The first 2.5 minutes is driven by synthesizers with percussion and lead guitar accents. The song consists of three fairly simple chord progressions, performed and produced masterfully.
The Camera Eye
Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their faces closed tight
An angular mass of New Yorkers
Pacing in rhythm
Race the oncoming night
They chase through the streets of Manhattan
Head-first humanity
Pause at a light
They seem oblivious
To a soft spring rain
Like an English rain
So light, yet endless
From a leaden sky, yeah
The buildings are lost
In their limitless rise
My feet catch the pulse
And the purposeful stride
I feel the sense of possibilities
I feel the wrench of hard realities
The focus is sharp in the city
Wide-angle watcher
On life's ancient tales
Steeped in the history of London
Green and Grey washes
In a wispy white veil
Mist in the streets of Westminster
Wistful and weathered
The pride still prevails
Alive in the streets of the city
Are they oblivious
To this quality?
A quality
Of light unique to every city's streets
Pavements may teem
With intense energy
But the city is calm
In this violent sea
I feel the sense of possibilities
I feel the wrench of hard realities
The focus is sharp in the city
The Camera Eye by Rush is a song that describes the experience of being in the midst of the hustle and bustle of two great cities: New York and London. The lyrics describe the urban environment with its frenetic pace, towering buildings, and fast-moving people. The song describes the feelings of the singer as he or she observes the scene, feeling both the excitement of possibilities and the harsh realities of city living.
In the first few verses, the song describes the experience of being in New York City. The singer observes the "grim-faced and forbidding" people who are "pacing in rhythm" through the city streets. The people seem oblivious to the soft rain falling overhead as they navigate the endless flow of traffic and people. Despite the chaos, the singer feels a sense of purpose in the city, as his or her feet catch the pulse of the bustling city.
In the second half of the song, the singer shifts his or her focus to London. Here, the people seem "wistful and weathered" as they navigate the misty streets of Westminster. The city seems quieter, and despite the intense energy of the pavements, there is a sense of calm in the midst of the "violent sea" of people. The singer feels a sense of wonder at the historical significance of the city and the stories it holds.
Overall, The Camera Eye is a powerful portrait of the urban experience. The song captures the excitement, energy, and harsh realities of life in the city while also suggesting that despite the chaos, there is a sense of purpose and meaning to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
Grim-faced and forbidding
The people in New York are serious and uninviting
Their faces closed tight
They are not showing their emotions
An angular mass of New Yorkers
The people in New York are tall and skinny
Pacing in rhythm
They are walking in sync with each other
Race the oncoming night
They are in a hurry to get somewhere before it gets dark
They chase through the streets of Manhattan
They are running through the streets of Manhattan
Head-first humanity
The people are rushing with all their might
Pause at a light
They stop at traffic lights
Then flow through the streets of the city
They continue walking at a fast pace once the traffic lights turn green
They seem oblivious
They are unaware of
To a soft spring rain
The light rain that is falling
Like an English rain
The kind of rain that often falls in England
So light, yet endless
The rain is very light but seems to go on forever
From a leaden sky, yeah
The sky is gray and heavy
The buildings are lost
The skyscrapers are so tall that they look like they disappear into the sky
In their limitless rise
The buildings seem to go on forever as they rise higher and higher
My feet catch the pulse
I can feel the rhythm of the city through my feet
And the purposeful stride
The people are walking with intention and determination
I feel the sense of possibilities
I am filled with the feeling that anything is possible
I feel the wrench of hard realities
I am also aware of the harshness of reality
The focus is sharp in the city
The city is a very intense and focused place
Wide-angle watcher
Someone who is observing everything with a wide view
On life's ancient tales
Observing the history of the people and the city
Steeped in the history of London
Immersed in the rich history of London
Green and Grey washes
The colors of green and gray are mixed together
In a wispy white veil
The mist that is hanging over the streets of Westminster is a pale, delicate white
Mist in the streets of Westminster
There is a light mist in the streets of Westminster
Wistful and weathered
The people in London are melancholic and their appearance shows the effects of exposure to the elements
The pride still prevails
But despite this, they still take pride in their city
Alive in the streets of the city
The city is full of life
Are they oblivious
Are the people not aware of
To this quality?
The unique beauty of each city's streets
A quality
A unique attribute
Of light unique to every city's streets
The lighting in each city gives the streets their own unique atmosphere
Pavements may teem
The sidewalks may be crowded and full
With intense energy
The people are full of energy and vitality
But the city is calm
Despite this, the city itself has a certain peacefulness
In this violent sea
In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the city
Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment
Written by: Neil Elwood Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Alex Zivojinovich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@2869may
RusH is composed of 3 compulsive perfectionist, and genuine good people that do not have any the ego trips that have lead to the demise of many successful bands.
Truly GREAT musicians that are also truly great friends.... Resulting in some of the cleanest, tightest most amazing music ever made.
@garyconner6151
And the prog band yes
@2869may
@@garyconner6151 YES....!
@dieselbourbon3728
Well said. 👍👍
@guaporeturns9472
@@garyconner6151 yep
@deadsolarsystem6298
Best review on "Rush" ever!! ...great post man!!
@user-bh1mq6dt5o
Moving Pictures was GREAT
@sedition4267
Still, after all these years, I get the chills every time I hear this intro. A memory of life I will NEVER forget.
@BaddAtom
this still just feels like the future
@zd4v1d
Same here, that intro speaks to the awe and possibilities of life, and @BaddAtom it does feel like the future. It is the future.