Witch Hunt
Hugh Syme/Rush Lyrics
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The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torchlit hill
Features distorted in the flickering light
Faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best
Oh
Oh
The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill
They say there are strangers who threaten us
Our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness to danger us
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
That those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves
Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand
The lyrics of Hugh Syme’s song, Witch Hunt, describe a scene that evokes fear and paranoia. The night is dark and still, with no moon in sight. Vigilantes, with their faces distorted by the flickering light of torches, gather on a lonely hill. The scene is surreal and grotesque, with the mob moving like demons possessed. The vigilantes are confident in their righteousness and conviction that their ways are the best. They are fueled by hatred and ill-will, a dangerous combination that can lead to the senseless beating and killing of strangers who are seen as threats.
The song is a social commentary on the dangers of fear, ignorance, prejudice, and xenophobia. The vigilantes in the song are convinced that the strangers among them are a danger to their way of life. They believe that they know what is best for their community and that they must rise up and protect it. However, their judgement is clouded by their fear and ignorance, leading them to demonize those who are different from them. The song reminds us that fear and hatred can lead to violence and that we must strive to overcome our prejudices and embrace diversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The night is black, without a moon
The night is completely dark, without even a sliver of moonlight
The air is thick and still
The atmosphere is dense and stagnant
The vigilantes gather on
A group of self-appointed people come together
The lonely torchlit hill
The dark hill is illuminated only by the light from torches
Features distorted in the flickering light
The faces of the people look strange and twisted due to the flickering light
Faces are twisted and grotesque
The faces of the people are distorted and ugly
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The people are silent and serious in the hot and humid night
The mob moves like demons possessed
The group of people move in an unnaturally fierce and wild manner
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
The people are calm and confident that what they are doing is the right thing
Confident their ways are best
They believe that their methods are superior and without faults
Oh
Exclamation expressing surprise or dismay
Oh
Exclamation expressing surprise or dismay
The righteous rise
Those who perceive themselves as being morally right or just become more powerful
With burning eyes
With passionate, fiery gazes
Of hatred and ill-will
Filled with intense dislike and hostility
Madmen fed on fear and lies
Crazy individuals who are manipulated by scare tactics and falsehoods
To beat and burn and kill
To commit acts of violence and murder
They say there are strangers who threaten us
They claim that there are unknown individuals who are endangering us
Our immigrants and infidels
People who come from other countries and those who do not share the same religious beliefs
They say there is strangeness to danger us
They assert that there is something unknown that is putting us at risk
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
In places where we go to be entertained and learn
That those who know what's best for us
People who believe that they know what is best for everyone
Must rise and save us from ourselves
They think they must come together and protect us from our own ignorance or foolishness
Quick to judge
To form opinions hastily
Quick to anger
To become upset and irate easily
Slow to understand
To take time to comprehend unfamiliar ideas or concepts
Ignorance and prejudice
Lack of knowledge and preconceptions or biases
And fear walk hand in hand
They are often associated with each other, and can be powerful motivators for actions and decisions
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: Neil Elwood Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Alex Zivojinovich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MysticRhythmsLive
Lyrics [Click on "CC" icon for Closed Captioning] (Lyrics on Screen)
The night is black
Without a moon
The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torchlit hill
Features distorted in the flickering light
Faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
Mob moves like demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best
Ooh, ahh
The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill
They say there are strangers who threaten us
In our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness, too dangerous
In our theatres and bookstore shelves
Those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves
Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear, walk hand in hand
MysticRhythmsLive
Lyrics [Click on "CC" icon for Closed Captioning] (Lyrics on Screen)
The night is black
Without a moon
The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torchlit hill
Features distorted in the flickering light
Faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
Mob moves like demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best
Ooh, ahh
The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill
They say there are strangers who threaten us
In our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness, too dangerous
In our theatres and bookstore shelves
Those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves
Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear, walk hand in hand
kevin u
Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand. Ignorance and prejudice....and fear walk hand in in hand. One of the most profound lyrics I've ever heard. I was 14 years old when I purchased Moving Pictures in 1981. In my 50s now and these lyrics still impact me.
Mr Capitalist
I was hooked after hearing Moving Pictures same as you , have been a Rush fan ever since !! These guys are musical geniuses , 3 guys with so much powerful lyrics and music , just incredible, seen them once in KC , what an awesome show live , extremely clear sound . RIP Neil
joe simonds
True Dat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Team Clark Track & Field CFHS
In 1981 as a 15 year old, I was introduced to Rush on my way to school while riding with my big brother’s friend who had a car. In 1982 I convinced my mom to let me go see Rush during the “Signals” tour. That’s when I really became fan after that live show. Fast forward to 2013, I took my 8 year old Son with me to see Rush on the “Clockwork Angels” tour…..on a school night 😁
Joaquin Odriozola
agree also madmen fed on fear and lies, to beat and burn and kill. They say they are strangers too dangerous, our inmigrants and infidels! the whole song is so deep and real its scary
Daniel McAlister
I noticed 1974.
rgarito
This song is more proof that Neil Peart was a philosopher and prophet, spreading his super-accurate message by way of music. Frightening how relevant this song is, 40 years later.
Dan Donato
This is hands down, the best band to ever perform!! The best three man band, because it's simply a truthful fact. I think Rush with Geddy, Alex, and Neil would blow just about anybody away on stage. There's not much to say here. Geddy Lee, is simply the greatest band leader. They play a timeless masterpiece here taken from the iconic album "Moving Pictures". The song "Witch Hunt", looks, and sounds amazing, live. It was a beautiful ending to the song by Alex Lifeson with his unbelievable guitar creativity, and then there's Neil Peart with the drums also. Absolutely, incredible!!
Scott Allison
Saw this on The Time Machine tour. Amazing stuff. RIP, Neil. 🥁😢🥰