Grand Designs
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
A to b --
Different degrees...
So much style without substance
So much stuff without style
Its hard to recognize the real thing
It comes along once in a while
Like a rare and precious metal
Beneath a ton of rock
It takes some time and trouble
To separate from the stock
You sometimes have to listen to
A lot of useless talk
Shapes and forms
Against the norms --
Against the run of the mill
Swimming against the stream
Life in two dimensions
Is a mass production scheme
So much poison in power
The principles get left out
So much mind on the matter
The spirit gets forgotten about
Like a righteous inspiration
Overlooked in haste
Like a teardrop in the ocean
A diamond in the waste
Some world-views are spacious --
And some are merely spaced
Against the run of the mill
Static as it seems
We break the surface tension
With our wild kinetic dreams
Curves and lines --
Of grand designs...
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
2112
I. overture
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
And the meek shall inherit the earth.
Ii. the temples of syrinx
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
... the massive grey walls of the temples rise from the
Heart of every federation city. I have always been awed
By them, to think that every single facet of every life is
Regulated and directed from within! our books, our music,
Our work and play are all looked after by the benevolent
Wisdom of the priests...
Weve taken care of everything
The words you hear the songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes
Its one for all and all for one
We work together common sons
Never need to wonder how or why
We are the priests of the temples of syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls
We are the priests of the temples of syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls
Look around this world we made
Equality our stock in trade
Come and join the brotherhood of man
Oh what a nice contented world
Let the banners be unfurled
Hold the red star proudly high in hand
We are the priests of the temples of syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls.
We are the priests of the temples of syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls.
Iii. discovery
Words by neil peart, music by alex lifeson
... behind my beloved waterfall, in the little room that was
Hidden beneath the cave, I found it. I brushed away the
Dust of the years, and picked it up, holding it reverently in
My hands. I had no idea what it might be, but it was
Beautiful ...
... I learned to lay my fingers across the wires, and to turn
The keys to make them sound differently. as I struck the
Wires with my other hand, I produced my first harmonious
Sounds, and soon my own music! how different it could
Be from the music of the temples! I cant wait to tell the
Priests about it! ...
What can this strange device be?
When I touch it, it gives forth a sound
Its got wires that vibrate and give music
What can this thing be that I found?
See how it sings like a sad heart
And joyously screams out its pain
Sounds that build high like a mountain
Or notes that fall gently like rain
I cant wait to share this new wonder
The people will all see its light
Let them all make their own music
The priests praise my name on this night
Iv. presentation
Words by neil peart, music by alex lifeson
... in the sudden silence as I finished playing, I looked up
To a circle of grim, expressionless faces. father brown
Rose to his feet, and his somnolent voice echoed
Throughout the silent temple hall. ...
... instead of the grateful joy that I expected, they were
Words of quiet rejection! instead of praise, sullen
Dismissal. I watched in shock and horror as father brown
Ground my precious instrument to splinters beneath his
Feet...
I know its most unusual
To come before you so
But Ive found an ancient miracle
I thought that you should know
Listen to my music
And hear what it can do
Theres something here as strong as life
I know that it will reach you
Yes, we know its nothing new
Its just a waste of time
We have no need for ancient ways
The world is doing fine
Another toy will help destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesnt fit the plan
I cant believe youre saying
These things just cant be true
Our world could use this beauty
Just think what we might do
Listen to my music
And hear what it can do
Theres something here as strong as life
I know that it will reach you
Dont annoy us further
We have our work to do
Just think about the average
What use have they for you?
Another toy will help destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesnt fit the plan
V. oracle: the dream
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
... I guess it was a dream, but even now it all seems so
Vivid to me. clearly yet I see the beckoning hand of the
Oracle as he stood at the summit of the staircase ...
... I see still the incredible beauty of the sculptured cities
And the pure spirit of man revealed in the lives and works
Of this world. I was overwhelmed by both wonder and
Understanding as I saw a completely different way to life,
A way that had been crushed by the federation long ago. i
Saw now how meaningless life had become with the loss
Of all these things ...
I wandered home though silent streets
And fell into a fitful sleep
Escape to realms beyond the night
Dream cant you show me the light?
I stand atop a spiral stair
An oracle confronts me there
He leads me on light years away
Through astral nights, galactic days
I see the works of gifted hands
That grace this strange and wondrous land
I see the hand of man arise
With hungry mind and open eyes
They left the planets long ago
The elder race still learn and grow
Their power grows with purpose strong
To claim the home where they belong
Home, to tear the temples down...
Home, to change..
Vi. soliloquy
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
... I have not left this cave for days now, it has become
My last refuge in my total despair. I have only the music of
The waterfall to comfort me now. I can no longer live
Under the control of the federation, but there is no other
Place to go. my last hope is that with my death I may pass
Into the world of my dream, and know peace at last.
The sleep is still in my eyes
The dream is still in my head
I heave a sigh and sadly smile
And lie a while in bed
I wish that it might come to pass
Not fade like all my dreams
Just think of what my life might be
In a world like I have seen
I dont think I can carry on
Carry on this cold and empty life
Oh...noo!
My spirits are low in the depths of despair
My lifeblood spills over..
Vii. grand finale
Music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
Attention all planets of the solar federation
Attention all planets of the solar federation
Attention all planets of the solar federation
We have assumed control.
We have assumed control.
We have assumed control.
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Style
Style must not be underrated
Style is often overlooked
Style is never in the papers
I read it like an open book
Style
If you cant see the substance
Style shows how its organized
Style is looking for your money
Its in the way you paint your eyes
There is always a way
A way things are done
Ive been learning my abcs
I know what is 10, I know what is 1 in
Style is a naked look
Underneath your style
Style of a different place
Talking through your style
Even the way you hide it
Reveals the thing you hide
Your style may never cause a riot
Its still a style to have no style
There is always a way
To light up a lamp
Its been a crazy year all around
The check never came
I cant let it cramp my
Style is a world for sale
You cant buy this style
Style that you cant resist
You wont cramp my style
song performed by by Utopia
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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High Water
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
When the waters rose
In the darkness
In the wake of the endless flood
It flowed into our memory --
It flowed into our blood
When something broke the surface
Just to see the starry dome --
We still feel that relation
When the water takes us home
In the flying spray of the ocean
The water takes you home --
Springing from the weight
Of the mountains
Like the heart of the earth
Would burst
Flowing out from marble fountains
In the dreams of a desert thirst
Something swam through
The jungles
Where the mighty rivers roam --
Something breaks the silence
When the water takes you home
I hear the wordless voices
When the water takes me home --
Waves that crash on the shoreline
Torrents of tropical rain
Streaming down
Beyond our memory
Streaming down inside our veins
When something left the ocean
To crawl high above the foam --
We still feel that elation
When the water takes us home
In a driving rain of redemption
The water takes me home...
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Half The World
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Half the world hates
What half the world does every day
Half the world waits
While half gets on with it anyway
Half the world lives
Half the world makes
Half the world gives
While the other half takes
Half the world is
Half the world was
Half the world thinks
While the other half does
Half the world talks
With half a mind on what they say
Half the world walks
With half a mind to run away
Half the world lies
Half the world learns
Half the world flies
As half the world turns
Half the world cries
Half the world laughs
Half the world tries
To be the other half
Half of us divided like a torn-up photograph half of us are
Trying to reach the other half
Half the world cares
While half the world is wasting the day
Half the world shares
While half the world is stealing away
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Alien Shore
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
You and i, we are strangers by one chromosome
Slave to the hormone, body and soul
In a struggle to be happy and free
Swimming in a primitive sea
You and i, we must dive below the surface
A world of red neon, and ultramarine
Shining bridges on the ocean floor
Reaching to the alien shore
For you and me --- sex is not a competition
For you and me --- sex is not a job description
For you and me --- we agree
You and i, we are pressed into these solitudes
Color and culture, language and race
Just variations on a theme
Islands in a much larger stream
For you and me --- race is not a competition
For you and me --- race is not a definition
For you and me --- we agree
Reaching for the alien shore
You and i, we reject these narrow attitudes
We add to each other, like a coral reef
Building bridges on the ocean floor
Reaching for the alien shore
For you and me --- we hold these truths to be self-evident
For you and me --- wed elect each other president
For you and me --- we might agree
But thats just us
Reaching for the alien shore
song performed by by Rush
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Entre Nous
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
We are secrets to each other
Each ones life a novel
No-one else has read
Even joined in bonds of love
Were linked to one another
By such slender threads
We are planets to each other
Drifting in our orbits
To a brief eclipse
Each of us a world apart
Alone and yet together
Like two passing ships
Just between us
I think its time for us to recognize
The differences we sometimes feared to show
Just between us
I think its time for us to realize
The spaces in between
Leave room
For you and I to grow
We are strangers to each other
Full of sliding panels
An illusion show
Acting well-rehearsed routines
Or playing from the heart?
Its hard for one to know
We are islands to each other
Building hopeful bridges
On the troubled sea
Some are burned or swept away
Some we would not choose
But were not always free
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Think Im Going Bald
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
I looked in the mirror today
My eyes just didnt seem so bright
Ive lost a few more hairs
I think Im going bald
I think Im going bald!
Seems like only yesterday
We would sit and talk of dreams all night
Dreams of youth
And simple truths
Now were so involved
So involved with life
Walk down vanity fair
Memory lane everywhere
Wall street shuffles there
Dressed in flowing hair
The wire!
Once we loved the flowers
Now we ask the price of the land
Once we would take water
But now it must be wine
Now weve been
And now weve seen what price, peace of mind
Take a piece of my mind
My life is slipping away
Im aging every day
But even when Im grey
Ill still be grey my way
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Twilight Zone
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you
He smiles and says hes pleased to meet you
Beneath his hat the strangeness lies
Take it off, hes got three eyes
Truth is false and logic lost
Now the fourth dimension is crossed
You have entered the twilight zone
Beyond this world strange things are known
Use the key, unlock the door
See what your fate might have in store
Come explore your dreams creation
Enter this world of imagination
Wake up lost in an empty town
Wondering why no one else is around
Look up to see a giant boy
Youve just become his brand new toy
No escape, no place to hide
Here where time and space collide
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Emotion Detector
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
When we lift the covers from our feelings
We expose our insecure spots
Trust is just as rare as devotion --
Forgive us our cynical thoughts
If we need too much attention --
Not content with being cool
We must throw ourselves wide open
And start acting like a fool
If we need too much approval
Then the cuts can seem too cruel
Right to the heart of the matter
Right to the beautiful part
Illusions are painfully shattered
Right where discovery starts
In the secret wells of emotion
Buried deep in our hearts
Its true that love can change us
But never quite enough
Sometimes we are too tender
Sometimes were too tough
If we get too much attention
It gets hard to overrule
So often fragile power turns
To scorn and ridicule
Sometimes our big splashes
Are just ripples in the pool
Feelings run high
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Beneath, Between & Behind
Words by neil peart, music by alex lifeson
Ten score years ago, defeat the kingly foe
A wondrous dream came into being
Tame the trackless waste, no virgin land left chaste
All shining eyes, but never seeing
Beneath the noble birth
Between the proudest words
Behind the beauty, cracks appear
Once, with heads held high
They sang out to the sky
Why do their shadows bow in fear?
Watch the cities rise
Another ship arrives
Earths melting pot and ever growing
Fantastic dreams come true
Inventing something new
The greatest minds, and never knowing...
The guns replace the plow, facades are tarnished now
The principles have been betrayed
The dreamss gone stale, but still, let hope prevail
Historys debt wont be repaid
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Fountain Of Lamneth
I. in the valley
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
I am born
I am me
I am new
I am free
Look at me
I am young
Sight unseen
Life unsung
My eyes have just been opened
And theyre open very wide
Images around me
Dont identify inside
Just one blur I recognize
The one that soothes and feeds
My way of life is easy
And as simple are my needs
Yet my eyes are drawn toward
The mountain in the east
Fascinates and captivates
Gives my heart no peace
The mountain holds the sunrise
In the prison of the night
Till bursting forth from rocky chains
The valley floods with light
Living one long sunrise
For to me all things are new
Ive never watched the sky grow pale
Or strolled through fields of dew
I do not know of dust to dust
I live from breath to breath
I live to climb that mountain to
The fountain of lamneth
Ii. didacts and narpets
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
Listen...
Iii. no one at the bridge
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
Crying back to consciousness
The coldness grips my skin
The sky is pitching violently
Drawn by shrieking winds
Seaspray blurs my vision
Waves roll by so fast
Save my ship of freedom
Im lashed helpless to the mast
Call out for direction
And theres no one there to steer
Shout out for salvation
But theres no one there to hear
Cry out supplication
For the maelstrom is near
Scream out desperation
But no one cares to hear
Remembering when first I held
The wheel in my own hands
I took the helm so eagerly
And sailed for distant lands
But now the seas too heavy
And I just dont understand
Why must my crew desert me
When I need a guiding hand
Iv. panacea
Words and music by geddy lee and neil peart
The whiteness of confusion
Is unfolding from my mind
I stare around in wonder
Have I left my life behind
I catch the scent of ambergris
And turn my head... surprised
My gaze is caught and held
And I am helpless, mesmerized
Panacea -- liquid grace
Oh let me touch your gentle face
Enchantment falls around me
And I know I cannot leave
Heres a meaning for my life
A shelter from the storm
Pacify my troubles with
Her body, soft and warm
Naked in our unity
A smile for every tear
Gentle hands that promise me
Comfort through the years
Yet I know I must be gone
Before the light of dawn
Panacea -- passion pure
I cant resist your gentle lure
My heart will lie beside you
And my wandering body grieves
V. bacchus plateau
Words and music by geddy lee and neil peart
Another endless day
Silhouettes of grey
Another glass of wine
Drink with eyes that shine
To days without that chill at morning
Nights time out of mind
Draw another goblet
From the cask of 43
Crimson misty memory
Hazy glimpse of me
Give me back my wonder
-- Ive something more to give
I guess it doesnt matter
-- theres not much more to live
Another foggy dawn
The mountain almost gone
Another doubtful fear
The road is not so clear
My soul grows ever weary
And the end is ever near
Vi. the fountain
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
Look... the mist is rising
And the sun is peaking through
See, the steps grow lighter
As I reach their final few
Hear, the dancing waters
I must be drawing near
Feel, my heart is pounding
With embattled hope and fear
Now, at last I fall before
The fountain of lamneth
I thought I would be singing
But Im tired... out of breath
Many journeys end here
But, the secrets told the same
Life is just a candle
And a dream must give it flame
The key, the end, the answer
Stripped of their disguise
Still its all confusion
And tears spring to my eyes
Though Ive reached a signpost
Its really not the end
Like old sol behind the mountain
Ill be coming up again...
Im in motion
I am still
I am crying
I am still
Im together
Im apart
Im forever
At the start
Still... I am
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Chemistry
Words by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart,
Music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Signals transmitted
Message received
Reaction making impact ---
Invisibly
Elemental telepathy
Exchange of energy
Reaction making contact ---
Mysteriously
Eye to i
Reaction burning hotter
Two to one
Reflection on the water
H to o
No flow without the other
Oh but how
Do they make contact
With one another?
Electricity? biology?
Seems to me its chemistry
Emotion transmitted
Emotion received
Music in the abstract ---
Positively
Elemental empathy
A change of synergy
Music making contact ---
Naturally
One, two, three ---
Add without subtraction
Sound on sound
Multiplied reaction
H to o
No flow without the other
Oh but how
Do we make contact
With one another?
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Anthem
Words and music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
Know your place in life is where you want to be
Dont let them tell you that you owe it all to me
Keep on looking forward, no use in looking round
Hold your head above the ground and they wont bring you
Down
Anthem of the heart and anthem of the mind
A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind
We marvel after those who sought
New wonders in the world, wonders in the world,
Wonders in the world they wrought
Live for yourself -- theres no one else
More worth living for
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will
Only cry out for more
Well, I know theyve always told you
Selfishness was wrong
Yet it was for me, not you, i
Came to write this song
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dog Years
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
In a dogs life
A year is really more like seven
And all too soon a canine
Will be chasing cars in doggie heaven
It seems to me
As we make our own few circles round the sun
We get it backwards
And our seven years go by like one
Dog years --- its the season of the itch
Dog years --- with every scratch it reappears
In the dog days
People look to sirius
Dogs cry for the moon
But these connections are mysterious
It seems to me
While its true that every dog will have his day
When all the bones are buried
There is barely time to go outside and play
Dog years --- its the season of the itch
Dog years --- with every scratch it reappears
Dog years --- for every sad son of a bitch
Dog years --- with his tail between his ears
Id rather be a tortoise from galapagos
Or a span of geological time
Than be living in these dog years
In a dogs brain
A constant buzz of low-level static
One sniff at the hydrant
And the answer is automatic
It seems to me
As well make our own few circles round the block
Weve lost our senses
For the higher-level static of talk
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Countdown
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Dedicated with thanks to astronauts young & crippen and all the people of nasa for their
Inspiration and cooperation
Lit up with anticipation
We arrive at the launching site
The sky is still dark, nearing dawn
On the florida coastline
Circling choppers slash the night
With roving searchlight beams
This magic day when super-science
Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams
Floodlit in the hazy distance
The star of this unearthly show
Venting vapours, like the breath
Of a sleeping white dragon
Crackling speakers, voices tense
Resume the final count
All systems check, t minus nine
As the sun and the drama start to mount
The air is charged --- a humid, motionless mass
The crowds and the cameras,
The cars full of spectators pass
Excitement so thick --- you could cut it with a knife
Technology --- high, on the leading edge of life
The earth beneath us starts to tremble
With the spreading of a low black cloud
A thunderous roar shakes the air
Like the whole world exploding
Scorching blast of golden fire
As it slowly leaves the ground
Tears away with a mighty force
The air is shattered by the awesome sound
Like a pillar of cloud, the smoke lingers
High in the air
In fascination --- with the eyes of the world
We stare...
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Neurotica
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
You just dont get it
What it is...well, youre not really sure
You move like youre walking on this ice
Talking like youre still insecure
Time is a spiral -- space is a curve
I know you get dizzy, but try not to lose your nerve
Life is a diamond you turn into dust
Waiting for rescue, and I know you just
Dont get it
You just dont get it
Neurotica -- exotica
Its just erotica -- hypnotica
Its just psychotica -- chaotica
Its just exotica -- neurotica
You just dont get it
Baby, dont you ask yourself why?
If you dont like the answer -- forget it
You know I hate to see you cry
Fortune is random -- fate shoots from the hip
I know you get crazy, but try not to lose your grip
Life is a diamond you turn into dust
Looking for trust, and I know that you just
Dont get it
You just dont get it
Snap!
Hide in your shell, let the world go to hell
Its like russian roulette to you
Snap!
Sweat running cold, you cant face growing old
Its a personal threat to you
Snap!
The world is a cage for your impotent rage
But dont let it get to you
Snap!
song performed by by Rush
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Jacobs Ladder
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
The clouds prepare for battle
In the dark and brooding silence
Bruised and sullen stormclouds
Have the light of day obscured
Looming low and ominous
In twilight premature
Thunderheads are rumbling
In a distant overture
All at once,
The clouds are parted
Light streams down
In bright unbroken beams
Follow mens eyes
As they look to the skies
The shifting shafts of shining
Weave the fabric of their dreams...
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Time & Motion
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Time and motion
Wind and sun and rain
Days connect like boxcars in a train
Fill them up with precious cargo
Squeeze in all that you can find
Spontaneous elation
And the long-enduring kind
Time and motion
Flesh and blood and fire
Lives connect in webs of gold and razor wire
Spin a thread of precious contact
Squeeze in all that you can find
Spontaneous relations
And the long-enduring kind
The mighty ocean
Dances with the moon
The silent forest
Echoes with the loon
Time and motion
Live and love and dream
Eyes connect like interstellar beams
Superman in supernature
Needs all the comfort he can find
Spontaneous emotion
And the long enduring kind
song performed by by Rush
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Circumstances
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
A boy alone, and so far from home
Endless rooftops from my window
I felt the gloom of empty rooms
On rainy afternoons
Sometimes, in confusion
I felt so lost and disillusioned
Innocence gave me confidence
To go up against reality
All the same
We take our chances
Laughed at by time
Tricked by circumstances
Plus a change
Plus cest la mme chose
The more that things change
The more they stay the same
Now Ive gained some understanding
Of the only world that we see
Things that I once dreamed of
Have become reality
These walls that still surround me
Still contain the same old me
Just one more whos searching for
A world that ought to be
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Face Up
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
You turn my head
I spin my wheels
Running on empty --
You know how that feels
Im on a roll now --
Or is it a slide?
Cant be too careful
With that dangerous pride
If I could only reach that dial inside
And turn it up
Face up -- or you can only back down
Face up -- hit the target, or you better hit the ground
Face up -- theres still time to turn the game around
Face up -- turn it up -- or turn that wild card down
Turn it up
Dont complain
Dont explain
I dont think my new resolve
Can stand the strain
Im in a groove now --
Or is it a rut?
I need some feedback
But all the lines are cut
I get so angry, but I keep my mouth shut
And turn it up
You get all squeezed up inside
Like the days were carved in stone
You get all wired up inside
And its bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride
And when you get out on your own
You get all smoothed out inside
And its good to be alone
Turn it up
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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