Editing Neil Peart (section)

==Lyricism==
Peart was the main lyricist for Rush. Literature heavily influenced his writings.<ref name=Interview2>Neil Peart Interview {{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/9123/gpint.html|title=Rush: Off The Record with Mary Turner|access-date=February 21, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222214246/http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/9123/gpint.html|archive-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref> In his early days with Rush, much of his lyrical output was influenced by fantasy, science fiction, mythology, and philosophy.<ref name=Interview>{{cite web|url=http://www.2112.net/xanadu/interviews/neil.htm|title=Interview with Neil Peart|work=Metal Hammer|date=April 25, 1988|access-date=February 21, 2008|archive-date=December 3, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203052905/http://www.2112.net/xanadu/interviews/neil.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 1980 album ''[[Permanent Waves]]'' saw Peart cease to use fantasy and [[Mythology|mythological]] themes. 1981's ''[[Moving Pictures (Rush album)|Moving Pictures]]'' showed that Peart was still interested in heroic, mythological figures, but now placed firmly in a modern, realistic context. The song "[[Limelight (Rush song)|Limelight]]" from the same album is an autobiographical account of Peart's reservations regarding his own popularity and the pressures associated with fame. From ''Permanent Waves'' onward, most of Peart's lyrics revolved around social, emotional, and humanitarian issues, usually from an objective standpoint and employing the use of metaphors and symbolic representation.<ref name=Interview />

Released in 1984, ''[[Grace Under Pressure (Rush album)|Grace Under Pressure]]'' strung together such despondent topics as [[the Holocaust]] ("Red Sector A") and the death of close friends ("Afterimage").<ref>Power Windows "Grace Under Pressure"[http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/GUPlyrics.htm Power Windows Website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216075040/http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/GUPlyrics.htm|date=February 16, 2008}}. Retrieved February 16, 2008</ref> With 1987's ''[[Hold Your Fire]]'', 1989's ''[[Presto (album)|Presto]]'', 1991's ''[[Roll the Bones]]'', and 1993's ''[[Counterparts (Rush album)|Counterparts]]'', Peart continued to explore diverse lyrical motifs, even addressing the topics of love and relationships<ref>Matt Scannell on Neil Peart [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220632/http://www.drumheadftp.com/web/feature.php?id=7 Drumhead]. Retrieved February 19, 2008</ref> ("Open Secrets", "Ghost of a Chance", "Speed of Love", "Cold Fire", "Alien Shore"), subjects which he purposefully avoided in the past out of fear of using clichés.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19931100network.htm|title=The Godfathers of Cyber-Tech Go Organic|last=Stern|first=Perry|work=Network|date=November 1993|access-date=December 17, 2011|archive-date=April 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425073104/http://2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19931100network.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> 2002's ''[[Vapor Trails]]'' was heavily devoted to Peart's personal issues, along with other humanitarian topics such as the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 terrorist attacks]] ("Peaceable Kingdom"). The album ''[[Snakes & Arrows]]'' dealt primarily and vociferously with Peart's opinions regarding faith and religion.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57282/rush-wrestling-with-faith-on-new-album|magazine=Billboard|title=Rush wrestling with faith on new album|date=September 11, 2006|access-date=March 10, 2007|first=Jonathan|last=Cohen|archive-date=September 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915073544/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57282/rush-wrestling-with-faith-on-new-album|url-status=live}}</ref>

The song suite "[[2112 (song)|2112]]" focuses on the struggle of an individual against the [[Collectivism and individualism|collectivist]] forces of a [[Totalitarianism|totalitarian]] state. This became the band's breakthrough release, but also brought unexpected criticism, mainly because of the credit of inspiration Peart gave to [[Ayn Rand]] in the liner notes. "There was a remarkable backlash, especially from the English press, this being the late seventies, when collectivism was still in style, especially among journalists", Peart said. "They were calling us 'Junior fascists' and 'Hitler lovers'. It was a total shock to me".<ref>Rand, Rush, and Rock [http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sciabarra/essays/rush.htm Neil Peart Quotes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112123930/http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sciabarra/essays/rush.htm |date=January 12, 2008 }}. Retrieved February 16, 2008</ref>

In a 1993 interview for a fan newsletter, Peart stated: "For a start, the extent of my influence by the writings of [[Ayn Rand]] should not be overstated. I am no one's disciple."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/peartbsccp.htm|title=Neil Peart Interview|website=Power Windows|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603075341/http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/peartbsccp.htm|archive-date=June 3, 2004|access-date=January 11, 2020}}</ref> The lyrics of "Faithless" exhibit a life stance which has been closely identified with [[secular humanism]]. Peart explicitly discussed his religious views in ''The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa'', in which he wrote: "I'm a [[Vertical thinking|linear thinking]] agnostic, but not an [[atheist]], folks."<ref name="Peart">{{cite book|title=The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa|last=Peart|first=Neil|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|isbn=1-55022-667-3|year=2004}}</ref>

In 2007, Peart was ranked No. 2 (after [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]) on the now defunct magazine ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'''s list of "worst lyricists in rock".<ref>{{cite news|title=Sting tops list of worst lyricists|publisher=Reuters|date=October 9, 2007|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lyricists/sting-tops-list-of-worst-lyricists-idUSN0845096420071009|access-date=October 9, 2007|archive-date=September 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926210555/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lyricists/sting-tops-list-of-worst-lyricists-idUSN0845096420071009|url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, Allmusic called him "one of rock's most accomplished lyricists".<ref>{{cite web|last=Prato|first=Greg|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hemispheres-r17127|title=Hemispheres – Rush|website=AllMusic|date=October 28, 1978|access-date=September 3, 2011|archive-date=February 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222095317/http://www.allmusic.com/album/hemispheres-r17127|url-status=live}}</ref>