Remembering Neil Peart
I only learned of Neil Peart's passing yesterday through SK Orr's blog Steeple Tea. For those unfamiliar with Peart, he was the drummer for the iconic Canadian rock band, Rush, and was generally regarded as one of the best percussionists the world has ever known. I agree with that sentiment. I was lucky enough to have seen Rush live once in my life and Peart's performance behind his kit was beyond impressive. SK has written a short personal reflection on Peart and Rush on his blog. It's well worth reading, even if you happen to be unfamiliar the drummer or his band. It also includes a great version of the instrumental song, YYZ.
Though Neil Peart will be remembered foremost for his drumming, I was inevitably drawn more to his work as a lyricist (the writer in me, I guess). Peart was an extremely well-read and articulate individual, and he wrote the bulk (or perhaps all?) the lyrics for Rush's songs. Among my favorite are the lyrics for the song Subdivisions, taken from the 1982 album Signals. Though I was only eleven when I first heard it, the lyrics really resonated with me as the small town I was growing up in was slowly being consumed by the cancer of perpetually spreading subdivisions. Through the imagery and diction he employs, Peart really captures the sense of soulless alienation so prevalent in sterile suburban residential areas.
Subdivisions
Sprawling on the fringes of the city
In geometric order
An insulated border
In-between the bright lights
And the far, unlit unknown
Growing up, it all seems so one-sided
Opinions all provided
The future pre-decided
Detached and subdivided
In the mass-production zone
Nowhere is the dreamer
Or the misfit so alone
Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth
Drawn like moths, we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night
But of course, we mustn't forget what Peart was most famous for - his awe-inspiring solos.
Though Neil Peart will be remembered foremost for his drumming, I was inevitably drawn more to his work as a lyricist (the writer in me, I guess). Peart was an extremely well-read and articulate individual, and he wrote the bulk (or perhaps all?) the lyrics for Rush's songs. Among my favorite are the lyrics for the song Subdivisions, taken from the 1982 album Signals. Though I was only eleven when I first heard it, the lyrics really resonated with me as the small town I was growing up in was slowly being consumed by the cancer of perpetually spreading subdivisions. Through the imagery and diction he employs, Peart really captures the sense of soulless alienation so prevalent in sterile suburban residential areas.
Subdivisions
Sprawling on the fringes of the city
In geometric order
An insulated border
In-between the bright lights
And the far, unlit unknown
Growing up, it all seems so one-sided
Opinions all provided
The future pre-decided
Detached and subdivided
In the mass-production zone
Nowhere is the dreamer
Or the misfit so alone
Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth
Drawn like moths, we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night
But of course, we mustn't forget what Peart was most famous for - his awe-inspiring solos.
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