Madrigal" is the fifth track off of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush's 1… Read Full Bio ↴Madrigal" is the fifth track off of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush's 1977 album A Farewell to Kings. The song was written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, with the lyrics written by Peart. The song is perhaps one of the band's softest songs of this time period. It is also one of Rush's shortest recorded songs.

Madrigal
Rush Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward

When all around is madness
And there's no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward

To stop a while with you

When life becomes as barren
And as cold as winter skies
There's a beacon in the darkness
In a distant pair of eyes

In vain to search for honor
And in vain to search for truth

But these things can still be given
Your love has shown me proof

Overall Meaning

The opening verse of Rush's "Madrigal" speaks to a feeling of exhaustion and a desire for respite from struggle. The singer speaks of "dragons," which can represent the figurative "monsters" one must face in life – challenges and obstacles that seem insurmountable. This dragon may be too powerful to defeat with traditional means like pen or sword, and the singer is feeling worn down by the constant battle. The mention of walking towards a storm may suggest that the singer welcomes the challenge in some way, but is also tired of fighting. The second verse brings up the notion of madness and a lack of safety. The singer is searching for a safe harbor or some kind of respite from the madness of the world. They long to return home and spend time with someone they care about deeply.

The final verse of "Madrigal" speaks to the emptiness and coldness of life, with a line that compares it to a winter sky. But in the midst of this bleakness, the singer sees a glimmer of hope – a "beacon in the darkness" in the form of a pair of eyes in the distance. The difficulty in finding honor and truth suggests that the singer has perhaps encountered people or situations that made them question these ideals. But despite these challenges, the singer has found proof of something valuable – love. This final line is especially poignant, suggesting that even in a world that can seem hopeless or random, love is an enduring force that can provide meaning and clarity.

Line by Line Meaning

When the dragons grow too mighty
When the problems and obstacles become too big and impossible to overcome.

To slay with pen or sword
To defeat with words or actions.

I grow weary of the battle
I become tired and demotivated from fighting.

And the storm I walk toward
I purposely face and move towards the difficult situation.

When all around is madness
When everything seems chaotic and unpredictable.

And there's no safe port in view
And there is no place of refuge or safety.

I long to turn my path homeward
I desire to return home and find comfort.

To stop a while with you
To spend some time with my loved one and escape the chaos around me.

When life becomes as barren
When life seems empty, devoid of meaning or purpose.

And as cold as winter skies
And as depressing as a cold and dark winter day.

There's a beacon in the darkness
There is a sign of hope or light that guides me through the difficult times.