Rush Tom Sawyer Lyrics-Who Wrote What?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by midniteinsanjuan, Mar 24, 2011.

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  1. midniteinsanjuan

    midniteinsanjuan Senior Member Thread Starter

    I thought this would be fun, Tom Sawyer is arguably Rush’s most well known song, but not many people know the lyrics were a collaboration, and even fewer know who wrote what. This is pure speculation on my part but I think I've managed to highlight Neil Peart and Pye Dubois' contributions.

    I have no "credentials" other than the fact I’ve enjoyed their lyrics in both of their respective bands and thought it would be fun to see if I could highlight their contribution.

    At the end of each line I’ve put the writer’s initial to identify their contribution.

    I’d love to hear opinions on this and more intriguingly has anyone ever seen Pye’s original lyrics?

    First a little back story on the creation of the lyrics from Wikipedia:

    The song was written by Lee, Peart, and guitarist Alex Lifeson in collaboration with Canadian lyricist Pye Dubois (the lyricist of Max Webster), who also co-wrote other Rush songs such as "Force Ten," "Between Sun and Moon," and "Test For Echo." "Tom Sawyer" came about during a summer rehearsal holiday that Rush spent at Ronnie Hawkins' farm outside Toronto. Peart was presented with a poem by Dubois named "Louis the Lawyer" (often cited as "Louis the Warrior") that he modified and expanded. Lee and Lifeson then helped set the poem to music. In the December 1985 Rush Backstage Club newsletter, drummer and lyricist Neil Peart said:
    “ Tom Sawyer was collaboration between me and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be - namely me I guess."

    Tom Sawyer
    Lyrics-Neil Peart & Pye Dubois-Music-Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson

    A modern day warrior-NP
    Mean, mean stride-NP
    Today's Tom Sawyer-NP
    Mean, mean pride-NP

    Though his mind is not for rent-NP
    Don't put him down as arrogant-NP
    His reserve, a quiet defense-NP
    Riding out the day's events-NP
    The river-PD

    What you say about his company-PD
    Is what you say about society-PD
    Catch the mist, catch the myth-PD
    Catch the mystery, catch the drift-PD

    The world is, the world is-PD
    Love and life are deep-PD
    Maybe as his skies are wide-PD

    Today's Tom Sawyer-NP
    He gets high on you-NP
    And the space he invades-NP
    He gets by on you-NP

    No, his mind is not for rent-NP
    To any god or government-NP
    Always hopeful, yet discontent-NP
    He knows changes aren't permanent-NP
    But change is-NP

    What you say about his company-PD
    Is what you say about society-PD
    Catch the witness, catch the wit-PD
    Catch the spirit, catch the spit-PD

    The world is the world is-PD
    Love and life are deep-PD
    Maybe as his eyes are wide-PD

    Exit the warrior-NP
    Today's Tom Sawyer-NP
    He gets high on you-NP
    And the energy you trade-NP
    He gets right on to-NP
    The friction of the day-NP
     
    Greenalishi likes this.
  2. No Bull

    No Bull Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orlando Florida
    I though NP wrote all Rush lyrics...
     
  3. swandown

    swandown Under Assistant West Coast Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Has "Louis The Lawyer" been published anywhere? I'd love to read it.
     
  4. midniteinsanjuan

    midniteinsanjuan Senior Member Thread Starter

    Sadly none of Pye's poetry has been published in book form. But here is an audio excerpt of Pye reciting his poem "A Lake Between Sun and Moon" which went on to form the basis of the Rush song "Between Sun and Moon"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1IvLPU5UM
     
  5. dlokazip

    dlokazip Forum Transient

    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    I think that is a good guess. Clearly the lyrics that Neil wrote were modifications from what Pye wrote. I imagine that "Louis The Lawyer" has close to the same number of lines and roughly the same meter. Pye's style is much more abstract than Neil's, but they compliment each other very well.

    I heard a Rockline interview with Kim Mitchell in 1985 where Kim discussed Pye's involvement in "Tom Sawyer". (For those who don't know, Pye Dubois was Kim Mitchell's lyricist in the band Max Webster and for much of his solo career.) According to Kim, Pye approached him with the lyrics saying something to the effect of, "I don't think these are really your style. I think they have more of a Rush feel, but I would never give it to them.", to which, Kim replied, "Why not? You know the guys. They're not going to think your just out to score some bucks off of them or something. Go ahead."

    Pretty cool, Kim.
     
    Greenalishi and ytserush like this.
  6. JETman

    JETman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Knowing
    Isn't this the equivalent of trying to figure out which "the" was written by McCartney, and which by Lennon?
     
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