Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician … Read Full Bio ↴Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician who is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Rush. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Lee grew up as the son of Polish-Jewish parents who were survivors of Nazi concentration camps Dachau and Bergen-Belsen. Lee's stage name (and later legal name) "Geddy" was inspired by the heavily-accented pronunciation of his given first name "Gary" by his mother. In 2004, Canadian Jewish News would feature Lee's reflections upon her experiences and his own Jewish heritage.

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.

WIndow To The World
Geddy Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've gone flying, trying to reach you
You've been hiding, riding me to a state like this

Give me that window to,
Give me that window to,
Give me that window to the world

We are sailing, flailing through the ether

You've been trailing, failing me with you're
View of bliss

Give me that window to,
Give me that window to,
Give me that window to the world

A little more than this,
A little less than that,
You've got magic in your hands

A little more like this,
A little less like that,
I've got magic in my hands

You've conspired, inspired me to
Find a place like this

Give me that window to,

Give me that window to,
Give me that window to the world

Overall Meaning

Geddy Lee's "Window To The World" is a song that explores the idea of emotional connectivity in relationships. The opening two lines set up the emotional landscape when the singer sings, "I've gone flying, trying to reach you. You've been hiding, riding me to a state like this." This suggests that the communication between the two people in the relationship is not working. The use of "I've gone flying" suggests the singer has tried very hard to connect, but with no success. Meanwhile, the use of "You've been hiding" implies that the other person has been making it difficult for the singer to reach them.

As the song progresses, the singer asks for "that window to the world". This could be interpreted as a desire to communicate more effectively in the relationship. The use of the word "window" suggests that the singer is looking for a way to see more clearly, to have a better view of the other person's perspective. The phrase "Give me that window to the world" is repeated three times, and each time it becomes clearer that the singer believes that the window is essential to the survival of the relationship.

In the bridge of the song, the idea of magic is introduced. The end of the bridge contains the phrase "You've conspired, inspired me to find a place like this". This implies that the other person has played a significant role in the singer's life, but it is not clear whether this is a positive or negative influence.

Line by Line Meaning

I've gone flying, trying to reach you
I've made several attempts to connect with you

You've been hiding, riding me to a state like this
Your evasive behavior has left me in a state of confusion and distress

Give me that window to,
Grant me the opportunity to have

Give me that window to,
Allow me to experience

Give me that window to the world
Provide me with a broader view of the world

We are sailing, flailing through the ether
We are navigating our way through life's challenges

You've been trailing, failing me with your view of bliss
Your perspective on happiness has been inadequate and has let me down

A little more than this,
Slightly greater than the current quality or quantity

A little less than that,
Slightly less than the current quality or quantity

You've got magic in your hands
You possess great power and ability

A little more like this,
Slightly closer to the desired quality or quantity