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)
Heresy
Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From Moscow to Berlin
People storm the barricades
Walls go tumbling in
The counter-revolution
People smiling through their tears
Who can give them back their lives
All those wasted years
All those precious wasted years
Who will pay?
All around that dull gray world
Of ideology
People storm the marketplace
And buy up fantasy
The counter-revolution
At the counter of a store
People buy the things they want
And borrow for a little more
All those wasted years
All those precious wasted years
Who will pay?
Do we have to be forgiving at last?
What else can we do?
Do we have to say goodbye to the past?
Yes, I guess we do
Do we have to be forgiving at last?
What else can we do?
Do we have to say goodbye to the past?
Yes, I guess we do
All around this great big world
All the crap we had to take
Bombs and basement fallout shelters
All our lives at stake
The bloody revolution
All the warheads in its wake
All the fear and suffering
All a big mistake
All those wasted years
All those precious wasted years
Who will pay?
Do we have to be forgiving at last?
What else can we do?
What else can we do?
Do we have to say goodbye to the past?
Yes, I guess we do
Yes, I guess we do
All those precious wasted years
Who will pay?
All those wasted years
All those precious wasted years
Who will pay?
All those wasted years
All those precious wasted years
Who will pay?
All those precious wasted years
All those precious wasted years
All those precious wasted years
All those precious wasted years
The song “Heresy” by Rush is a commentary on the disillusionment of society with politics and ideology. The repeated mention of “all those wasted years” refers to the years people have spent following political and ideological beliefs, only to find themselves in a dull gray world filled with barren promises. Rush highlights the counter-revolution, where individuals rebelled against prevailing ideologies and stormed barricades, tearing down walls to create a new world. However, the hope for change was short-lived as people found themselves disillusioned with the new world, and they are left wondering who will pay for all those precious wasted years.
Throughout the song, Rush uses imagery to emphasize the extent of the disillusionment. The dull gray world from Moscow to Berlin portrays how the once communist world had lost its luster after the failed utopian dream. The counter-revolution depicted in the song symbolizes the hope for political change, but the imagery of people smiling through their tears emphasizes the disappointment when the change doesn't live up to their expectations. Rush also mentions the marketplace where people buy up fantasy, emphasizing how individuals can be seduced by material possessions that fail to address the underlying issues of society.
The song concludes with the acknowledgment that society must forgive and say goodbye to the past, but the question remains about what else can be done. The repetition of “All those precious wasted years, who will pay?” highlights the sense of anger and frustration towards the ideologies that failed to deliver on their promises.
Line by Line Meaning
All around that dull gray world
Everywhere in the world that lacks vibrancy
From Moscow to Berlin
From the capital of the USSR to the capital of Germany
People storm the barricades
Individuals attempt to overthrow oppressive systems
Walls go tumbling in
The physical barriers that separate people are being destroyed
The counter-revolution
A reactionary movement opposing revolution
People smiling through their tears
Individuals are holding out hope in the face of adversity
Who can give them back their lives
Who has the power to restore their previously deprived livelihoods
And all those wasted years?
What happens to the time that was lost in the struggle for change
All those wasted years
The time lost and unable to be regained
All those precious wasted years
The time lost, and all that was dear that was missed out on
Who will pay?
Who bears the responsibility for these lost years
Of ideology
Of political or social theories and beliefs
People storm the marketplace
People seek to acquire material goods in a capitalist society
And buy up fantasy
Individuals are buying into a lifestyle that may not actually exist
At the counter of a store
At the cash registers
People buy the things they want
Individuals purchase items they desire
And borrow for a little more
They also take on debt to obtain the things they want
What else can we do?
What other options are available
Yes, I guess we do
It seems that we must do so
All around this great big world
Everywhere in the world, regardless of location
All the crap we had to take
All of the negativity and hardship experienced
Bombs and basement fallout shelters
The threats of destruction and the need to prepare for it
All our lives at stake
The potential for total loss, including their lives
The bloody revolution
A violent overturning of the existing power structure
All the warheads in its wake
The aftermath and continuing threat of nuclear war
All the fear and suffering
The pervasive emotions of individuals living in such a time
All a big mistake
It was all an error in judgment or action
All those precious wasted years
The time lost that was part of their personal histories
Who will pay?
Who bears the responsibility for those lost years
All those precious wasted years
The time lost that was part of individual histories
All those precious wasted years
The time lost that has particular value or significance
All those precious wasted years
The time lost that was special or important to individuals
Lyrics © 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