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Limelight (Rush song)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = Limelight

| cover = Limelight Single.jpg

| alt = The record's face is a series of skyscrapers

| type = single

| artist = Rush

| album = Moving Pictures

| B-side = YYZ

| released =

| recorded = OctoberNovember 1980

| studio = Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec

| genre =

| length =

| label = Mercury

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = Tom Sawyer

| prev_year = 1981

| next_title = Vital Signs

| next_year = 1981

| misc =

}}

"'Limelight'" is a song by the Canadian progressive rock band Rush. It first appeared on the 1981 album 'Moving Pictures'. The song's lyrics were written by Neil Peart with music written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. "Limelight" expresses Peart's discomfort with Rush's success and the resulting attention from the public. The song paraphrases the opening lines of the "All the world's a stage" speech from William Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It'; the band had previously used the phrase for its 1976 live album. The lyrics also refer to "the camera eye", the title of the song that follows on the 'Moving Pictures' album.

Released as a single, it charted at on the U.S. 'Billboard' Top Tracks chart and on the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100, and remains one of Rush's most popular songs commercially. "Limelight" was one of five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010. It was listed at No. 435 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2021.

Background



In "Limelight", lyricist Neil Peart comments on the band's commercial success and the fame and its demands that come with rock star status. According to guitarist Alex Lifeson, the song "is about being under the microscopic scrutiny and the need for privacytrying to separate the two and not always being successful at it". Bassist Geddy Lee describes the motivation for "Limelight" in a 1988 interview:

In a 2007 interview, Alex Lifeson gives his take on "Limelight":

Recording and live performance



Lifeson's guitar solo was performed on what he called a "Hentor Sportscaster", a modified Fender Stratocaster equipped with a Floyd Rose vibrato arm. Critics frequently point out Lifeson's use of vibrato in the solo, with Max Mobley writing that it "is dripping with Floyd Rose whammy". "Limelight" has been described as Lifeson's "signature song", and critics cite the influence of Allan Holdsworth. Lifeson himself calls it his favourite solo.

The song was a staple of Rush's live performances, having been played on every tour since its release except the 'Grace Under Pressure' Tour (1984), the 'Presto' Tour (1990), and the R40 Live Tour (2015).

Personnel



Rush

*Geddy Lee - bass, vocals, synthesizers

*Alex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitars

*Neil Peart - drums, percussion

Additional Personnel

*Terry Brown: uncredited backing vocals

Production



*Rush

*Terry Brown

Appearances in popular culture



*The song was featured in the films 'Sonny', 'Used Cars', 'That's My Boy', 'I Love You, Man', and 'Fanboys'. The latter two films also feature the song "Tom Sawyer".

*Both a cover and the original version of the song are available as downloadable tracks for the music video game series 'Rock Band', the latter being bundled with the rest of the 'Moving Pictures' album. It is also playable in 'Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock' and 'Guitar Hero Live'.

*Upon the band's entrance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a slightly edited version of the song was used in the intro for CBC's 'Hockey Night in Canada' on April 20, 2013.

*In an episode of the USA Network sitcom 'Playing House' ("Drumline", Season 1, Episode 5), "Limelight" plays over the last scene.

Chart performance



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



See also



*List of Rush songs

References



Category:1981 singles

Category:Rush (band) songs

Category:Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers

Category:Songs written by Alex Lifeson

Category:Songs written by Geddy Lee

Category:Songs written by Neil Peart

Category:Song recordings produced by Terry Brown (record producer)

Category:1980 songs

Category:Mercury Records singles

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