Carve Away the Stone

Rush

You can roll that stone
To the top of the hill
Drag your ball and chain
Behind you

You can carry that weight
With an iron will
Or let the pain remain
Behind you

Chip away the stone (Sisyphus)
Chip away the stone
Make the burden lighter
If you must roll that rock alone

Chip away the stone (Sisyphus)
Chip away the stone
Make the burden lighter
If you must roll that rock alone

You can drive those wheels
To the end of the road
You will still find the past right
Behind you

Try to deny
The weight of the load
Try to put the sins of the past night
Behind you

Carve away the stone (Sisyhpus)
Carve away the stone
Make a graven image
With some features of your own

Carve away the stone (Sisyhpus)
Carve away the stone
Make a graven image
With some features of your own

You can roll that stone
To the top of the hill
You can carry that weight
With an iron will

You can drive those wheels
To the end of the road
You can try to deny
The weight of the load

Roll away the stone (Sisyhpus)
Roll away the stone
If you could just move yours
I could get working on my own

Roll away the stone (roll away the stone) (Sisyhpus)
Roll away the stone (roll away the stone)
If you could just move yours
I could get working on my own

(Roll away the stone)
I could get working on my own
(Roll away the stone)
Roll away the stone (ooh-ooh)


Lyrics submitted by TheEndIsNear

Carve Away the Stone Lyrics as written by Geddy Lee Alex Lifeson

Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP

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Carve Away the Stone song meanings
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4 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment
    To me this song is about peoples sin and consciouses leaving a heavy burden on them, like Sisyphus, the king of Corinth, who, according to Greek legend, was condemned to forever roll a huge stone uphill that always rolled down again.
    DireSliceon September 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    "The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than fu tile and hopeless labor." taken from site i dont bother siting...sue me...
    *Modest_ Mouse*on November 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Just my offhand impressions... It comes across as something of an admonition not to sentence oneself to the fate of Sisyphus, to perpetually roll the ball of chain of past sins and pains against nature (gravity), as the forced position is unstable and the past will not stay where it is so forcably put. Your past will always remain behind you, whether you spend all your energies rolling it around or not. Be true to yourself, do what you feel and know is right, and thus put your own face on all of your actions and your past, and it won't seem so heavy any more, because it fits, it's right, it's you. "If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are!"
    Thogekon April 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I always thought this song was about hard work, perseverance, and a little lateral thinking. After all, Sisyphus was sentenced to bring the stone to the top of the hill, but nobody said it had to be in one piece when it got there. If you're willing to put some effort and creativity into your endeavors, there is always a way. Of course, the last chorus kind of makes the singer sound a little hypocritical, not being able to follow his own advice until someone else tries it for him. Maybe that part's about how a good example can inspire others to follow?
    rampagingpoeton April 09, 2011   Link

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