This song, more than any Rush song, represents Neil as a person (imo). He truly believed in science, art, and especially integrity. Sensitive, open, and strong are great descriptors for him. RIP
I laughed when you commented on Rush beats being complex right as the lyrics were, “ a pattern so grand and complex” don’t think for a second that that wasn’t intentional. Just brilliant! Great reaction!
Geddy and Alex were asked in an interview once who was the best musician in the band and they both without taking a second to think about it said Neil. 😊
He not only used odd time sigs, which Geddy and Alex gad no problem with, but he could also make simpler time sigs like 4/4 & 8/4 sound far more complex than they really were, confounding some people's li'l ears 😂 🎶🥁
I always thought "Wheel within wheels in a spiral array A pattern so grand and complex" could refer to our D.N.A. Maybe not, but that's the picture in my head.
Agreed. And I think Neil also is referring to not just DNA, but also our societies and also beyond to solar systems, and galaxies as well. So parallels between all these systems at various scales.
I love your RUSH reactions! I can't overstate how much I'd like to see your reaction to this song live 1997 Molson Amphitheater. It's so impressive and full of energy. Imo, their best performance of Natural Science.
That sound you heard in the first part was a natural product of where they recorded Permanent Waves, at Le Studio in the Lautrentian Mountain area of rural Quebec. As Geddy wrote in his memoir, "Le Studio's isolated location allowed us to record outdoors, with the added bonus of being able to bounce an amplified guitar across the lake and off the foothills for some truly natural echo; and we were able to create our own tidal pool sound effect for 'Natural Science' by recording Neil and Alex gently paddling on the lake." For another nature-themed performance from Permanent Waves, I'd like to recommend "Jacob's Ladder" from the R40 Tour. Have a great day, and Rush on! 🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🐐 🐐 🐐
The first stanza was Neil Peart comparing the tide pools along the seashore to miniature planets, with the little creatures making their ways regardless of the fact that they were once a part of the larger cosmos (the ocean, in their case.) I assume he was making the analogy of how we as humans tend to live in our little pools (our neighborhoods, cities, states, countries) and go about our destinies without regard to the world as a whole. Living in our "pools", we tend to forget about the "sea".
PS... whomever posted the lyrics you're using posted a transcript of one of their LIVE versions, where the boys 1. They repeat the "Wheels within wheels..." verse early in the song, and 2. omit the "Art as expression..." verse near the end. Just FYI.
This is one of my favorite Rush songs. There is a great live version from the Molson Ampitheatre in 1997 (they did it later in their career, as well, but at a slower tempo. Personally, I like the faster tempo of the 1997 version best).
"Natural Science" speaks of the fleeting nature of human endeavour. We see ourselves as the "end product" of nature, and all the things we engage in ARE the reason to be...but nature herself is much more powerful than we. In the beginning, as the waves crash, you hear seabirds calling...in the end, as the waves crash...there are just waves. Permanent Waves.
Great catch Sohum, “…nature must also be tamed” is a somewhat controversial line for the few who catch it. I personally don’t think nature should be nor can be completely “tamed” but humans have been affecting aspects of nature for our benefit (and accidentally to our detriment sometimes) Consider hydro electric dams for example. A generally positive taming of nature to many who consider the electricity a benefit but to others a sacrilege to the land and the creatures displaced or destroyed by the impact of the land flooding. As always with Neil’s lyrics, thought provoking!
You missed the first part. The micro cosmic planet refers to the metaphorical little tidal pools that the seas creatures live in. Oblivious to the huge ocean that surrounds them they live out their daily lives. As humans, it is a “mirror to reflect upon our own”, living out our daily lives oblivious to a larger world or the vastness of the universe, for that matter, that surround us. My interpretation of “Science like nature must also be tamed” I feel as Neil warning us that if we let science get ahead of our own maturity level will result in disaster. Tamed is a good word for not let something excelerate wildly.
And then at the end, the tide pools where the oblivious creatures live their daily lives are just washed away and the whole process starts all over again. The long sweep of history, in which, as Shakespeare observed, each person gets their limited time on the stage and then is no more. Very sobering.
This album was my intro to Rush, it was 1980, I was 14 or 15 and these lyrics convinced me that they were prophets. That first verse alone provides a profound analogy. Like the creatures that gather in the little pools between tides, we are caught up in ourselves, oblivious to the fact that civization WILL end and that what we achieve here can either be in harmony with the surrounding cosmos or disconnected as a self- serving short term goal. Either way, the tide of obliteration will surely come, whether sudden or gradual. But when it recedes enough for life to begin again, life has another chance to get it right. I believe there are many other species and civilizations out there that have reached the same stage or further than ourselves and have failed to find the balance, made the same mistakes and destroyed themselves as we appear to be doing. Perhaps only those rare species who get it right can take the next step and not end in self-annihilation before the tide returns...
Permanent Waves really marked a turning point in Neil's selection of lyrical themes. He shifted emphasis away from mythology, fantasy, and science fiction toward the natural world, non fiction, society, and human interaction and relationships with this album. There were non-fiction non-Sci-Fi/Fantasy songs like Fly By Night, Lakeside Park, Tears, Circumstances, Closer to the Heart and a few others scattered across their first six albums; but 1978's "Cygnus X1 Book 2: Hemispheres" was really the last epic fantasy he wrote. To me, there may be no other song in their entire discography that embodies Rush as a band more than Natural Science. I really appreciated your analysis of it and thanks for putting the lyrics on-screen. Listening to Rush and not soaking in the lyrics, the listener does himself (or herself) a tragic disservice, by missing a huge component of the artwork.
Sohum, I was thinking of this track while you were talking about the line, "Sensitive open and strong." Cygnus X1 (book 1: the voyage AND book 2: Hemispheres - should be on your list. It is more than just a fantasy piece; it also speaks to the human condition, i.e., reason vs. emotion. I hope you do a reaction to this track soon.
Original Lyrics you had on-screen look like they were taken from one of their live shows (Molson 1997 !?!) , doubling of the chorus before Hyperspace and the Art verse removed.
The opening verses were recorded outside with speakers facing a mountain to achieve that echo/delay effect. It was not an engineered or synthetic addition. It was all natural. They recorded parts of A Farewell to Kings outdoors as well.
In this song Sohum, Neil is talking about where humanity stands in the ebb and flow of life and our lack of understanding of our place in it, and of course forgetting to see we are just one part of it.
Great, "on the spot" interpretations of their songs! You should also consider when this was recorded and released, 1979-1980; I believe it is a much different world regarding technology.
I Love the analysis! One thing Sohum nailed about Rush is that they are critical thinkers. I heard this record fresh in 1980. Although I loved the preceding record, this one (Permanent Waves) really got me going. I think this album got the band on a larger world context philosophical stage in their music as all of the other albums were building up to a climax that eventually ended up in Moving Pictures as a perfect Crescendo. Natural Science along with every other track are snap shots into the world of their view on life and the Universe. I can't think of any other band covering that much territory in just one record the way they do. I also can't imagine them with out Neil coming and shaking everything up- the "New Guy" who also was the first to leave and have a legacy like no other. Long Live Neil
Neil is one of the best drummers of all time. Still, if I had to choose one person to listen to, it'd be Alex. He has a ton of versatility. He goes from rock to grunge to metal to classical to anything you can image.
This is a most excellent reaction to a supremely excellent song. Watching you react precisely the way you do has become one of the joys of my life. I think the sequel to this reaction is their song "The Weapon". And thank you for being an honest man. :)
Neil was prescient in many ways. This song implies a great many things worth reading about: Quantum Questions by Ken Wilber, Integral Theory by Ken Wilber which was inspired by Spiral Dynamics, and even into Jean Gebser's work. This entire album is a response to the New Wave trend that was happening at the same time, and Neil was looking at deeper themes beyond marketing campaign-driven music into principles behind everything. The symbolism of one honest man reporting in a weather storm of the prevailing winds is a theme of Rush generally from 2112 into this album too. Your commentary speaks to things you could read by Kegan and Lahey, for example, whose work examines some key principles also in terms of organizational dynamics.
That is not the original cover for this album. You have the 40th anniversary version. The original cover is similar but has a pretty 50s girl in a pretty wind blown dress standing in this storm. As a guy, I prefer the original as if that should somehow come as a surprise. 😊 Also, there are three sections in this song. The third section (the last 4+ mins of the composition) is called Permanent Waves so I guess you could say Natural Science is the title track of this album.
So your comment about Rush not being for the "casual listener": Agree, they really went for something different than their contemporaries (other rock bands) with the exception of their early stuff like "Working Man", a song that bored me. That first incarnation of Rush was them doing heavy rock & roll which I didn't like at all. When Neil came on board, being the philosopher that he was, it really changed their whole approach. Great reaction! I really dig your analytic process (sensitive, open, and strong)!
I would never introduce someone to Rush with Natural Science. They do have a lot of songs which are easier to listen to that have extremely good lyrics.
Your breakdowns are deep an well done… I think you would have truly enjoyed sitting down with this band an chatting, specially with Neil… Rush for me is very similar too you, one day it’s the lyrics I focus on the next day it can be the musicality Their just that good
![Did Rush Predict the Future? - 2112 [FULL REACTION & ANALYSIS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2aR7dXpiKUY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Did Rush Predict the Future? - 2112 [FULL REACTION & ANALYSIS]](/img/tr.png)
![Rush - La Villa Strangiato [GEN-Z REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4Sd2q-ZzZ5s/mqdefault.jpg)
This song, more than any Rush song, represents Neil as a person (imo). He truly believed in science, art, and especially integrity.
Sensitive, open, and strong are great descriptors for him. RIP
The production on this song is so cool. Terry Brown was the 4th genius on this band.
I laughed when you commented on Rush beats being complex right as the lyrics were, “ a pattern so grand and complex” don’t think for a second that that wasn’t intentional. Just brilliant! Great reaction!
Great reaction and interpretation. This is one of my favourite Rush songs.
🌟🌟🌟
One of Rush's best
The music and the lyrics are why I listen to Rush again and again so many years later. 😁
Geddy and Alex were asked in an interview once who was the best musician in the band and they both without taking a second to think about it said Neil. 😊
Vital signs or Middletown dreams would be nice !!!!
One of my top 5 RUSH songs. Thanks for the thoughtful reaction!
Neil's odd time percussion is as amazing and fun to listen to as it to try and figure out.
He not only used odd time sigs, which Geddy and Alex gad no problem with, but he could also make simpler time sigs like 4/4 & 8/4 sound far more complex than they really were, confounding some people's li'l ears 😂 🎶🥁
This is my favorite song of all time. 😁
I always thought "Wheel within wheels in a spiral array
A pattern so grand and complex" could refer to our D.N.A. Maybe not, but that's the picture in my head.
Agreed. And I think Neil also is referring to not just DNA, but also our societies and also beyond to solar systems, and galaxies as well. So parallels between all these systems at various scales.
thats a great interpretation too
I love your RUSH reactions!
I can't overstate how much I'd like to see your reaction to this song live 1997 Molson Amphitheater. It's so impressive and full of energy. Imo, their best performance of Natural Science.
Sohum, big respect! Thank you for your interpretations of Neil's meaningful lyrics. Excellent song, so epic. Have a great New Year, good sir!
Thank you! Happy new year to you too
great review of my favorite RUSH song...............
That sound you heard in the first part was a natural product of where they recorded Permanent Waves, at Le Studio in the Lautrentian Mountain area of rural Quebec. As Geddy wrote in his memoir, "Le Studio's isolated location allowed us to record outdoors, with the added bonus of being able to bounce an amplified guitar across the lake and off the foothills for some truly natural echo; and we were able to create our own tidal pool sound effect for 'Natural Science' by recording Neil and Alex gently paddling on the lake." For another nature-themed performance from Permanent Waves, I'd like to recommend "Jacob's Ladder" from the R40 Tour. Have a great day, and Rush on!
🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🐐 🐐 🐐
The first stanza was Neil Peart comparing the tide pools along the seashore to miniature planets, with the little creatures making their ways regardless of the fact that they were once a part of the larger cosmos (the ocean, in their case.) I assume he was making the analogy of how we as humans tend to live in our little pools (our neighborhoods, cities, states, countries) and go about our destinies without regard to the world as a whole. Living in our "pools", we tend to forget about the "sea".
PS... whomever posted the lyrics you're using posted a transcript of one of their LIVE versions, where the boys 1. They repeat the "Wheels within wheels..." verse early in the song, and 2. omit the "Art as expression..." verse near the end. Just FYI.
This is one of my favorite Rush songs. There is a great live version from the Molson Ampitheatre in 1997 (they did it later in their career, as well, but at a slower tempo. Personally, I like the faster tempo of the 1997 version best).
"Natural Science" speaks of the fleeting nature of human endeavour. We see ourselves as the "end product" of nature, and all the things we engage in ARE the reason to be...but nature herself is much more powerful than we. In the beginning, as the waves crash, you hear seabirds calling...in the end, as the waves crash...there are just waves. Permanent Waves.
Very good review. Your a very bright young fellow. Keep it up
This may be their best song.
Top 5 Rush song imo🔥👍🤘🏻🙏🏻
🤗 Great Reaction to 1 of my favorite Rush compositions. 🥂🎉 Happy NewYears! 🖖🏿🥰🐰
Great catch Sohum, “…nature must also be tamed” is a somewhat controversial line for the few who catch it. I personally don’t think nature should be nor can be completely “tamed” but humans have been affecting aspects of nature for our benefit (and accidentally to our detriment sometimes) Consider hydro electric dams for example. A generally positive taming of nature to many who consider the electricity a benefit but to others a sacrilege to the land and the creatures displaced or destroyed by the impact of the land flooding.
As always with Neil’s lyrics, thought provoking!
You missed the first part. The micro cosmic planet refers to the metaphorical little tidal pools that the seas creatures live in. Oblivious to the huge ocean that surrounds them they live out their daily lives.
As humans, it is a “mirror to reflect upon our own”, living out our daily lives oblivious to a larger world or the vastness of the universe, for that matter, that surround us.
My interpretation of “Science like nature must also be tamed” I feel as Neil warning us that if we let science get ahead of our own maturity level will result in disaster. Tamed is a good word for not let something excelerate wildly.
And then at the end, the tide pools where the oblivious creatures live their daily lives are just washed away and the whole process starts all over again. The long sweep of history, in which, as Shakespeare observed, each person gets their limited time on the stage and then is no more. Very sobering.
I loved hearing your interpretation....great reaction!
Thank you so much!!
This album was my intro to Rush, it was 1980, I was 14 or 15 and these lyrics convinced me that they were prophets. That first verse alone provides a profound analogy. Like the creatures that gather in the little pools between tides, we are caught up in ourselves, oblivious to the fact that civization WILL end and that what we achieve here can either be in harmony with the surrounding cosmos or disconnected as a self- serving short term goal. Either way, the tide of obliteration will surely come, whether sudden or gradual. But when it recedes enough for life to begin again, life has another chance to get it right. I believe there are many other species and civilizations out there that have reached the same stage or further than ourselves and have failed to find the balance, made the same mistakes and destroyed themselves as we appear to be doing. Perhaps only those rare species who get it right can take the next step and not end in self-annihilation before the tide returns...
Permanent Waves really marked a turning point in Neil's selection of lyrical themes. He shifted emphasis away from mythology, fantasy, and science fiction toward the natural world, non fiction, society, and human interaction and relationships with this album. There were non-fiction non-Sci-Fi/Fantasy songs like Fly By Night, Lakeside Park, Tears, Circumstances, Closer to the Heart and a few others scattered across their first six albums; but 1978's "Cygnus X1 Book 2: Hemispheres" was really the last epic fantasy he wrote. To me, there may be no other song in their entire discography that embodies Rush as a band more than Natural Science. I really appreciated your analysis of it and thanks for putting the lyrics on-screen. Listening to Rush and not soaking in the lyrics, the listener does himself (or herself) a tragic disservice, by missing a huge component of the artwork.
Sohum, I was thinking of this track while you were talking about the line, "Sensitive open and strong." Cygnus X1 (book 1: the voyage AND book 2: Hemispheres - should be on your list. It is more than just a fantasy piece; it also speaks to the human condition, i.e., reason vs. emotion. I hope you do a reaction to this track soon.
Critical... btw, Geddy wrote Tears.
6:41 Modern man living in an ech chamber not understanding our world. We are in our own tidal pools.
Original Lyrics you had on-screen look like they were taken from one of their live shows (Molson 1997 !?!) , doubling of the chorus before Hyperspace and the Art verse removed.
The opening verses were recorded outside with speakers facing a mountain to achieve that echo/delay effect. It was not an engineered or synthetic addition. It was all natural. They recorded parts of A Farewell to Kings outdoors as well.
"How did we switch?".....It's called Hyperspace.
Another great song and great reaction. Thanks Sohum. Love your original articulate reactions.
Glad you like them!
I love you reaction! ❤RUSH forever 😊
In this song Sohum, Neil is talking about where humanity stands in the ebb and flow of life and our lack of understanding of our place in it, and of course forgetting to see we are just one part of it.
Great, "on the spot" interpretations of their songs! You should also consider when this was recorded and released, 1979-1980; I believe it is a much different world regarding technology.
Check out "Mission". One of my favorite Rush songs for the lyrics.
Yes awesome song ❤
There will never be another band like them. Lightning in a bottle.
Now that you've worked through the lyrics watch it live Snakes and Arrows Tour and let yourself experience musical greatness❤🇨🇦
I Love the analysis! One thing Sohum nailed about Rush is that they are critical thinkers. I heard this record fresh in 1980. Although I loved the preceding record, this one (Permanent Waves) really got me going. I think this album got the band on a larger world context philosophical stage in their music as all of the other albums were building up to a climax that eventually ended up in Moving Pictures as a perfect Crescendo. Natural Science along with every other track are snap shots into the world of their view on life and the Universe. I can't think of any other band covering that much territory in just one record the way they do. I also can't imagine them with out Neil coming and shaking everything up- the "New Guy" who also was the first to leave and have a legacy like no other. Long Live Neil
well said.
Neil is one of the best drummers of all time. Still, if I had to choose one person to listen to, it'd be Alex. He has a ton of versatility. He goes from rock to grunge to metal to classical to anything you can image.
This is a most excellent reaction to a supremely excellent song. Watching you react precisely the way you do has become one of the joys of my life. I think the sequel to this reaction is their song "The Weapon". And thank you for being an honest man. :)
Really enjoy your Rush reactions😎
Glad you like them!
We use to say Rush was a thinking mans band lol.
Neil was prescient in many ways. This song implies a great many things worth reading about: Quantum Questions by Ken Wilber, Integral Theory by Ken Wilber which was inspired by Spiral Dynamics, and even into Jean Gebser's work. This entire album is a response to the New Wave trend that was happening at the same time, and Neil was looking at deeper themes beyond marketing campaign-driven music into principles behind everything. The symbolism of one honest man reporting in a weather storm of the prevailing winds is a theme of Rush generally from 2112 into this album too. Your commentary speaks to things you could read by Kegan and Lahey, for example, whose work examines some key principles also in terms of organizational dynamics.
look more closely at the cover the newspapr reads dewei(y) defeats Truman....
Very good! You should in some spare time, if any watch this live in Rio amazing.
Another great one.
I've heard others say they use a lot of 7/4 time signatures
Rush is a band that you should let just wash over you …and enjoy the flow…
Just try focusing on the awesomeness!
That is not the original cover for this album. You have the 40th anniversary version. The original cover is similar but has a pretty 50s girl in a pretty wind blown dress standing in this storm. As a guy, I prefer the original as if that should somehow come as a surprise. 😊 Also, there are three sections in this song. The third section (the last 4+ mins of the composition) is called Permanent Waves so I guess you could say Natural Science is the title track of this album.
Ars gratia artis, according to the MGM logo.
So your comment about Rush not being for the "casual listener": Agree, they really went for something different than their contemporaries (other rock bands) with the exception of their early stuff like "Working Man", a song that bored me. That first incarnation of Rush was them doing heavy rock & roll which I didn't like at all. When Neil came on board, being the philosopher that he was, it really changed their whole approach. Great reaction! I really dig your analytic process (sensitive, open, and strong)!
I would never introduce someone to Rush with Natural Science. They do have a lot of songs which are easier to listen to that have extremely good lyrics.
The lyrics are from a live version and NOT the original.
I use AZLyrics
You would love Rush - The Weapon
They don't make music like this anymore. Too bad. Most everything seems to be cookie cutter music limited to 3 minutes or less.
Your breakdowns are deep an well done…
I think you would have truly enjoyed sitting down with this band an chatting, specially with Neil…
Rush for me is very similar too you, one day it’s the lyrics I focus on the next day it can be the musicality
Their just that good