| Rush – Clockwork Angels Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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Wow, quite a reaction, and based on a completely wrong interpretation (IMHO) of the entire album. The conclusion that it's anti-God is wrong. However, we have to go into some history of philosophy. Clockwork Angels is, almost step-for-step, from Voltaire's _Candide_. FYI, Candide is usually considered one of the top 100 books of Western literature. I'm sure you've heard of him. Candide is a reaction to the dominant philosophy of the time (late 1700s) whose chief proponent was Leibniz (check the spelling). This is the same Leibniz who invented calculus at the same time as Newton. Leibniz believed in a philosophy called Optimism. It states that this is the best of all possible worlds, given the limitations God placed in the Universe. (For the mathematically inclined, this is the mathematically optimal world, as a dynamic programming solution is optimal for its parameters) The Church agreed with this philosophy. Voltaire did not agree. He thought this world was the result of free will run wild. Each of the first 9 songs parallel a chapter or incident in _Candide_, sometimes surprisingly closely. Much of Voltaire's pessimism is driven by the aftermath of the Lisbon earthquake & tsunami of 1755, which destroyed the town. He slams all corrupt institutions in Europe, including a repeated, strong condemnation of the treatment of women. Royalty, the Inquisition, greed, slavery, and much more are condemned. The Church banned the book, not surprising given his strong and repeated attacks on the Church (but not Christianity). He also just avoided the Inquisition. The lyrics that disturbed you diverted you from the complete reversal that followed. Peart specifically *rejects* Voltaire's philosophy and the issues to which you object. First, note that the direct and indirect mentions of the Watchmaker (vaguely analogous to a divine being) imply he is benign. This is a complete *rejection* of Voltaire and a strong leaning towards Leibniz. This part really surprised me. The 11th song on the album, Wish Them Well, can't be more Christian. In _Candide_, the protagonist, named Candide, tries to get revenge on those who have wronged him. The lyric "Turn your back and walk away" can't be clearer. The song makes repeated references rejecting revenge and instead walking away from those that treated, or treat, you badly. This is the complete opposite of what Voltaire is advocating in the book. The 12th song, "The Garden", is simple...but conceptually dense. The Garden is the theme of the last chapter (chapter 30 if you want to grab it off the net). At the end of Candide's uniformly negative adventures, he retires to a farm and turns his back on the world to concentrate on growing vegetables. He is rejecting the world. The allegory to the Garden of Eden is obvious, but reversed. Adam and Eve were kicked out, but Candide finds refuge in a garden. Also notice that the benign Watchmaker reappears. The lyrics say: The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect So hard to earn, so easily burned In the fullness of time A garden to nurture and protect (from http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=26445) The other half of "The Garden" invokes both the arrow of time and slices of time in present, moving into the future. This strongly reminds me of some lines from Tennyson's _Ulysses_, beginning at approximately line 19, if I remember correctly: Yet all experience is an arch wherethro' Gleams that untravell'd world, whose margin fades For ever and for ever when I move. (text from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_poem) Just like Candide, and the protagonist in _Clockwork Angels_, at this point Odysseus has returned from the Trojan Wars, a 10 year journey. Many challenges beset him and killed all of his crew. He's thinking about his present life, and trying to get his remaining men (from his kingdom) to join him in one last quest. That quest was obviously going to fail. But Peart changes the end of Tennyson's _Ulysses_ and Voltaire's _Candide_ by saying: The future disappears into memory With only a moment between Forever dwells in that moment Hope is what remains to be seen (same URL as above) There are two more themes in The Garden, a density I rarely find in Rush's lyrics, especially given the short length of the song. (This doesn't mean they are not there, it just means I didn't find them yet). This is approaching the thematic density of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower", 12 lines that one could write a 20+ page essay on. Lastly, two more points about _Clockwork Angels_. (1) It's a work of art, not a statement of religious belief. I've always found it odd that people assume what the author of art/fiction/poetry is a statement of the author's own personal beliefs. I don't see any basis anywhere in _Clockwork Angels_ for making that assumption. (2) Lastly, did you notice that each song is context-independent? Each song can be appreciated by itself without reference to any other song on the album. I can think of a lot of "rock operas", but none that have that amazing feature. As I think I mentioned in a comment somewhere else, maybe Amazon, I think this album is nearly perfect. There are a couple things musically that are jarring (to me), which keep it from being rated (for me) "perfect". |
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