In the brief pre-chorus, he addresses his statement directly: “I never meant what you’re thinking/That is not what I meant at all.”įinally, in the bridge, he offers a solution and attempts to reconcile the relationship: “You could try to understand me/I could try to understand you.” These lyrics speak to probably the most uncomfortable of human experiences: the misunderstanding. My favorite lyric from the song is found in the first verse: “I was looking out the window/I should’ve looked at your face instead.” The subject was giving nonverbal clues to her feelings, but Neil was, apparently, trapped in his own little world, looking out the window. This one seems to be about an experience of Neil’s in which he says something he regrets and tries to reconcile a damaged relationship. This song and the one after it are not extraordinary musically, but their lyrics are extremely powerful. It’s one of my favorite Rush songs and a great track to use to introduce your friends to Rush. The lyrics are about the passage of time and feature beautiful verbal imagery, exemplified by the second verse: “I turn my face to the sun/Close my eyes, let my defenses down.” The chorus features guest singer Aimee Mann and the words, “I’m not looking back, but I want to look around me now,” which is, perhaps, a partial recantation of a line from their song “Anthem”: “Keep on looking forward/No use in looking round.”Īfter the second chorus, we hear an instrumental section in 7/8 which is one of the coolest parts of the song, followed by the bridge: “Summer’s going fast, nights growing colder/Children growing up, old friends growing older/Freeze this moment a little bit longer/Make each impression a little bit stronger.” Neil is expressing, with remarkable austerity, his feeling that time travels too quickly for one to fully experience each moment. It’s the most guitar-based song on the record. “Time Stand Still,” one of the most beautifully relaxed songs Rush has ever written, is up next. Let’s explore the music and lyrics of Rush, song by song. Yet, Hold Your Fire is my favorite album of all time, featuring poignant songwriting, lush production, and (best of all) heart-pumping bass tone throughout the record. This album and its predecessor, Power Windows, disappointed many fans and caused some to say that they were joining contemporaries Yes and Genesis by selling out to the demands of the day. Gone was the neo-Romantic proggae of Signals, the dystopian new-wave of Grace Under Pressure. The guitar was less prevalent than it had been on any previous album. Rush’s 1980s “synth-pop” period is often maligned by fans and critics alike, and of their ’80s albums, Hold Your Fire seems to take the most crap. Yes, Rush is important to me-especially their 1987 effort, Hold Your Fire. Many Rush songs have what I call the “living-room” quality: listening to them feels almost like having a thoughtful conversation with Neil in your living room, thanks in part to Geddy’s clear delivery. Neil Peart’s intelligent, conversational lyrics, reminiscent of such writers as Ayn Rand, Isaac Asimov, and William Shakespeare, resonate with me in a way few lyrics can. Alex Lifeson’s riffs and solos stay stuck in my head for days. Geddy Lee’s powerful bass tone and insane licks inspired me to pick up my primary instrument, the bass guitar. As many of you might be aware, I LOVE Rush! They were my “gateway band,” not just to prog, but the music world at large.
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