“just lyrics?” That’s what a band is all about…lyrics? The lyrics are didactic, influential, and represent the mindset of the band unless dully noted…Take “Freewill” for example:
***There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance take,
A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance.
A planet of playthings,
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
“The stars aren’t aligned,
Or the gods are malign…”
Blame is better to give than receive.***
and then it gets worse!
All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate.
Kicked in the face,
You can’t pray for a place
In heaven’s unearthly estate.
Or take the song “Roll the Bones.” Again the randomness of life is examined. Life has no God guiding it. If it does, He’s have to be a monster. Life is purely random…that’s Rush’s ongoing message:
Faith is cold as ice –
Why are little ones born only to suffer
For the want of immunity
Or a bowl of rice?
Well, who would hold a price
On the heads of the innocent children
If there’s some immortal power
To control the dice?
Or Neil’s constant preoccupation with selfishness from his Ayn Rand Objectivist obsession: From the song “Anthem”
Live for yourself…there’s no one else
More worth living for
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more
Well, I know they’ve always told you
Selfishness was wrong
Yet it was for me, not you, I came to write this song
In the early 80’s Peart said “I am no one’s disciple!” in an interview about his religious and philosophical views. He is an open atheist, libertarian, and as you said, very much into charity. He’s totally into secularism, admitedly.
Look at the song “Ghost of a Chance” and read these lyrics, tell me if these don’t promote skepticism at the very least, atheism at the greatest:
I don’t believe in destiny
Or the guiding hand of fate
I don’t believe in forever
Or love as a mystical state
I don’t believe in the stars or the planets
Or angels watching from above
But I believe there’s a ghost of a chance we can find someone to love
And make it last…
And on the song “Nobody’s Hero” from Counterparts album, Rush sings this:
I knew he was different in his sexuality
I went to his parties as a straight minority
It never seemed a threat to my masculinity
He only introduced me to a wider reality
As the years went by, we drifted apart
When I heard that he was gone
I felt a shadow cross my heart
Now if you want to say, “yeah, but Rush does so much to give to charity” nobody, least of all me, will disagree with you, BUT, there are atheist groups that give to charity all the time. There are horrible celebrities that are pro-abortion and pro gay marriage and pro everything ruining our society who give huge amounts of $$$ to charity. So the charity part is nice, but it doesn’t cancel out the harm that lyrics can do.
When I was in high school, I was very impressionable with lyrics. And these lyrics bugged me. I listened to them. Some Rush songs like “Subdivisions” struck a real chord with me as a teen. But these tunes were a turn-off. To some they might be inspiring…I stand by my view. I find Rush entertaining, talented as heck (!!!) and like mostly everything they made. I know everything about them and have followed them since my youth. I’ve seen them in concert as well. But I think they have some disturbing themes, lyrics, and I think it can be harmful.
Are they going to hell? Heck if I know? I never said they were???
…It’s just lyrics, very often posed as questions, and as plain as day that 1) Neil questions a lot of commonly mis-perceived dogmas, 2) in the process, very rarely if ever states anything as absolute fact, and 3) the unconditional love that exists in the entire Rush organization and flows outward is in fact, very Christ-like in quality.
The dude is on an incredible journey, and has 2 very close friends to help him through it.
I am VERY confident that Neil could more easily establish a footing with RCC/EO theology and mindset than he could with Reformed/Protestant theology and mindset.
After spending too much time in the poisionous CARM barnyard, I know that the Roman Catholic could practice faith more easily in a world run by Neil Peart than in a world run by John Calvin.
Humor is noted, I just do not question anyone’s salvation. Even Jimmy Page’s. As it pertains to the thread, I see “When the Levee Breaks” as a lamentation. “As I Lay Dying” is a classic folk song, covered by many, and is also a lamentation. Anyone who only sees occultic references in Zep’s music is not taking the view from high enough. Look at the whole, and there are a lot of subjects coming into play and intertwining with each other. The same can be said for Rush.
to indicate I was kidding.