More than anything, this song is a LOVE song - just not a chicks and hair and happily ever tune. In other words, it is a love song like no others. A love song about loss and longing, but instead of cheesy overdubbed strings, you get Rush's hard driving and pulsing opening riff, leading to Neil's description of the physical phenomenon of "earthshine". A beacon in the night ... a jewel out of reach. A beautiful description of the lover's passion inspired by the moon's light.
Then, as it seems only Neil can, he proceeds to personalize the phenomenon. In an out of body experience, he sees HIS faint reflection, one that others see but he himself doesn't feel. Others see him as competent and complete. He sees an emptiness and shallow approximation of the real him ... "a pale facsimile, like what others see".
Looking back at this phenomenon that looks different than what others know is really there ... he sees his missing lover, stretching out her hand and telling her story to him again through the reflected light "full of starlit diamonds". The momentary happiness as he bathes in that light produces a "borrowed face", one of contentment - but he knows it is only borrowed and only given to him third hand. Not directly from his own (first) hand or directly from her (second) hand, but from the lingering effect (third hand) left behind by this now absent person who gave him so much happiness.
But in the end, she's "still out of reach, Form a dream to rise to Earthshine". Gone but not forgotten. Fitting that today is November 11th - Remembrance Day in Canada.
My wife has never been a fan of heavy metal or progressive music, so she obviously was never a Rush fan. However, I sat her down to listen to this song and really comprehend the lyrics. After listening to it, I told her THAT was how I felt about her and how I would feel if she was absent from my life. I've since dragged her to two Rush shows since, so I can safely say she is now a convert.
More than anything, this song is a LOVE song - just not a chicks and hair and happily ever tune. In other words, it is a love song like no others. A love song about loss and longing, but instead of cheesy overdubbed strings, you get Rush's hard driving and pulsing opening riff, leading to Neil's description of the physical phenomenon of "earthshine". A beacon in the night ... a jewel out of reach. A beautiful description of the lover's passion inspired by the moon's light.
Then, as it seems only Neil can, he proceeds to personalize the phenomenon. In an out of body experience, he sees HIS faint reflection, one that others see but he himself doesn't feel. Others see him as competent and complete. He sees an emptiness and shallow approximation of the real him ... "a pale facsimile, like what others see".
Looking back at this phenomenon that looks different than what others know is really there ... he sees his missing lover, stretching out her hand and telling her story to him again through the reflected light "full of starlit diamonds". The momentary happiness as he bathes in that light produces a "borrowed face", one of contentment - but he knows it is only borrowed and only given to him third hand. Not directly from his own (first) hand or directly from her (second) hand, but from the lingering effect (third hand) left behind by this now absent person who gave him so much happiness.
But in the end, she's "still out of reach, Form a dream to rise to Earthshine". Gone but not forgotten. Fitting that today is November 11th - Remembrance Day in Canada.
My wife has never been a fan of heavy metal or progressive music, so she obviously was never a Rush fan. However, I sat her down to listen to this song and really comprehend the lyrics. After listening to it, I told her THAT was how I felt about her and how I would feel if she was absent from my life. I've since dragged her to two Rush shows since, so I can safely say she is now a convert.