In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I don't have an explanation
For another lonely night
I just feel this sense of mission
And the sense of what is right
Take it easy on me now
I'd be there if I could
I'm so full of what is right
I can't see what is good
It's a hopeless situation
Lie awake for half the night
You're not sure what's going on here
But you're sure it isn't right
Make it easy on yourself
There's nothing more you can do
You're so full of what is right
You can't see what is true
A quality of justice
A quantity of light
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right
Gravity and distance
Change the passage of light
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right
Take it easy on me now
I'd be there if I could
I'm so full of what is right
I can't see what is good
Make it easy on yourself
There's nothing more you can do
You're so full of what is right
You can't see what is true
A quality of justice
A quantity of light
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right
Gravity and distance
Change the passage of light
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right
For another lonely night
I just feel this sense of mission
And the sense of what is right
Take it easy on me now
I'd be there if I could
I'm so full of what is right
I can't see what is good
It's a hopeless situation
Lie awake for half the night
You're not sure what's going on here
But you're sure it isn't right
Make it easy on yourself
There's nothing more you can do
You're so full of what is right
You can't see what is true
A quality of justice
A quantity of light
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right
Gravity and distance
Change the passage of light
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right
Take it easy on me now
I'd be there if I could
I'm so full of what is right
I can't see what is good
Make it easy on yourself
There's nothing more you can do
You're so full of what is right
You can't see what is true
A quality of justice
A quantity of light
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right
Gravity and distance
Change the passage of light
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right
Lyrics submitted by NeoTwilight
The Color of Right Lyrics as written by Geddy Lee Alex Lifeson
Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
This song draws an analogy between two different redshift effects, where the color (and wavelength in general, once it gets outside the range of visible light) of light from far away changes due to the expansion of the universe and gravitational fields, and the understanding of what is right and good in a situation.
"Cosmological redshift is seen due to the expansion of the universe, and sufficiently distant light sources (generally more than a few million light years away) show redshift corresponding to the rate of increase of their distance from Earth. Finally, gravitational redshifts are a relativistic effect observed in electromagnetic radiation moving out of gravitational fields." -Wikipedia
Hence: "Gravity and distance change the passage of light."
The song describes the understanding of what is right as having to do with a balance of justice and mercy, informed by knowledge about the situation -- "a quantity of light."
But here too, "gravity and distance" -- in which gravity assumes its other definition, having to do with the seriousness and urgency of the situation -- change our understanding of a situation, and even its objective nature. "Gravity and distance change the passage of light," and since that light, that understanding, is a crucial part of determining what is right, "gravity and distance change the color of right," just as they change the color of light from distant galaxies.
This explains "You're so full of what is right you can't see what is true," and "I'm so full of what is right I can't see what is good." Dogmatic systems of morality, and the determination to adhere to them, often blind people to looking at the true nature of a situation to understand the truth about them. Unwilling to look outside their ethical rules and see if something different is required, they ignore or don't bother searching for the truth, or even basic common-sense goodness, so that they can force their understanding and their moral judgment into their understanding of what is right, rather than improving their understanding of what is right by considering the situation they face.