It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash

It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than just blind ambition
More than just simple greed
More than just a finish line
Must feed this burning need
In the long run

From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light
That gets in your eyes
One moment's high
And glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades
In the summer sky

Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride
More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run

You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last


Lyrics submitted by shed27, edited by acirvin

Marathon Lyrics as written by Neil Elwood Peart Geddy Lee Weinrib

Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment

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Marathon song meanings
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    General Comment

    This song analyzes our potential as human beings to desire, create and achieve goals in our "lifetime". The metaphors may be used to reflect our potential as individuals. Neil Peart once explained that this song was inspired by the Chinese proverb "A journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step", that can be associated with "You can do a lot in your lifetime, if you don´t burn out too fast", Peart here is evoking our capacity to understand our pace in Life, be patient and strive for great deeds and to maximize our existence, not with "ambition or greed", but with the joy of achieving our inner dreams. It´s probably the only way to respect our human nature. The main differential with other species is that we have imagination and emotions, why not use this capacities as a trigger for the realization of our mission?

    davialexanderon February 06, 2012   Link

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