clangs, shouts and clatter of Toronto deep in the background of their music. But with a band like Rush, the effects of being from a large city run much deeper than just the music. Rush's lyricist, Neil Peart, born and raised in Toronto, is possibly the best example of just how much of an impact geographic location can have on what kind of lyrics a band or songwriter can produce.Toronto, with a population of almost three million people, has become known, like most major cities, a being a place that lacks personability. By this it is meant that a large city does not, and can not, enjoy the same friendliness that may be the status quo in a smaller city. With a large city a serious emphasis is put on the individual rather than the group and therefore a lot of these cities force their residents into anonymity, oftentimes living as autonomous members of a massive society without enjoying the human contact that is necessary to live a healthy life. It is this very fact that is most often present in Rush's lyrics as Neil Peart has somehow found the ability to bring the feel of the anonymous big city lifestyle to the page.Living in a fisheye lens,Caught in the camera eye.I have no heart to lieI can't pretend a strangerIs a long-awaited friend.Here the listener is presented with images of how limiting the city is. Although it may be large in size it does not allow for the individual to free themselves from the shackles of an anonymous lifestyle. Although the narrator of the song feels that he is constantly being watched, constantly living within "the camera eye" and among others, he still feels sorrow knowing that he is surrounded by nothing but strangers whom he can never believe to be "long-awaited friends". From this small section of the song we are also given a fairly decent account of the industrialization/technology that takes hold of the larger city, thereby forcing its residents to move with it and progress as it progresses; or be...
