On a recent bonny day, which began with such a sunny morning, I just wanted to jump into the car, put Xanadu by Rush in the CD player and drive around the island. Yeah, I know it's not a great use of the world's finite resources and does carry an amount of carbon footprint baggage, but, man, it was really sunny.
It was a cunning plan with, as they say, one small flaw.
Although I could find the accompanying album 'A Farewell to Kings' as an LP, there was no sign of a CD. Even a thorough check of the compilation CD, 'Retrospective' revealed that it did not contain the required track.
Dang!
When I finally did go out in the car, as I drove along I began pondering about other tracks on the AFTK album. I ended up doing that thing where you know the tune and most of the verses, but have to sing it out loud all the way to the chorus before you can remember what the song is called.
"A modest man from Mandrake
Travelled rich to the city
He had a need to discover
A use for his newly-found wealth
Because he was human
Because he had goodness
Because he was moral
They called him insane
Delusions of grandeur
Visions of splendour
A manic depressive
He walks in the rain"
Some of my singing was even in tune!
"Eyes wide open
Heart undefended
Innocence untarnished
Cinderella Man... "
Yay! It's called Cinderella Man!
"Doing what you can
They can't understand what it means
Cinderella Man
Hang on to your plans
Try as they might
They cannot steal your dreams..."
Later that same day, I beat a path to an online music emporium and ordered said album. Whilst still on the web, I wondered how the Cinderella Man song came about. Intriguingly, perhaps bizarrely, it's here.
Today, the CD arrived. Tomorrow, the forecast is for wall-to-wall sunshine.
Oh, and Xanadu is based upon Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan.
2 comments:
Hi Mr Tense. Wow I bought AFTK in 1977. It was the first Rush album I bought new as a fan at the age of fifteen! Even back then judging by the cover design and lyrics I could tell that Rush were a class act. I put Rush on hold after 'Signals' but in recent years have been rediscovering their back catalogue and it is all quality music. Incredible band. That was interesting about C.M I never knew that. In my opinion I still think AFTK is the best album they ever made.
poemblog3.blogspot.com. Kind regards, Mark.
I think I'd have to agree with you, Mark, best album they ever made. Although 'Subdivisions' and 'The Weapon' on Signals make that quite a tough call.
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