The Rush song that changed the band forever: “It served us very well”
When looking back at their career trajectory, it would be hard to imagine a world where the members of Rush don’t immediately select one specific song as one that defined their journey. This song, in particular, could be regarded as akin to what ‘Space Oddity’ was to David Bowie or ‘We Will Rock You’ to Queen. That’s because this track, which is now in its 40th year on the airwaves, is still regarded as one of the band’s best efforts.
As the 1980s dawned, Rush continued their mission by pushing musical boundaries and exploring sonic territories never before explored. After releasing albums like Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves, it was clear that they were taking on a more streamlined sound, fusing together elements of new wave and synths all while maintaining their signature progressive rock roots.
During this time, hit songs like ‘Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Limelight’ became radio staples, propelling Rush to mainstream success without sacrificing their artistic integrity. The former, in particular, has since become one of the band’s most widely-adored songs, but one which also came into existence in the most natural of ways. “That song finds us at a time of such confidence that we were learning to make a song that was only six minutes instead of 12, 15, and use the same standards of arrangement,” Neil Peart explained.
“The drum is so detailed, but when we go into the middle to the odd time part,” Peart continued, telling CBC: “It was improvised. I got lost and I punched my way out of it and somehow came back to the one. And that improvisation became a new part…. It’s one of those key parts that I love and it was absolutely a mistake that I just got lucky and got out of.”
Although it became one of their most cherished songs, it was almost scrapped and entirely left off Moving Pictures. As Geddy Lee noted: “There was some doubt as to whether it would even go on the record at one point, because we struggled with it for a long time. [Engineer] Paul [Northfield] came up with this weird way of mic-ing [Alex Lifeson’s] amp that created that super interesting ambient sound.”
However, despite its fickle existence, it has become the one song that changed everything. Lee now even considers it one of his favourite Rush songs. As he explained: “How could I not [include ‘Tom Sawyer]?” he quipped. “It changed our lives”. This is particularly profound considering its inclusion in Paul Rudd and Jason Segel’s 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.
“When [the director] John Hamburg approached us about it, our instincts were to say no,” remembers Lee. “But we were going through a phase where we decided to take the George Costanza approach to our career. We decided that anything we were going to say no to instinctively, we would now say yes to. It served us very well.”
Not only did it attract a newfound appreciation for the song, but it also introduced the band to a new generation of music lovers. The track is truly a testament to the band’s ability to experiment while also crafting songs that succeeded on the radio. Somehow, Rush made it work perfectly, despite initially having their reservations: “I never thought it would end up being the most popular song we’ve ever written,” said Lee.
