Songs with the Same Title – Rush Edition

I apologize for not being consistent with my Songs with the Same Title series, but we are finally back and this time, I’ll be covering Canadian rock band Rush because I’ve been obsessed with them ever since I read Geddy Lee’s My Effin’ Life (2023) book. Last time, I covered American thrash metal band Overkill, so if you haven’t already, you can find that blog post right here!

How this works is, there are six rounds total. In each round, I’ll compare two songs with the same title, one by Rush and one by a different artist, and then, I’ll pick my favorite of the two. After the final round, I’ll tally up the score and pick the winner of the overall battle, Rush or the other artists. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

“In the End” (1975) by Rush

“In the End” (2001) by Linkin Park

Rush’s “In the End” starts off good with the acoustic bits and Lee showing off his lower vocal range, but then at the 1:42 mark, Alex Lifeson comes in with a piercing guitar riff and the song drags on repeatedly. The lyrics aren’t, um, what’s the word, groundbreaking. In simplest terms, they’re not Neil Peart’s lyrics. Unsurprisingly, “In the End” was written before Peart joined the band. I wish it stayed as an acoustic track because the acoustic guitar parts are gorgeous and I like when Lee gives his high vocals a rest, once in a while. Linkin Park’s “In the End” is very depressing, yet very relatable; it’s about one’s lack of hope, and the short and unpredictable nature of life. I hate rap music, but I make exceptions for certain songs; Linkin Park’s “In the End” being one of them. With vocalist Chester Bennington’s suicide in 2017, the ghost of him lingers throughout the entire song, giving it a deeper meaning. Linkin Park takes the win for round one.

“Xanadu” (1977) by Rush

Xanadu” (1980) by Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra

My gosh, rest in peace, Olivia Newton-John. She sounds fantastic on “Xanadu,” especially with her God-given falsetto. Newton-John’s “Xanadu” is pure ‘80s with all the keyboards, synthesizers, and let’s not forget, the roller skating. It’s very repetitive, unfortunately; the word, “xanadu,” is in the song a million times. Rush’s “Xanadu” is epic and complex, the vocals don’t come in until the 5:00 mark, Peart uses a bazillion different percussion instruments throughout the entire thing, Lee sings about “dining on honeydew” and “drinking the milk of paradise;” and Peart’s drum fills after the line, “decreed by Kubla Khan,” are so much fun to play along to. Enough said, Rush wins round two.

“Time Stands Still” (1987) by Rush

“Time Stands Still” (2003) by The All-American Rejects

The All-American Rejects take me back to a much simpler time in my life when She’s the Man (2006) was my favorite movie, American Idol was at its commercial peak, and everyone wanted to be emo. Their song, “Time Stands Still,” has everything necessary for an emo song: captivating lead vocals, a good beat, lyrics about a romance that wasn’t meant to last, and a rebellious nature. Sonically, it’s a decent song, but the lyrics don’t grab me the way that Rush’s “Time Stands Still” does. Peart had a gift for writing lyrics that resonate with everyone; they called him “the professor” for a good reason. The topic of being present in the moment and not dwelling on past losses is one that will never go away because in actuality, time doesn’t stand still. Life keeps moving forward, whether we like it or not. Therefore, Rush wins round three. 

“Chain Lightning” (1975) by Steely Dan

“Chain Lightning” (1989) by Rush

Steely Dan’s “Chain Lightning” is an old school blues number with lots of jazz flavors. It reminds me of ‘60s Rolling Stones, which is not a bad thing at all, the guitar playing is incredible, and it’s got a solid groove. However, it’s a tad too short and there aren’t many lyrics in the song. Rush’s “Chain Lightning,” however, is just the right length and the instrumentation is excellent. Everything from the synths, to Lee’s juicy bass line, to Peart’s perfect timing, to Lifeson’s screeching and jaw dropping guitar solo. The lyrics also hit listeners like a ton of bricks, especially the lines, “Bitterness breeds irritation / Ignorance breeds imitation.” Rush wins round four without a doubt.

“You Bet Your Life” (1991) by Rush

“You Bet Your Life” (1996) by The Lightning Seeds

Sadly, “You Bet Your Life” is my least favorite song from Rush’s Roll the Bones (1991). It’s not terrible, but it’s not their best, the instrumentation doesn’t grab me like other Rush songs do, and I can’t connect with the lyrics. The Lightning Seeds’ “You Bet Your Life” has a Beach Boys feel, which I love because I’m a fan of theirs. The melody is calm and soothing, like running happily in the meadows, sort of thing. Normally, I hate songs like that, but it works well for The Lightning Seeds’ “You Bet Your Life.” Honestly, all I needed to hear were the lyrics, “Get a life, get a job, did you know you were / The kind of slob who’s in bed asleep all day,” to figure out that was the song for me. The Lightning Seeds win round five.

“The Speed of Love” (1983) by Earth, Wind & Fire

“The Speed of Love” (1993) by Rush

Rush’s “The Speed of Love” has a great melody and I love Lee’s vocals on it; he shows off his lower range. However, Earth, Wind & Fire’s “The Speed of Love” is so freaking good! It grooves hard, the chorus is catchy, I love the female backing vocals, and sonically, it sounds amazing. All the instruments, especially the saxophones, blend so well together. The album with the song, Powerlight, came out in 1983 and you can tell by all of the synthesizers; it makes me want to go to a disco event so badly. Earth, Wind & Fire win round six, the final round.

Rush won three of the six rounds, therefore, it’s a tie. There’s no winner for this battle, unfortunately. However, I discovered that Earth, Wind & Fire actually have more decent bangers than “September” and “Boogie Wonderland.” I also liked that I had an excuse to listen to Olivia Newton-John again because I hadn’t done so in a while; I still need to see another film of hers besides Grease (1978). Despite the results, Rush is a winner in my eyes because I already knew they were an awesome rock band before I started this post. I won’t be able to see them live, but thankfully, I have my 15 Rush albums to play whenever I want!

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Lana