Under the gaze of the angels
A spectacle like he's never seen
Spinning lights and faces
Demon music and gypsy queens
The glint of iron wheels
Bodies spin in a clockwork dance
The smell of flint and steel
A wheel of fate, a game of chance
How I prayed just to get away
To carry me anywhere
Sometimes the angels punish us
By answering our prayers
A face of naked evil
Turns the young boy's blood to ice
Deadly confrontation
Such a dangerous device
Shout to warn the crowd
Accusations ringing loud
A ticking box in the hand of the innocent
The angry crowd moves toward him with bad intent
A spectacle like he's never seen
Spinning lights and faces
Demon music and gypsy queens
Bodies spin in a clockwork dance
The smell of flint and steel
A wheel of fate, a game of chance
To carry me anywhere
Sometimes the angels punish us
By answering our prayers
Turns the young boy's blood to ice
Deadly confrontation
Such a dangerous device
Accusations ringing loud
A ticking box in the hand of the innocent
The angry crowd moves toward him with bad intent
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This song is quite simple in its' significance: The everlasting "good vs evil" theme. Here we have an innocent boy which represents the good, and the evil which is represented by the gypsy queen, demon music and face of naked evil. It is all enough to turn the boy's blood into ice - his biggest fear(s). Sometimes the angels punish us by answering our prayers means that sometimes, be careful what you wish for. When you ask for something, or desire something so bad, and you are are granted that desire, it may not always turn out to be what you expected.
This happens with today's youth all the time, as they are the most susceptible in this "wheel of fate, game of chance" that is life. In the end, all we want to do when faced with these situations, is "pray to get away" and then we learn the difference between right and wrong, good and evil - and ultimately, what we should stay away from. Carnivals, demon music, gypsy queens represents the evilness in this world. Obviously the angel, prayer and demon theme that is prevailing in this album and also the last album, can be attributing to their changing belief, one that now holds faith in the forefront.
Also, I may be wrong, but I believe the first line, Geddy sings: "Under the gaze of the eight elms, a spectacle like he's never seen."
Another Rush song to quickly become a favorite. Bravo, for another amazing album.
The song is missing these lyrics at the end:
How I prayed just to get away To carry me anywhere Sometimes the angels punish us By answering our prayers By answering our prayers
The glint of iron wheels Bodies spin in a clockwork dance The smell of flint and steel A wheel of fate, a game of chance
It's part of the story arc of the album, including a bombing attempt by The Anarchist (according to the liner notes), which is what the second verse is getting at. But: That aside, my first thought upon hearing this song for the first time and then still several times after -- the chorus, anyhow -- is that it makes a pretty poignant "sequel" to The Analog Kid, who dreamt of getting away, anywhere.