Lyrics as Poetry: Rush "Available Light" [Archive]

LimeyDawg

10-02-2007, 08:46 AM

I was intrigued by the other post "Hell is Chrome" and the inherent poetry in many lyrics. I'm a huge Rush fan, and I think Lee, Liefson, and Pert are masters. For your pleasure, here is one of my faves...

"Available Light"

The restless wind
Has seen all things
In every kind of light
Rising with the full moon
To go howling through the night

The sleepless wind
Has heard all things
Between the sea and sky
In the canyons of the city
You can hear the buildings cry

Oh the wind can carry
All the voices of the sea
Oh the wind can carry
All the echoes home to me

Run with wind and weather
To the music of the sea
All four winds together
Can't bring the world to me
Chase the wind around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light

Play of light
A photograph
The way I used to be
Some half forgotten stranger
Doesn't mean that much to me

Trick of light
Moving picture
Moments caught in flight
Make the shadows darker
Or the colors shine too bright

Oh the light can carry
All the visions of the sea
Oh the light can carry
All the images to me

Run to light from shadow
Sun gives me no rest
Promise offered in the east
Broken in the west
Chase the sun around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light

All four winds together
Can't bring the world to me
Shadows hide the play of light
So much I want to see
Chase the light around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light

I'll go with the wind
I'll stand in the light

poetinahat

10-02-2007, 09:09 AM

Strange. I was going to start a thread this morning, with the premise that poetry isn't dying, but it's just hiding in other places.

I was thinking of exactly this idea. Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner, Patti & Fred Smith, Richard Hell, Howard Devoto (cf. Luxuria, Magazine, as cited in the Hell Is Chrome thread), Laurie Anderson, et al. And, of course, Ian Dury -- just being funny shouldn't disqualify poetry from being good.