Rush achieved commercial success in the 1970s with Fly by Night (1975), 2112 (1976), A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978). The band's popularity continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with albums charting highly in Canada, the US and the UK, including Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981), Signals (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984) and Counterparts (1993). Rush continued to record and perform until 1997, after which the band entered a four-year hiatus due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. The trio regrouped in 2001 and released three more studio albums: Vapor Trails (2002), Snakes & Arrows (2007), and Clockwork Angels (2012). Rush ceased touring at the end of 2015, and Lifeson announced in January 2018 that the band would not continue, which was cemented by Peart's death from glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on January 7, 2020, at the age of 67.
Rush were known for their musicianship, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy and philosophy. The band's style changed over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, then a period in the 1980s marked by heavy use of synthesizers, before returning to guitar-driven hard rock at the end of the 1980s. Their final work from 2012, marked a return to progressive rock. The members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each winning numerous awards in magazine readers' polls over the years.
As of 2022, Rush ranks 84th in the U.S. with sales of 26 million albums and industry sources estimate their total worldwide album sales at over 42 million. Rush has been awarded 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US plus 17 platinum albums in Canada. Rush was nominated for seven Grammy Awards, won several Juno Awards, and won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards. The band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_(band)
Studio albums
Rush (1974)
Fly by Night (1975)
Caress of Steel (1975)
2112 (1976)
A Farewell to Kings (1977)
Hemispheres (1978)
Permanent Waves (1980)
Moving Pictures (1981)
Signals (1982)
Grace Under Pressure (1984)
Power Windows (1985)
Hold Your Fire (1987)
Presto (1989)
Roll the Bones (1991)
Counterparts (1993)
Test for Echo (1996)
Vapor Trails (2002)
Snakes & Arrows (2007)
Clockwork Angels (2012)
Cygnus X-1
Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
Six stars of the northern cross
In mourning for their sister's loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night
Invisible
To telescopic eye
Infinity
The star that would not die
All who dare
To cross her course
Are swallowed by
A fearsome force
Through the void
To be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized, at the core
Or through the astral door
To soar
I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way
On my ship, the Rocinante
Wheeling through the galaxies
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery
The x-ray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the black hole
Gains control
Spinning, whirling
Still descending
Like a spiral sea
Unending
Sound and fury
Drowns my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart
The song Cygnus X-1 by Rush is inspired by the Cygnus constellation, which includes the black hole known as Cygnus X-1. The first verse describes this mysterious force, which is invisible and cannot be seen through telescopes. The second verse speaks of the six stars that make up the Northern Cross, mourning the loss of their sister. These stars represent the myth of Cygnus the swan, who was transformed into a constellation by the gods after his death.
The chorus of the song speaks of the powerful force of the black hole, which destroys anything that dares to come near it. The singer sets course towards Cygnus, flying into the light of the star Deneb and across the Milky Way on his ship, Rocinante. He is pulled towards the black hole by its irresistible gravitational pull, represented by its siren song in X-ray form.
The final lines of the song convey the singer's descent towards the black hole's event horizon, with his ship spinning and whirling in a spiral sea of sound and fury that tears at every nerve. The song leaves the listener uncertain about the singer's ultimate fate – whether he will be atomized at the core or enter some unknown realm beyond the astral door.
Line by Line Meaning
In the constellation of Cygnus
The song is set in the constellation of Cygnus.
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force
Within the constellation, there is a hidden, unknown power.
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1
This force is a black hole known as Cygnus X-1.
Six stars of the northern cross
The northern cross in Cygnus is made up of six stars.
In mourning for their sister's loss
These stars mourn for a sister they have lost.
In a final flash of glory
The lost sister star went out in a blaze of glory.
Nevermore to grace the night
It will never be seen again in the night sky.
Invisible
The black hole is not visible to the naked eye.
To telescopic eye
It can only be seen through a telescope.
Infinity
The black hole is infinite in size and power.
The star that would not die
Cygnus X-1 appears as a star that does not die.
All who dare
Anyone who is brave enough to approach the black hole.
To cross her course
To cross the path of Cygnus X-1.
Are swallowed by
Will be consumed by the immense force.
A fearsome force
The power of the black hole is terrifying.
Through the void
Traveling through empty space.
To be destroyed
To be obliterated in the process.
Or is there something more?
Could there be a different outcome?
Atomized, at the core
Disintegrating at the center of the black hole.
Or through the astral door
Or could there be a way out through the door of the universe?
To soar
To fly high away from the black hole's grasp.
I set a course just east of Lyra
The artist sets a course through a specific direction in space.
And northwest of Pegasus
Another direction the singer is traveling towards.
Flew into the light of Deneb
The artist is heading towards the light of a specific star named Deneb.
Sailed across the Milky Way
Traveling across the Milky Way galaxy.
On my ship, the Rocinante
The singer is flying on a ship named Rocinante.
Wheeling through the galaxies
The singer is traveling through different galaxies.
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
The artist is headed towards the center of Cygnus.
Headlong into mystery
The artist is heading towards the unknown mystery of the black hole.
The x-ray is her siren song
The x-ray radiation from Cygnus X-1 is alluring to the singer.
My ship cannot resist her long
The singer's ship is pulled towards the black hole by the force of the radiation.
Nearer to my deadly goal
The artist is getting closer to the black hole's deadly force.
Until the black hole
The artist is getting closer and closer to being consumed by the black hole.
Gains control
The black hole's force takes over and consumes the artist and their ship.
Spinning, whirling
The singer and their ship are spinning and whirling as they are consumed by the black hole.
Still descending
The artist and their ship continue to move towards the center of the black hole.
Like a spiral sea
The movement feels like being caught in a spiral sea of destruction.
Unending
The effect is seemingly never-ending.
Sound and fury
The power of the black hole is all-consuming and destructive.
Drowns my heart
The artist experiences a sense of despair and hopelessness.
Every nerve
Every part of the artist's being is affected by the force of the black hole.
Is torn apart
The singer and their ship are destroyed by the power of the black hole.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: Neil Elwood Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Alex Zivojinovich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on Tom Sawyer (Live)
Lil' RUSH