It is a part of the "Fear Series," or as it's more commonly known among Rush's fanbase, "The Fear Trilogy," which is a set of four songs dealing with fear in different incarnations. Though this was the first song of the trilogy to be released, it is actually the third song in the trilogy, as lyricist Neil Peart found its concept easier to tackle than the other two concepts he had in mind for the trilogy as a whole.
The concept of Witch Hunt explores how manipulators use fear to "possess the ignorant masses", recalling the infamous the Salem Witch trials.
Trivia:
At the beginning, the "mob sounds" were in fact the band layering sounds they made while drinking outside the studio in the snowy winter.
It was recorded the night John Lennon died on December 8, 1980.
Witch Hunt
Rush Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 the song "Witch Hunt" by Rush paint a vivid picture of a witch hunt, a phenomena where groups of people band together to persecute not just witches, but anyone deemed to be different or a threat to the existing order. The song begins with a description of a dark, moonless night in which vigilantes are gathering on a hill with torches. The faces of the vigilantes are distorted in the flickering light and they seem to be demonic and possessed.
The chilling scene and the language used here are symbolic of the irrationality and fear that drives the witch hunts. The mob is "silent and stern in the sweltering night" and "confident their ways are best." This is followed by the chorus where the band portrays the mindset of the mob, "The righteous rise with burning eyes of hatred and ill-will, madmen fed on fear and lies to beat and burn and kill." These lines are a powerful critique of the fusion of ideology and hatred that pervades witch hunts and prevents empathy or understanding for the persecuted.
The second verse of the song highlights how witch hunts have been used throughout history to scapegoat and persecute those who are different. Rush juxtaposes the imagined threats posed by immigrants and infidels with the reality of ignorance, prejudice, and fear. The lyrics make a compelling argument that those who genuinely want to help society should not use this as an excuse to demonize and persecute people by promoting stereotypes or stoking irrational fears.
Line by Line Meaning
The night is black, without a moon
It is a dark, empty night without any source of light
The air is thick and still
It is uncomfortably silent and still
The vigilantes gather on
A group of people with a common goal gather together
The lonely torchlit hill
They are meeting near a hill, and the only source of light is from a few torches
Features distorted in the flickering light
The changing light is altering the appearance of people
Faces are twisted and grotesque
The faces look unnaturally distorted and ugly
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
It's a hot and humid night, and the group is silent and serious
The mob moves like demons possessed
The group moves as if they are being influenced by something not of their own will
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
They are at peace with their actions and feel their actions are justified
Confident their ways are best
They believe their actions are the only way to solve the problem
Oh
A sound expressing a sudden realization or agreement
Oh
A sound expressing a sudden realization or agreement
The righteous rise
People who believe they are doing right rise up
With burning eyes
They express their anger and hatred through their eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
They feel intense dislike or hostility towards someone
Madmen fed on fear and lies
People influenced by misleading information and fear are acting irrationally
To beat and burn and kill
They want to attack and kill their targets
They say there are strangers who threaten us
People are saying there are outsiders who are putting us in danger
Our immigrants and infidels
They are referring to foreigners and those who do not share their beliefs as the source of danger
They say there is strangeness to danger us
They are claiming that things or people that seem strange can be a threat and put us in danger
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
They feel that entertainment and books could contain dangerous or threatening ideas
That those who know what's best for us
They believe that they know what is best for everyone
Must rise and save us from ourselves
They think that they need to take action against perceived threats in order to protect everyone from harm
Quick to judge
People are too quick to form opinions
Quick to anger
People are too quick to become angry
Slow to understand
People are slow to comprehend and empathize
Ignorance and prejudice
People are showing a lack of understanding combined with discriminatory attitudes
And fear walk hand in hand
Fear is playing a major role in influencing people's thoughts and actions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Neil Elwood Peart, Gary Lee Weinrib, Alex Zivojinovich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cwblackistonio1641
One of the greatest songs ever scribed lyrically or recorded. Absolutely fantastic, my dear. In my opinion, there are lines which are misguided but the Ged Filter pumped out some timeless, musical genius. Yes my love. Key words: Poetry. Alliteration.
Witch Hunt (lyrics Neil Peart)
The night is black, without a moon
The air is thick and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torch-lit hill /
Features distorted in the flickering light
Faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves like demons possessed /
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best /
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 too dangerous
In our theaters 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 //
@RCSkunkWorX
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
The faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves like demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right
Confident their ways are best
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
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
@jcnr371
“Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand…ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand” sums up today’s world.
@fcamiola
Yep....right wing fake paranoia, not just in the USA but all over the world. Russia using propaganda right now. Neil was so insightful.
@AtomizedSound
That sums up humanity since the beginning
@neokio.f
absolutely in all medias
absalom
@bullhockie65
Maybe the best, and most relevant lyric of the past century! It's one that I've quoted for many years.
@magnoliasstressus
Funny how that's coming from a completely different side of things, politically and societally as compared to era of this great song's release.
@RobertJWaco
Leave it to Rush to write a song still relevant so many years later. That's the genius of this band.
@old-slow-and-tired
The years change. People do not. It will still be relevant in 100 years. It has nothing to do with the band but how slow people change compared to the years.
@lewisgregg9851
Thats the genius of Neil
Writer of most of the lyrics!
@kendallblack8502
RUSH........probably the greatest band ever 😁