Shannon’s Perspective:
"Is it living, or just existence?
Yeah, you - it takes a little more persistence
To get up and go the distance..."
These words run through my head all the time, not quite on a daily basis, but getting close. At this time in life with my health problems I use it as a reminder to myself, but I then follow it up with this reminder to myself...
" - I'm not giving in
- I'm not missing out
- I'm not giving up on implausible dreams
- Experience to extremes"
Now lets take some time to unpack some of the things in Larry's writeup, so you may want to read it first then come back to this.
Yes, Larry has always had a Rush obsession, or at least he has since I have known him. In the beginning it was endearing then for several years it became infuriating and the album this song is on was one of the reasons why.
Larry's obsession hit its infuriating peak when we lived in Westerville in 1997. Both boys were toddlers, we worked separate shifts and had one vehicle, so leaving notes was still important to communication. (remember even though cell phones and pagers were a thing texting was not) It was not unusual for Larry to leave a note with Rush lyrics and not much else, adding to my frustration. I was already dealing with toddlers and their lack of communication skills so I did not need to be guessing at what Larry was trying to communicate as well. Lucky for all of us we were able to make it through those years.
As for this Sharon person Larry speaks of, Sharon is my alter ego. When I first began transitioning from my job in the DC to one in the home office I did several temporary stints until a full time opening came up. During a couple of these stints I worked with the same group and so we got to get to know each other pretty well. During one of our lunch conversations we all were discussing how our names were mispronounced when first meeting people and how someone in that group actually thought my name was Sharon for the first several weeks. It was at that moment we all decided the names that we were commonly miscalled would become our evil alter egos. When it was time for me to go back to my regular position in the DC that year they decorated my cube with pictures of Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon.
First I'll explain how I interpret this song. YMMV.
Evil Larry is the enemy within.
Insecure Larry is the enemy within.
Shy Larry is the enemy within.
Same old routine Larry is the enemy within.
I think you get the point. Sometimes our muscles are tense for the right reasons; sometimes for the wrong reasons.
This song is off of the Grace Under Pressure album that was released in 1984. A lot of the album has to do with wars in general - WWII, the Cold War and if you interpret deeper, the wars we wage on ourselves.
To quote the Eagles from Already Gone:
"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key"
I do have a Rush obsession, no doubt, but there was a time in my life where this album and Hold Your Fire were played incessantly. At the time, it drove Shannon crazy which I can appreciate. But both musically and lyrically there was so much for me to discover and ponder.
I did stay at Lbrands for 29 years because I was able to move around and try so many different roles - but it wasn't like it was on my timetable. I couldn't just switch roles when I wanted - I had to wait for them to become available and ensure it was the right time for me. When I was ready to move on, but Lbrands wasn't, it of course drove me nuts.
That's where I obsessed over these lines:
To you - is it movement or is it action?
It is contact or just reaction?
And you - revolution or just resistance?
Is it living, or just existence?
Yeah, you - it takes a little more persistence
To get up and go the distance...
I had to persist in my current role, which meant simply existing in that role. Because I knew at some point I would assume a new role and take action and cause a revolution and live it.
Now let me tell you a little story about a girl I love named Sharon. Sharon and I have been married for 30 years now, almost 31. Sharon is what happens when you don't tense every muscle to fence the enemy within.
P.S. Fun fact, the music video for "The Enemy Within" was the first video played by the Canadian music television channel MuchMusic, which launched in August 1984 - so the equivalent of "Video Killed the Radio Star" for MTV.
So here's to you, "F" treating yourself bad! and "F" the enemy - both internal and external!
Rest In Peace, Neil Peart - 09/12/1952 - 01/07/2020
The Enemy Within (Part I of Fear)
Music by Lee and Lifeson / Lyrics by Peart
Things crawl in the darkness
That imagination spins
Needles at your nerve ends
Crawl like spiders on your skin
Pow - Pow - Pow Pounding in your temples
And a surge of adrenaline
Every muscle tense-
To fence
The enemy within
I'm not giving in
To security under pressure
I'm not missing out
On the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up
On implausible dreams
Experience to extremes
Experience to extremes
Suspicious-looking stranger
Flashes you a dangerous grin
Shadows across your window-
Was it only trees in the wind?
Every breath a static charge-
A tongue that tastes like tin
Steely-eyed outside to hide the enemy within...
I'm not giving in
To security under pressure
I'm not missing out
On the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up
On implausible dreams
Experience to extremes
Experience to extremes
To you - is it movement or is it action?
It is contact or just reaction?
And you - revolution or just resistance?
Is it living, or just existence?
Yeah, you - it takes a little more persistence
To get up and go the distance...
- I'm not giving in
- I'm not missing out
- I'm not giving up on implausible dreams
- Experience to extremes
I'm not giving in
To security under pressure
I'm not missing out
On the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up
On implausible dreams
Experience to extremes
Experience to extremes
Hey Yeah, Yeah!
30th Anniversary
Our Story - Shannon's Perspective
Our Story - Larry's Perspective
Ghost of a Chance (Rush) and why?
Ghost of a Chance 