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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Related quotes
The Spirit Of Radio
Inspired by the spirit of radio in toronto, alive and well (so far).
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Begin the day
With a friendly voice
A companion, unobtrusive
Plays that song thats so elusive
And the magic music makes your morning mood
Off on your way
Hit the open road
There is magic at your fingers
For the spirit ever lingers
Undemanding contact
In your happy solitude
Invisible airwaves
Crackle with life
Bright antennae bristle
With the energy
Emotional feedback
On a timeless wavelength
Bearing a gift beyond price ---
Almost free...
All this machinery
Making modern music
Can still be open-hearted
Not so coldly charted
Its really just a question
Of your honesty
One likes to believe
In the freedom of music
But glittering prizes
And endless compromises
Shatter the illusion
Of integrity
For the words of the profits
Are written on the studio wall,
Concert hall ---
Echoes with the sounds...
Of salesmen.
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Spirit Of Radio
Inspired by the spirit of radio in toronto, alive and well (so far).
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Begin the day
With a friendly voice
A companion, unobtrusive
Plays that song thats so elusive
And the magic music makes your morning mood
Off on your way
Hit the open road
There is magic at your fingers
For the spirit ever lingers
Undemanding contact
In your happy solitude
Invisible airwaves
Crackle with life
Bright antennae bristle
With the energy
Emotional feedback
On a timeless wavelength
Bearing a gift beyond price ---
Almost free...
All this machinery
Making modern music
Can still be open-hearted
Not so coldly charted
Its really just a question
Of your honesty
One likes to believe
In the freedom of music
But glittering prizes
And endless compromises
Shatter the illusion
Of integrity
For the words of the profits
Are written on the studio wall,
Concert hall ---
Echoes with the sounds...
Of salesmen.
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
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Manhattan Project
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Imagine a time
When it all began in the dying days of a war
A weapon -- that would settle the score
Whoever found it first
Would be sure to do their worst --
They always had before...
Imagine a man
Where it all began a scientist pacing the floor
In each nation -- always eager to explore
To build the best big stick
To turn the winning trick --
But this was something more...
The big bang -- took and shook the world
Shot down the rising sun
The end was begun -- it would hit everyone
When the chain reaction was done
The big shots -- try to hold it back
Fools try to wish it away
The hopeful depend on a world without end
Whatever the hopeless may say
Imagine a place
Where it all began
They gathered from across the land
To work in the secrecy of the desert sand
All of the brightest boys
To play with the biggest toys --
More than they bargained for...
Imagine a man
When it all began
The pilot of enola gay
Flying out of the shockwave
On that august day
All the powers that be
And the course of history
Would be changed for evermore...
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Bravado
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
If we burn our wings
Flying too close to the sun
If the moment of glory
Is over before its begun
If the dream is won --
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost
When the dust has cleared
And victory denied
A summit too lofty
River a little too wide
If we keep our pride --
Though paradise is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost
And if the music stops
Theres only the sound of the rain
All the hope and glory
All the sacrifice in vain
[and] if love remains
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Reaction To Action
(spoken: check 1, 1, 1)
Alright
Its hard getting through to me
Im truly elusive
I got my own point of view
I am the one of a kind
And I tell you lil girl
Im fascinated by you
Theres something about you
That makes all the difference
Like the night is to day
Well I can get along without you
But I know that within you
Youve got what Im missing
And Ill find a way
To get reaction to action
Hey, say the word that would thrill me
Yeah, I need reaction to action
Just one look that would kill me
You got a way of drawing attention to you
You know you stand out in a crowd
But the way that you play
With any mans affections
Should never be allowed
See I consider myself
The one who will show you
Id go as far as to say
Girl, I aint leaving here without you
But you better understand
Theres only one rule in this game were gonna play
And thats reaction to action
Maybe like a word that would thrill me
I need reaction to action
One look that would kill me
Give me reaction to action
Its getting late Id better make a definite move
Reaction to action
And after that baby, its up to you
I need reaction to action
Just a word that would thrill me
I need reaction to action
You know what Im talking about
Give me some reaction to action
You got a look, you got a way thatll kill me
Reaction to action, reaction to action, action
Baby, dont think about it, just react
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
song performed by by Foreigner
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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Closer To The Heart
Words by neil peart and peter talbot,
Music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones to start
To mould a new reality
Closer to the heart
The blacksmith and the artist
Reflect it in their art
Forge their creativity
Closer to the heart
Philosophers and ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the heart
You can be the captain
I will draw the chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the heart
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Chain Reaction
Something bout the way
The moon and the stars are moving across the sky
Something in the still night air is telling me now is the time to try
Ive been scheming, dreaming up a plan of how to get to you
Now conditions are right deep in the night
To do what Ive got to do
To start up a chain, chain, chain, chain reaction
Chain, chain, chain, chain reaction
Im no fool, Ill be cool
Its a powerful thing that Im trying to do
Gonna fix it up, mix it up good
Handle with care like I know I should
And blow it sky high, sky high
With a chain, chain, chain, chain reaction
Chain, chain, chain, chain reaction
Set a spark to the heart
That will start up the soul attraction
Get to the mystery of the chemistry
Chain, chain reaction
Chain, chain reaction
(repeat)
That fires up the satisfaction
Chain, chain reaction
Chain, chain reaction
song performed by by Wynonna Judd
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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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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The Color Of Right
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
I dont have an explanation
For another lonely night
I just feel this sense of mission
And the sense of what is right
Take it easy on my now ---
Id be there if I could
Im so full of what is right
I cant see what is good
Its a hopeless situation
Lie awake for half the night
Youre not sure whats going on here
But youre sure it isnt right
Make it easy on yourself
Theres nothing more you can do
Youre so full of what is right
You cant see what is true
A quality of justice
A quantity of light
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right
Gravity and distance
Change the passage of light
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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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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Force Ten
Words by neil peart and pye dubois,
Music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Tough times demand tough talk
Demand tough hearts demand tough songs
Demand --
We can rise and fall like empires
Flow in and out like the tide
Be vain and smart, humble and dumb
We can hit and miss like pride
We can circle around like hurricanes
Dance and dream like lovers
Attack the day like birds of prey
Or scavengers under cover
Look in --
To the eye of the storm
Look out --
For the force without form
Look around --
At the sight and the sound
Look in look out look around --
We can move with savage grace
To the rhythms of the night
Cool and remote like dancing girls
In the heat of the beat and the lights
We can wear the rose of romance
An air of joie de vivre
Too-tender hearts upon our sleeves
Or skin as thick as thieves
Rising falling at force ten
We twist the world and ride the wind
Look in --
Look the storm in the eye
Look out --
To the sea and the sky
Look around --
At the sight and the sound
Look in look out look around --
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Prime Mover
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Basic elemental
Instinct to survive
Stirs the higher passions
Thrill to be alive
Alternating currents
In a tidewater surge
Rational resistance
To an unwise urge
Anything can happen
From the point of conception
To the moment of truth
At the point of surrender
To the burden of proof
From the point of ignition
To the final drive
The point of the journey
Is not to arrive
Anything can happen
Basic temperamental
Filters on our eyes
Alter our perceptions
Lenses polarize
Alternating currents
Force a show of hands
Rational responses
Force a change of plans
Anything can happen
From a point on the compass
To magnetic north
The point of the needle
Moving back and forth
From the point of entry --
Until the candle is burned
The point of departure
Is not to return
Anything can happen
I set the wheels in motion
Turn up all the machines
Activate the programs
And run behind the scene
I set the clouds in motion
Turn up light and sound
Activate the window
And watch the world go round --
Anything can happen
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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La Villa Strangiato
(an exercise in self-indulgence)
Music by geddy lee, alex lifeson, and neil peart
Instrumental
I. buenas noches, mein froinds!
Ii. to sleep, perchance to dream ...
Iii. strangiato theme
Iv. a lerxst in wonderland
V. monsters!
Vi. danforth and pape
Vii. the waltz of the shreves
Viii. never turn your back on a monster!
Ix. monsters! (reprise)
X. strangiato theme (reprise)
Xi. a farewell to things
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In The End
Words and music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Well, I can see what you mean
It just takes me longer
And I can feel what you feel
It just makes you stronger
I know, I know, I know
Oh, the feeling grows
I see, I see, I see
Its got to be
You can take me for a little while
You can take me, you can make me smile
In the end
Well, I can do what you do
You just do it better
And I can cry like you cry
It just makes me sadder
Well, I can shine like you shine
It doesnt make me brighter
But if I think like you think
It dont make my load much lighter
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Marathon
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
Its not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash
Its a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than just blind ambition
More than just simple greed
More than just a finish line
Must feed this burning need --
In the long run...
From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light
That gets in your eyes
One moments high
And glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades
In the summer sky
Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride
More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark --
In the long run...
You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you dont burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance --
First youve got to last...
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Madrigal
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward
When all around is madness
And theres no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward
To stop awhile with you
When life becomes so barren
And as cold as winter skies
Theres a beacon in the darkness
In a distant pair of eyes
In vain to search for order
In vain to search for truth
But these things can still be given
Your love has shown me proof
song performed by by Rush
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Resist
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson
I can learn to resist
Anything but temptation
I can learn to co-exist
With anything but pain
I can learn to compromise
Anything but my desires
I can learn to get along
With all the things I cant explain
I can learn to resist
Anything but frustration
I can learn to persist
With anything but aiming low
I can learn to close my eyes
To anything but injustice
I can learn to get along
With all the things I dont know
You can surrender
Without a prayer
But never really pray
Pray without surrender
You can fight
Without ever winning
But never ever win
Without a fight
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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