From: KAMCHAR@ibm.cl.msu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.music.rush
Subject: Re: Rush & Ayn Rand - HELP PLEASE
Date: 1 Sep 92 01:46:45 GMT
Organization: Kamchatka Charlie

Eric Mathurin writes:
>Kamchatka Charlie writes.
>>      There is also Madrigal Man (off the A Farewell To Kings album),
>>which uses very Randian phrasing ("Because he was good...they judged
>>him insane")...
>
>You mean Cinderella Man, which seems based on the character of Cinderella.
>Or is that too obvious?  Don't forget - Geddy Lee wrote that song.

     No, not obvious at all.  I never connected the character with Cinderella
myself.  I'll have to read the fairy tale to understand.
     Besides, who says only Peart reads in the band.  I would find it hardly
believable that Geddy and Alex would not have read Rand, with the obvious
effect they saw in Peart.
     P.S. thanx for the correction.
>
>>      Off "Hemispheres" we get The Trees, which (IMHO--NOTE--IMHO) tells
>>a tale of class struggle in the Randian viewpoint--the lesser Maples gain
>>their victory, but end up getting cut down as well, whereas they would
>>have continued in their ways if they'd left the oaks alone.
>
>But since the oaks were higher, then the maples don't need to be cut down
>to size.  Of course, this is a silly argument.

     You haven't read your Rand, have you...  {Sorry if it sould inflammitory,
but you must understand, the only stuff of hers I HAVEN'T read (and no, I'm not
an objectivist--indeed, except for the strict Epistimological aspect which I
find myself agreeing wholly upon, I find myself opposed in varying degrees to
her system of thought) is "Esseys in Objectivist Thought (not as of yet,
anyway) and The Early Ayn Rand (never plan on reading it).}
     Her theory on humanity and collectivist {translation: anything but The
Philosophy of Ayn Rand (TM)} philosophy's effect on humanity is this:  There
are two types of people--the average (the maples) and the exceptional (the
oaks).  It is the oaks (in the viewpoint of the lyrics) which protect and
nurture the maples and allow/encourage the maples to "be all you can be." 
Remove the protection of the oaks and the maples are subjected to the weather
and sun and wind--and find they can't hack it.  Also, since the maples are
complaining about the Oaks being taller than them, it makes sense that the
shrubbery would complain about Maple oppression, and the grasses would complain
about the shrubbery oppression etc. etc. until nothing was allowed to stand.
     Let's take a look at the last two/five lines in "The Trees:"
     
Now there's no more Oak oppression, for they've passed a noble law
Now the trees are all kept equal
by hatchet,
axe,
and saw...

     First, note the use of the word "noble"  If you've read Rand's political
and economic works, you would know full well that she invests a heavy irony in
the word "noble" when referring to regulatory, anti-trust and other
anticapitalist laws.
     Second, note the tools used to keep the trees equal (hatchet axe and saw).
 Hardly the type of tools one would think as trimming or pruning tools, eh? 
The alignment of the last lyrical line (separated as it is on the lyric sheet
for "Hemispheres") leads me to believe Peart wished to emphasize that
EVERYTHING WAS CLEARED TO KEEP IT EQUAL WITH WHATEVER WAS THE LOWEST GROWING
OBJECT.

     I also write lyrics and poetry as a semi-hobby, and know something about
word placement and line control, BTW

>I don't think the song is as deep and philosophical as that, anyhow.
     You're probably right.  I'm probably obsessed with the Randian links in
the song.  But then, that's my viewpoint (alas...B+|  )
>
>Take care,
>Eric
>

Later,  KAMCHATKA CHARLIE          KAMCHAR@ibm.cl.msu.edu
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>"no one is blameless,          
>but we're all without shame"   
>-- Second Nature, Rush        
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>