An award-winning musician, Lee's style, technique, and virtuosity on the bass guitar have proven very influential in the rock and heavy metal genres, inspiring such players as Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, John Myung of Dream Theater, Les Claypool of Primus, Cliff Burton of Metallica, and countless others. Lee's vocal style, while less influential, is nonetheless distinctive; one Rolling Stone critic opined a negative review in the Rolling Stone Album Guide that Geddy Lee's voice was a cross between Robert Plant's and Donald Duck's voices. Reference to the latter in the brief review upset many die-hard fans of Rush and Lee.
Lee's first solo effort, My Favorite Headache, was released in 2000. In addition to his composing, arranging, and performing duties for Rush, Lee has produced albums for various other bands, including Rocket Science, and recorded a short rendition of "O Canada" with Lifeson included on the "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" soundtrack. Geddy Lee is also heard singing the Top 20 hit "Take Off" on the McKenzie Brothers (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) 1981 comedy album The Great White North: Bob and Doug McKenzie, and on the Max Webster song, "Battle Scar," featured on their Universal Juveniles album, which saw both bands playing together live in the studio. Geddy shares lead vocals on this track.
Geddy is also a devoted baseball fan, and performed "O Canada" at the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and took batting practice with the then-California Angels (circa 1992).
Along with his colleagues Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, Lee was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio were the first rock musicians so honoured.
Home On The Strange
Geddy Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got eyes like an outlaw
He takes a two smoke walk
He don't like to talk
and he don't like change
And he don't like change
You may think he's deranged
Home, home on the strange
he's a Canadian icon
He's sleeps with his clothes on
He likes to work with his hands
He's an apolitical man
and he don't like change
And he don't like change
You may think he's deranged
But he'd rather be home,
Home.. home on the strange
one in a lifetime
One in a world
One in a life time
One in a world
One in a life time
One in a world
he sleeps with a chainsaw
He sings fa fa fa fa fa
He likes to work with his hands
He's an apolitical man
and he don't like change
And he don't like change
You may think he's deranged
But he'd rather be home,
Home, home on the strange
and he don't like change
And he don't like change
You may think he's deranged
But he'd rather be home,
Home, home on the strange
The lyrics of "Home On The Strange" by Geddy Lee depict a character who is rather peculiar and reclusive in his habits. He shirks social interaction, preferring the comfort of his own space, which he calls his "home on the strange." He is characterized as an apolitical man, who enjoys working with his hands and uses a chainsaw to assert his independence. The line "He don't like to talk" emphasizes his lack of communication as he probably chooses to keep to himself. The repetition of the lines "And he don't like change/You may think he's deranged" further emphasizes his aversion to change and his unique lifestyle.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a reflection of the artist's own aversion to fame and public scrutiny. Geddy Lee is known for being a very private person who shies away from the limelight. The line "He's a Canadian icon/He sleeps with his clothes on" can be interpreted as a reference to Geddy Lee himself, who is a highly regarded figure in Canadian music. To sum up, the song portrays a character who values solitude and simplicity, who may be seen as strange by society's norms but finds comfort in his unique choices.
Line by Line Meaning
He sleeps with a chain saw
He keeps a chainsaw on his bed while he sleeps
Got eyes like an outlaw
His eyes have a wild, unpredictable look to them
He takes a two smoke walk
He goes for a walk to smoke two cigarettes
He don't like to talk
He's not much of a conversationalist
And he don't like change
He's resistant to change and prefers familiarity
You may think he's deranged
You might assume he's crazy or irrational
But he'd rather be home,
He's happiest in his own surroundings
Home, home on the strange
He's comfortable with his unique, unconventional lifestyle
He's a Canadian icon
He's a well-known and respected figure in Canadian culture
He sleeps with his clothes on
He doesn't bother changing before going to bed
He likes to work with his hands
He enjoys manual labor or crafting
He's an apolitical man
He doesn't engage in political matters or have strong political views
He sings fa fa fa fa fa
He hums a tune with no discernible lyrics
One in a lifetime
He's a unique person, rare to find
One in a world
There's nobody else like him in the world
But he'd rather be home,
He's happiest in his own surroundings
Home.. home on the strange
He's comfortable with his unique, unconventional lifestyle
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN MINK, GEDDY LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind