Is Rush Preaching Fabian Socialism?

[openeyes]

Re: Is Rush Preaching Fabian Socialism?

Issachar,

Hmm...gonna have to say that you are reaching on this one. "Closer to the Heart", and "The Trees" both have 'lofty' ideals indeed, but "Fabian Socialism"? I don't think so, at least not according to the definition you've given. The fact that 'men who hold high places', need to be the ones who start to make things work better for everyone else is not really a bad thing. Yes, you are correct, our 'estate' is not in 'this world', but is writing a lyric about making the world a better place worse/as bad as/same thing as 'ridding the world of useless people'?

I admit that I've always been a fan of Rush, and still enjoy their music today. So yes, I've had their lyrics creep into my ears for decades. I've never picked up that they would prefer 'useless people' dead. Does Neil Peart appear/admit to being influenced by 'questionable philosophy'? On that I would agree.

openeyes

[Issachar]

Re: Is Rush Preaching Fabian Socialism?

Good morning openeyes.

I'm not certain it's a "stretch" but that might just be a matter of semantics. In my mind, a "stretch" is when one is looking for some things to be connected and tries to make them be when at best, they are maybe very loosely connected.

In this case, I wasn't even thinking about it, let alone trying to make any connections. I was merely walking through a Walmart and they had on this song by Rush ... which I have to admit is a big improvement over the so called "elevator music." Without even thinking about it, I heard that opening verse and the thought just popped into my head about the Fabian window. So I came home, looked up the lyrics, looked up the window, and thought ... hmmm. Interesting. That's as far as it went.

There is nothing wrong, per se, with world leaders wanting to make things "better" in the world. The problem with the long term, serious one's, is that they think of themselves as the only truly "enlightened" one's and there is no God above them and it is consequently, in their minds, their responsibility to get the rest of the world (masses) on their agenda. Every ruler in the world just about, had some idea that they were going to "make the world a better place." We see where good intentions without good knowledge has gotten us. Pol Pot thought he had a good idea .. as did Mao and the Bolsheviks and Marx and .... a long, long list.

I've never picked up that they would prefer 'useless people' dead.

Me either. But I don't know them and have no clue what they think. They're probably just a band of nice guys that like to actually think about things.

Issachar

[openeyes]

Re: Is Rush Preaching Fabian Socialism?

Issachar,

I actually said, "you are reaching". You might not have been trying to make connections when the song was being played into you ears, but you came here and asked, "Is Rush Preaching Fabian Socialism?".

In my humble opinion, I think the three members of Rush, based on many years of study, both of their music and personal interviews and other published works, are not 'preaching' anything. The songs, "Closer to the Heart", and "The Trees", are certainly of a "high brow", thinking man's nature, and not your typical Hard Rock lyric. If you read/hear them as I do, they tend to look out for/protect the "little guy", and of course, "The Trees" is about racial male/female equality.

If you read some/all of their other works, you might find the same, "high brow", "thinking man's rock". Of course you'll run into the odd space voyage theme, and of course the song, "I think I'm Going Bald".

openeyes