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.

Working At Perfekt
Geddy Lee Lyrics

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Draw a line
Strong and clear
Make it bend to your will
All the lines
In a face
So hard to make stand still

'Til the flaws disappear

'Til what's wrong disappears
'Til all that's wrong will
Disappear

Working at perfekt
Got me down on my knees
Success to failure
Just a matter of degrees
Success to failure
Just a matter of degrees

All the colours of the day
Have somehow disappeared
All the colours of the universe
Are closer than they appear

Are not as close as they appear
Are not as close as they appear
Not as close as they appear

Nothing is perfekt
Certainly not me
Success to failure
Is just a matter of degrees
Working at perfekt
Got me down on my knees

But when it's right
It's right as rain
And when it's right
There is no pain
And when it's right
You start again

Working at perfekt
Got you down on your knees
Success to failure
Just a matter of degrees

Success to failure
Just a matter of degrees

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Geddy Lee's song 'Working At Perfekt' explore the idea of striving for perfection in life - whether in relationships, work, or personal projects. The opening lines, "Draw a line strong and clear, make it bend to your will" immediately suggest a sense of control and determination, as the singer tries to shape their world according to their desires. However, this feeling of control is quickly undercut by the next lines, which describe the difficulty of "making all the lines in a face so hard to make stand still." In other words, even when we try to exert control over our lives, the people and circumstances around us can be unpredictable and challenging.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Working at perfekt" as a kind of mantra or statement of purpose. However, the lyrics also suggest a sense of frustration or exhaustion with this constant striving: "Got me down on my knees... Success to failure just a matter of degrees." Despite the struggle, though, the singer continues to pursue "perfection," perhaps because they believe that achieving it will bring a sense of order or satisfaction to their life.

The final verse of the song offers a more nuanced take on the theme of perfection. The singer acknowledges that "nothing is perfekt, certainly not me," and that success and failure are ultimately just "a matter of degrees." However, they also suggest that when things do go right, it can be a transformative experience: "When it's right, it's right as rain... and when it's right, you start again." In this way, the lyrics suggest that while perfection may not be possible or even desirable, there is still value in striving for excellence and enjoying the moments of success along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

Draw a line
Start with something simple

Strong and clear
Make sure it's unequivocal

Make it bend to your will
Do not be afraid to have control on it

All the lines
Everything about a problem

In a face
That won't easily go away

So hard to make stand still
And becomes complicated to fix

'Til the flaws disappear
Until there are no imperfections

'Til what's wrong disappears
Until what's causing the problems is nowhere to be found

'Til all that's wrong will
Until everything wrong will

Disappear
Fade from existence

Working at perfekt
Striving towards perfection