Day 2 "Spirit of Radio"

Alright, no posts so far, but it's all cool. Just because I've posted another song does not mean we can't discuss previous songs. So I'm going to move on...and add that this might eventually warp into a "song of the week" type deal...

So for today's song...

"Spirit of Radio"
by Rush



(This is the best sounding clip I could find. I would suggest watching a live version just to see how much these guys rock.)

Begin the day
With a friendly voice
A companion, unobtrusive
Plays that song that's 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
It's 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.


There are several people I know who don't care for Geddy Lee's singing voice, but I love his lyrics. This song is intense in all forms of the word, starting with the opening riff and flowing throughout its entirety. My only issue with this song is the reggae break towards the end, but even out of this comes something amazing. We find a nice play on the lyrics from Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence," changing "subway walls" to "studio wall," "tenement halls" to "concert hall," and finally "the sounds of salesman" rather than silence.

So why do I love this song so much? Besides the musical genius that goes into it, I relate to it, like with yesterday's song. Anybody who has lived with me (aka - my parents, my siblings, Anna...) would tell you I can't function without music. ESPECIALLY in the morning. Nor can I drive with out singing along with the stereo...or occasionally belting it out. The whole beginning of the song describes my mornings. But Geddy is a crafty one! He gets you hooked in at the beginning and then gets to the meat of his message. Good idea...one they've been teaching us in english classes since we first started taking them...

Granted, this song was written a good while back, (January 1, 1980), but I still feel it has just as much meaning today as it did then. I can't say I'm a huge fan of today's music, mostly because it seems that the artists who perform them didn't actually write the music themselves and don't connect to it as well as artists from the past. It seems like in todays world, if you can find a repetitive catchy beat that people can dance to, through in some slang and some provocative lyrics, you've got yourself a hit! But don't worry, if you can't create that beat yourself, you can use someone elses or use synthesizers and other things. I can't knock techno and dance music too much, cause I enjoy a good bit of it, but if you listen to a top 40 radio station today, you're not going to get many songs with well thought out lyrics, a "knock-you-off-your-feet" guitar riff, and/or an impressive drum and bass combo that makes your heart pound even harder. There's no emotion backing music up any more it seems. And as far as rock is concerned, it has morphed from being a way to express one's feeling about politics, life, and so forth to repetitive chords and screaming that you can't understand a word of. Who knows, the lyrics could be fantastic, but you can't understand them!

...Side note...That last line just made me think of "In A Gadda Da Vida" or "In the Garden of Eden" as it was supposed to be. Sure Iron Butterfly might have been stoned out of their minds when they wrote this song, but anyone who can play for that long is pretty impressive in my opinion.

Ok, back on topic and wrapping up. Spirit of Radio by Rush. I am a fan of the Canadian band, and I would have to say this is my favorite song by them. I would suggest to those who don't know anything about them to first come back down to planet Earth, and then check out "Limelight," "Tom Sawyer," and "YYZ." Some might enjoy "Free Will" as well. And for those out there who can't quite get into Geddy's voice, try to focus on the instrumental parts. They're well worth it.