listen to Rush differently then. Nicely put. It's kind of a developmental thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hcm Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 The lyrics are a huge reason why I've stayed with Rush my whole life. Of course every member of the band is a master musician and the music they created has enormous artistic merit, but I just don't think Rush would be Rush without Neil's lyrics. From the early fantasy-inspired days to introspective concepts and even world view perspectives....you can hear the band grow up through the lyrics and the music progressively. To me, that is the hidden meaning of "progressive rock" - not necessarily a band that plays technical licks in odd time signatures, but a band that improves and reinvents (grows) with each new album. But here is what is truly wild about Neil's lyrics to me. As a young adult, I almost feel like I can place myself in Neil's shoes when he was my age - all by listening to whatever album he would have been writing at the time. It turns out that 26 year old Neil and I think a lot alike, and wonder about similar things. But I may find that as I get older, my views and thoughts will change. And I wonder how I'll listen to Rush differently then. Nicely put. It's kind of a developmental thing. I started listening to Rush at age 10, the lyrics was a big factor, they really spoke to me, now at 50 songs like "The Garden" again speak to me, I can find songs in every decade of Rush that echo what was going on in my life at the time. They are my all time favorite band for that reason. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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