Vocal Analysis of “Limelight” by RUSH

One of my favorite songs by the Canadian progressive rock band RUSH is “Limelight”. Most all songs by the group are primarily written by Neal Peart and adjusted by Geddy Lee to make them more singable. Mr. Peart was by his own admission an introvert. It seems strange to some that a world-famous music performer could be an introvert until you hear more of his story. He loves to perform on the drums and other percussion instruments for others. However, he is shy. The lyrics of this song try to reconcile these two dimensions of his life, a public performer and an introverted lyric writer.

I too am an introvert. Seems odd for a public school teacher and frequent conference speaker. But it is who I am. And this is why this song resonates so powerfully with me. “Living in the limelight. The universal dream. For those who wish to seem. Those who wish to be.”

Limelight Lyrics by RUSH

Living on a lighted stage
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage

Cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact

Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme

Living in a fisheye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long-awaited friend

All the world's indeed a stage
And we are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage

Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme

Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme

The real relation
The underlying theme

Sydnie Christmas, 2024, Britain’s Got Talent

What an extraordinary performance by a gifted singer and person. This video contains her singing “Tomorrow” for a preliminary competition and “My Way” for the finals. She was recognized as the grand champion of the competition for the year. When the news is depressing and I am having a bad day, I listen to her authentic personality, gifted voices, and the lyrics of “Tomorrow” to remind me to never give up. It is recommended to have a box of tissues nearby when listening to her sing. What a gift from God.

Unexpected Performances by Average People

I am not much for network television. Too often I have missed tremendous performances by average people who would likely be overlooked by others. I have enjoyed these individuals who performed on either Britain’s Got Talent or America’s Got Talent. These individuals have taught me not to underestimate the beauty that often lies hidden within others. Enjoy these performances by extraordinary people.

Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009.

She sings “I dreamed a dream” from Les Misérables (a favorite of mine). Check out her biography on Wikipedia and the musical career that followed this breakout performance.

Richard Goodall on America’s Got Talent in 2024.

He sings “Don’t stop believin” by Journey. Check and read his Wikipedia page to read his humble story.

Older Elizabeth Zharoff Reacts to Her Own Younger Voice

I have featured several episodes of Elizabeth’s YouTube sensation,, The Charismatic Voice. She has always reacted to other music bands and performers. This time, we have the privilege to hear Elizabeth reaction to her own voice singing opera. As you probably know, she is an internationally-known opera singer. Sit back and enjoy.

Snippet of the Younger Elizabeth Zharoff singing Martern aller Arten.

This is a snippet of the opera performance that Elizabeth reacted to in the YouTube video above. Notice Queen Elizabeth at the very end giving her hearty approval of this performance.

Lyrics for "Freewill" by the Progressive Rock Band, "RUSH" Lessons for Life

I am waiting for Elizabeth Zharoff of the Charismatic Voice podcast to do a vocal analysis of the song “Freewill” by the progressive rock band RUSH. But I wanted to share the lyrics with you.

There are several reasons why I like the band RUSH so much. One of them is the lyrics are thoughtful and provocative. I do not always agree with their viewpoint, since they are often inspired by Any Rand and other philosophers. However, they often stimulate to think more deeply about what I do believe.

This song has a wonderful line in it, “ If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choic. You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will”

I can’t expect every lyric from a song to line up with my interpretation of the Bible. However, I think how the lyrics in this song can inspire us to not be passive actors on the stage of life. Rather, we have free will to act and make choices that are better for us and those around us. Enjoy the lyrics to the song. I think there is a positive message. However, I am not waiting for the choir to sing this in church this weekend. :-)

There are those who think that

Life has nothing left to chance

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

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill

I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will

There are those who think that

They've been dealt a losing hand

The cards were stacked against them

They weren't born in Lotus land

All preordained

A prisoner in chains

A victim of venomous fate

Kicked in the face

You can pray for a place

In heaven's unearthly estate

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill

I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will

Each of us, a cell of awareness

Imperfect and incomplete

Genetic blends

With uncertain ends

On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill

I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose free will

Red Robin Has Recovered!

My roommate, Red Robin, has recovered from his serious infection. He is now eating as normal, full of more energy, and just as enjoyable as ever.

Vocal Analysis of "The Spirit of Radio" by the Progressive Rock Band, RUSH

Elizabeth Zharoff provides a vocal and musical analysis of “The Spirit of Radio” by the progressive rock band, RUSH. This was actually her first of the four RUSH songs that she analyzed. The sheer joy, surprise, and deep analysis she provides with all four of these four RUSH songs are PERFECT. Yes, there are a couple of imperfections or song lyrics she misses. But remember, while she studied the lyrics ahead of time, she has not seen the performances ahead of time. She really reacts to them. You can see there are no jump cuts or heavy editing. The slight, very slight imperfections are testaments to the authenticity of what she is doing. Check out her website, charismaticvoice.com

“The Spirit of Radio” by RUSH from YouTube

I resonate with this song so much. When I was little, I listened to the local rock stations in Kansas City, MO. At night, I would secretly listen to an alternative rock program broadcast from Little Rock, AR. The following is from Wikipedia. Beaker Street with Clyde Clifford was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station in the central US. The station's signal carried far and wide. In early 1967 Beaker Street was a staple for adherents to the burgeoning underground communities in the upper Mid-West especially in Des Moines, Iowa, where it was the only access to Dr. Demento and Firesign Theatre. Beaker Street began on Little Rock, Arkansas 50,000 watt AM radio station KAAY late in 1966 and ran through 1972. The show's original announcer, Clyde Clifford, moved to FM in 1974 as the rise in popularity of FM radio began to impact the operations of many AM stations. Beaker Street pre-dated the FM radio boom of the mid-1970s and foretold the rise of album-oriented Rock and Classic rock formats.

Maybe this love of radio led me to be a radio station DJ while attending Emporia State University. The radio transmitters only carried the signal through the residence halls, but we were spinning albums and having a great time. Following is the music video that Elizabeth reacted to for her joyous episode. Notice the homage to the RUSH drummer at the end of the video. He died of brain cancer. As did his wife. RIP. Also, notice the names of important historical figures who helped invent radio and the progressive DJs who boldly supported RUSH and other progressive artists when other radio stations shunned them.

Here is the Animated Version of The Spirit of Radio.