So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Sprawling on the fringes of the city
In geometric order
An insulated border
In-between the bright lights
And the far, unlit unknown
Growing up, it all seems so one-sided
Opinions all provided
The future pre-decided
Detached and subdivided
In the mass-production zone
Nowhere is the dreamer
Or the misfit so alone
Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth
Drawn like moths, we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night
Some will sell their dreams for small desires
Or lose the race to rats
Get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere
To relax their restless flight
Somewhere out of a memory
Of lighted streets on quiet nights
Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth
In geometric order
An insulated border
In-between the bright lights
And the far, unlit unknown
Growing up, it all seems so one-sided
Opinions all provided
The future pre-decided
Detached and subdivided
In the mass-production zone
Nowhere is the dreamer
Or the misfit so alone
Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth
Drawn like moths, we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night
Some will sell their dreams for small desires
Or lose the race to rats
Get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere
To relax their restless flight
Somewhere out of a memory
Of lighted streets on quiet nights
Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth
Lyrics submitted by MasterDuncan03, edited by loseros
Subdivisions Lyrics as written by Gary Lee Weinrib Alex Zivojinovich
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
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I think this song is speaking about how teens in secondary school often feel pressured to like and do the same things as everyone else, as if they don't they wont be branded 'cool'. This song relates to me because i'm not one of the 'cool kids', and i'm not invited to all the 'cool' parties etc. It's such a brilliant song!
@Puckers2811 I very much agreed, when Rush explains the lyric in "basement bars" the legal drinking age is 19 in the Ontario Providence so those who were under the drinking age were feeling they were uncool to those who were able to drink and they were not invited to the big parties and other social gatherings.
I am really interested to here how others interpret the lines of the last verse…
'Some will sell their dreams for small desires'
'Or lose the race to rats'
'Get caught in ticking traps'
'And start to dream of somewhere To relax their restless flight '
'Somewhere out of a memory, Of lighted streets on quiet nights' The memory of the quiet suburb comes back to the person that drifted into the city.
This doesn’t all make sense, but I'd like to here what others think.
I have a little more clarity on these last two verses… The entire last two verses are related to the attraction of city life, including both the excitement that youths feel when going out on the town, and the humdrum way that adults have going to their jobs. <br /> <br /> 'Lit up like a firefly' - lit up store fronts, signs etcetera of a city at nighttime. Just as moths are attracted to lights at night, so too are youths seeking excitement, referenced by 'Just to feel the living night'.<br /> <br /> 'Some will sell their dreams for small desires' - the desire for income, a new car, a new material item that can only be obtained with the money earned from a job. Committing to that job meant sacrificing a dream, or 'sell their dreams'.<br /> <br /> 'Or lose the race to rats' - lose precious spirit and time to enjoy life by travelling a depressing commute, to and from the job. <br /> <br /> 'Get caught in ticking traps' - I have to admit, seeing the Subdivisions video gave me more clarity on what was meant by this line…. ticking traps are basically time commitments, that cause you miss out on valuable experiences in life. You scramble to get to a train by a certain time everyday, or complete your work tasks on a strict schedule. You are bound to these commitments, causing you to miss out on other valuable experiences.<br /> <br /> 'And start to dream of somewhere To relax their restless flight ' - The tedium of the daily commute leaves you longing for your suburban, subdivided home, where you can just go and relax. <br /> <br /> 'Somewhere out of a memory Of lighted streets on quiet nights' - The longing get to your suburban home, is not just a current thought but also deeply engrained in your memory, from having been raised in the same type of subdivision for example. <br />
@GregJ8787 I feel like this one is very obvious: <br /> <br /> 'Some will sell their dreams for small desires' :<br /> Husbands or wives that sacrifice a happy marriage for a one night stand of the legal or 'solicited' variety. Or A person who gives up a promising future for a drug addiction, one high at a time.<br /> <br /> The part of the song after all is about people from the suburbs, a peaceful place going into the city and being overwhelmed by it
@GregJ8787 I think it means that while chasing your dreams in the city, you get caught up in a lot of bullshit and the pace is fast, and you begin to remember “the lighted streets on quiet nights” and long to be back in that environment again
@GregJ8787 I think it means that while chasing your dreams in the city, you get caught up in a lot of bullshit and the pace is fast, and you begin to remember “the lighted streets on quiet nights” and long to be back in that environment again
@GregJ8787 I think it means that while chasing your dreams in the city, you get caught up in a lot of bullshit and the pace is fast, and you begin to remember “the lighted streets on quiet nights” and long to be back in that environment again
only a band like rush could make a song like this. so deep and it just rocks.
It's interesting for me to read how the High School age interpret this song. Being a fan of Rush since the beginning, it's good to get a different perspective on Rush and their lyrics.
For me, MKG, it actually depresses me... Being in high school, not popular, nor getting good grades, I feel frustrated. The only thing I like to do, is music, (not gay pop) but jazz, and I do feel that I am being led to a pre determined destination, one that seems inevidable, one that they teach you how to lead. I do not wish to conform to the modern day criteria for being a kid, so that makes me a cast out. And many kids do give up their dreams for small desires, I also feel that because I am a Christian, it makes me a little more different than the crowd. (I love being a Christian, I am not dreading it at all). Also the people will do anything to be cool. This is what I feel, and this song relates to me very heavily.
Neil was into a lot of puns and phrases with multiple meanings around this time - like Moving Pictures and the album cover. Subdivisions is no different - you have the literal subdivisions of neighborhood streets and then you have the metaphorical subdivisions that people create... in the song the teenage / high school context is the most apparent but I think the message overall can be spread wider - obvious it starts with how we tend to separate into cliques and circles from a young age - and the greater idea that if you don't necessarily fit into some neat segment, then you are on your own. I think the part later about the "rat race" wrap up the song nicely... how adulthood brings about its own ideas of class, separation, and conformity.
This has always been my favorite Rush song and one of my favorites by anyone, anywhere.... few pieces of music speak to me like this one did, and continues to do. I have seen the band play it live a few times, and each time I found it to be a very personal and moving experience, as I found my formative years very difficult socially.
I have a little more clarity on the last two verses… The entire last two verses are related to the attraction of city life, including both the excitement that youths feel when going out on the town, and the humdrum way that adults have going to their jobs.
'Lit up like a firefly' - lit up store fronts, signs etcetera of a city at nighttime. Just as moths are attracted to lights at night, so too are youths seeking excitement, referenced by 'Just to feel the living night'.
'Some will sell their dreams for small desires' - the desire for income, a new car, a new material item that can only be obtained with the money earned from a job. Committing to that job meant sacrificing a dream, or 'sell their dreams'.
'Or lose the race to rats' - lose precious spirit and time to enjoy life by travelling a depressing commute, to and from the job.
'Get caught in ticking traps' - I have to admit, seeing the Subdivisions video gave me more clarity on what this line means…. ticking traps are basically time commitments, that cause you miss out on valuable experiences in life. You scramble to get to a train by a certain time everyday, or complete your work tasks on a strict schedule. You are bound to these commitments, causing you to miss out on other valuable experiences.
'And start to dream of somewhere To relax their restless flight ' - The tedium of the daily commute leaves you longing for your suburban, subdivided home, where you can just go and relax.
'Somewhere out of a memory Of lighted streets on quiet nights' - The longing to get to the suburban home, is not just a current thought but also deeply engrained in your memory, from having been raised in the same type of subdivision for example.
one of my favorite rush songs...talks about conformity
one of their best synth-based songs. Alex smokes on that solo, its one of his best.
its about outsiders in high school (which is what i was, probably expalins why i like the song so much).
This song might describe me right now better than any song out there!!!
Now this is a song I love to play on the drums. Great Drumming on this song...