This is part two of the limited series "Rush is a Band"
Part one is here.
1977's "A Farewell to Kings" is Rush's fifth studio album, and it's first gold-seller.
The title track begins with a peaceful solo melody, yet quickly progresses into Rush's hard-rocking social commentary:
When they turn the pages of history
When these days have passed long ago
Will they read of us with sadness
For the seeds that we let grow
We turned our gaze
From the castles in the distance
Eyes cast down
On the path of least resistance
Cities full of hatred
Fear and lies
Withered hearts
And cruel tormented eyes
Scheming demons
Dressed in kingly guise
Beating down the multitude
And scoffing at the wise
The hypocrites are slandering
The sacred halls of Truth
Ancient nobles showering
Their bitterness on youth
Can't we find
The minds that made us stong
Can't we learn
To feel what's right and wrong
Track 2, "Xanadu" is more characteristic of mystical Rush:
In Peart's lyrics, the narrator describes searching for something called "Xanadu" (although it is not explicitly stated what this is, references to the poem "Kubla Khan" imply that it is a mythical place based on the historical summer capital of the Mongolian Empire) that will grant him immortality.[1] The narrator finds Xanadu and attains immortality. A thousand years passes, and he is left "waiting for the world to end," bitter in the reality of his successful quest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
As with last week's 2112, our hero realizes his tragic fate:
A thousand years have come and gone
But time has passed me by
Stars stopped in the sky
Frozen in an everlasting view
Waiting for the world to end
Weary of the night
Praying for the light
Prison of the lost ---- Xanadu
But ultimately, Rush gives us hope.... closer to the heart