Xanadu
The Rush Lyrics
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To walk the caves of ice
To break my fast on honey dew
And drink the milk of paradise
I had heard the whispered tales
Of immortality
The deepest mystery
I scaled the frozen mountain tops
Of eastern lands unknown
Time and man alone
Searching for the lost, Xanadu
Xanadu
To stand within the pleasure dome
Decreed by Kubla Khan
To taste anew the fruits of life
The last immortal man
To find the sacred river Alph
To walk the caves of ice
Oh, I will dine on honey dew
And drink the milk of paradise, oh, paradise
A thousand years have come and gone
But time has passed me by
Stars stopped in the sky
Frozen in an everlasting view
Waiting for the world to end
Weary of the night
Praying for the light
Prison of the lost, Xanadu
Xanadu
Held within the pleasure dome
Decreed by Kubla Khan
To taste my bitter triumph
As a man, immortal man
Never more shall I return
Escape these caves of ice
For I have dined on honey dew
And drunk the milk of paradise, whoa, paradise
The lyrics to The Rush's song Xanadu describe the singer's relentless pursuit of eternal life and ultimate transcendence. The first stanza sees him seeking out the sacred river Alph and the caves of ice, which he traverses to break his fast on honey dew and drink the milk of paradise. In the second stanza, he hears whispered tales of immortality, which he discovers in an ancient book. He scales frozen mountains and explores unknown lands to find the lost Xanadu, the pleasure dome decreed by Kubla Khan. It is here that he tastes the fruits of life and becomes the last immortal man.
The final stanza illustrates the singer's realization that he has accomplished his goal of becoming immortal, but at the cost of being locked in the prison of Xanadu, waiting for the world to end. He is weary of the night and prays for the light, hinting at a certain despair that comes with a never-ending life. He has escaped the caves of ice and dined on honey dew and drunk the milk of paradise, but at what cost? The song's lyrics examine themes of immortality, the pursuit of unattainable desires, and the price of eternal life.
Line by Line Meaning
To seek the sacred river Alph
I desire to find the holy river Alph.
To walk the caves of ice
I am eager to explore through the frozen caves.
To break my fast on honey dew
I yearn for the sweet taste of honey dew after fasting.
And drink the milk of paradise
I am desperate to savor the milk of paradise.
I had heard the whispered tales
I was told of secret stories not many have heard.
Of immortality
The stories were about living forever.
The deepest mystery
The stories were the most profound mystery of all.
From an ancient book, I took a clue
A clue from an old book helped me take the first step.
I scaled the frozen mountain tops
I climbed the snow-covered mountain summits.
Of eastern lands unknown
I explored the unknown lands of the East.
Time and man alone
It was just me and time, against the odds.
Searching for the lost, Xanadu
I was looking for the lost city of Xanadu.
To stand within the pleasure dome
I wanted to be inside the pleasure dome.
Decreed by Kubla Khan
The pleasure dome was ordered by Kubla Khan.
To taste anew the fruits of life
I was looking for a renewed experience in life.
The last immortal man
I want to be the only one who is immortal.
Oh, I will dine on honey dew
I am certain that I'll taste honey dew.
And drink the milk of paradise, oh, paradise
I am determined to drink the milk of paradise.
A thousand years have come and gone
It's been a thousand years since the beginning.
But time has passed me by
I never realized time had passed me by.
Stars stopped in the sky
The stars appeared motionless in the sky.
Frozen in an everlasting view
The sight seems frozen, forever imprinted.
Waiting for the world to end
I am patiently waiting for the world to end.
Weary of the night
Living in the dark has been very tiresome.
Praying for the light
Hoping for some renewed hope or a brighter future.
Prison of the lost, Xanadu
Xanadu- a place where people are lost and imprisoned.
Held within the pleasure dome
I am stuck inside the luxurious pleasure dome.
To taste my bitter triumph
I want to savor my bitter victory over time.
As a man, immortal man
I want to be known as the man who lived forever.
Never more shall I return
I am sure I will never come back here again.
Escape these caves of ice
I am determined to break free from these frozen caves.
For I have dined on honey dew
I have tasted honey dew, my journey's ultimate goal.
And drunk the milk of paradise, whoa, paradise
I have finally satisfied my quest by drinking the milk of paradise.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sooyster4033
When the lyrics don't start for a full five minutes, you know you're in for a treat
@Goawaydude
Great minds think alike 😉
@madnezz1961
they were in no RUSH to start the lyrics
@guaporeturns9472
@@madnezz1961🤦♂️
@catephish
if only i had a buck for every time i introduced nice songs to music normies and they ask one minute into the instrumental intro "when does the song start?"
@BenSaw64
This comment should go down in history as one of the GOAT
@Wargasm54
I remember listening to this in my room in 1979 when I was 13. Thinking to myself “why doesn’t everybody know about these guys?”. Each song was a little adventure in my mind. When my parents went to sleep, I would grab my dads Koss headphones and listen all night long. Didn’t matter if I had school the next day. Man, Seems like a lifetime ago. Hell, I guess it was.
@ayoancientone346
Great memories
@ginareddish2730
Very cool
@quadradomus
Koss headphones, lol…. I was right there with you. 😜