Neil Peart: Lyricist of Democratic Greatness
The following is a condensed version of "Neil Peart: Lyricist of Democratic Greatness" by Jordan T. Cash, published at Law & Liberty.
The late Neil Peart of Rush is justly hailed as one of the greatest drummers of all-time. Yet Peart was also a profound and insightful writer who served as the band’s primary lyricist. In his lyrics, Peart explored a wide variety of subjects, but one prominent theme emerges over the course of his career: the pursuit of human greatness.
Early on, Peart’s lyrics reflected a devotion to individualism, and his protagonists in songs such as “2112,” “Red Barchetta,” and “Tom Sawyer,” are driven primarily by their desire for free expression. It is this focus on individuality and freedom that led Peart to address the tensions between liberty and equality, reflecting Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation that democratic societies place limits on individual greatness, as there “one encounters less brilliance” and “fewer great actions” as well as a greater tendency to bow to majority opinion.
It is in considering how one emerges out of such constraining circumstances that Peart’s lyrics initially turned to consider the need for greatness. In the album A Farewell to Kings (1977), Peart laments the loss of great achievements while also suggesting that if we “sow a new mentality” we may once again accomplish great deeds.
But as Peart himself became recognized as a great musician, he also began to contemplate the struggles that come from greatness.
The song “Marathon” considers what is required to consistently maintain a high level of excellence, and Peart exhorts his listener to build endurance and discover what “fires the light” to ensure that they do not simply become “Like a streak of lightning/That flashes and fades/In the summer sky.” Conversely, the song “Losing It” confronts the reality that one may see their greatness slip away over time. Peart even suggests that living your dream only to “watch it die” may be worse “Than never to have known it.” Perhaps because of this view of the stresses that come with greatness, Peart’s lyrics shifted to note the appeal of normalcy. This tension is particularly evident in the song “Mission” which begins with Peart observing the great achievements of others and wishing he “had that drive.” This wish, however, gives way to realizing that the creators were “In the grip of/A nameless possession/A slave to the drive of obsession” and endured great pain in bringing their visions to life. From this recognition Peart praises normal life, acknowledging—or admitting—that
If their lives were
Exotic and strange
They would likely have
Gladly exchanged them
For something a little more plain
Maybe something a little more sane
Yet, in the end, Peart turns back to greatness, concluding that “We each pay a fabulous price/For our visions of paradise.”
The attractions of normal life cannot overcome the ambition of those individuals who cannot help but pursue human excellence and see the sacrifices as worth it. “Mission,” therefore, illustrates Peart grappling with competing impulses: the willingness to endure tremendous costs to demonstrate brilliance, and the allure of a normal life free of the suffering that greatness requires.
Gradually, Peart began resolving these tensions by considering opportunities for greatness in ordinary life, but he only reached a conclusion on 2012’s concept album Clockwork Angels. There, Peart traces a young man’s life and demonstrates an arc to the pursuit of greatness. The album opens with the ambitious protagonist declaring that “In a world where I feel so small/I can’t stop thinking big.” It closes, however, with the protagonist reflecting that
The treasure of a life
Is a measure of love and respect
The way you live, the gifts that you give
In this, the last song on Rush’s last album, Peart reconciles the contradictions concerning democratic greatness not by concluding that greatness is impossible or even limited, but that it must be understood differently. For Peart, anyone can become great in their own life so long as they are committed to personal excellence, and that this can be readily observed by the esteem shown by others.
This is certainly a democratization of greatness indicative of the leveling tendencies of equality. Yet Tocqueville also suggested that democracies must allow for generalized greatness and “to think a little more of making great men” and “remember that a nation cannot long remain strong when each man is individually weak.”
Peart’s lyrics serve as a reminder that even in a democratic society where greatness might be rare, it is not unachievable. Ironically for a rock star, Peart highlights that greatness need not be limited to those actions which attract fame and glory but can found in any walk of life. Yet he also points out that regardless of where we seek greatness, the road to it is the same: the consistent and persistent pursuit of excellence.
Jordan T. Cash is an Assistant Professor of Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy in the James Madison College at Michigan State University.
