Chords for Rush - Geddy Lee on Singing Neil's Lyrics
Tempo:
90.75 bpm
Chords used:
G
E
Ab
C
Bm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[G] [E] It's an interesting dynamic because it's a relationship we've had for over 30 years.
Obviously, me being the spokesperson for his lyrics is an intimate and difficult relationship,
just in the sense that you're right, I have to really believe in what I'm singing,
because if I don't, you can tell.
You can't fake something like that.
[Ab] So for me, I have to try to get into his headspace, I have to try to understand the lyrics
from a point of view that's meaningful to me, even if it's not always the same as the writer's intent.
[C]
More often than not, it is the same, and we do agree on the statement he wants to make through those lyrics.
But occasionally I'll have my own reading of what he's written, and it'll mean a lot to me,
and I'll sing it from that perspective.
Unfortunately for him, I change it quite a lot.
And it really [G] depends song to song.
For example, on the latest album, there's a song called The Garden, and a song called Wish Them Well.
Those two songs I hardly changed.
There are certain words, of course, that sometimes when you're singing them, sound awkward.
They look great on paper, but they sound awkward.
So sometimes you change it for a reason of pure finding a word that's more pleasing to the ear,
or a word that allows you to express your emotions vocally in a better sense.
Sometimes a word looks great but is stilted [Bm] when it's sung, or sounds muffled when it's sung.
And you don't know that until you're actually doing the vocal.
But other times, when Neil writes, he writes quite a lot.
And because it's all sort of an experimental stage, and Alex and I are writing music,
and I'm trying to find places where the lyric and the music can meet in a satisfying way.
So sometimes there'll be maybe a song with five stanzas on it.
And maybe out of those five stanzas, I'll find four lines from those different stanzas,
and I'll bring [G] them together to create a new stanza that really expresses what I think the song needs to express.
I'll play it for him, and if he likes that, then he'll take that back,
and he'll restructure according to that kind of, the way that new stanza is pointing.
So he's great to work with because he's completely without ego,
and he's very understanding of how [E] difficult it is to put [C] feeling into lyrics that may not feel right for me.
So he gives me a huge amount of latitude to play with his lyrics, and we kind of bounce back and forth.
And then the producer will come in with his two cents worth, too.
So it's a tough job being a lyricist, and he's probably the best one to work with in that regard
because of the fact he's quite happy just to have written it, whether it's used or not.
[Ab] [Bb] [E]
Obviously, me being the spokesperson for his lyrics is an intimate and difficult relationship,
just in the sense that you're right, I have to really believe in what I'm singing,
because if I don't, you can tell.
You can't fake something like that.
[Ab] So for me, I have to try to get into his headspace, I have to try to understand the lyrics
from a point of view that's meaningful to me, even if it's not always the same as the writer's intent.
[C]
More often than not, it is the same, and we do agree on the statement he wants to make through those lyrics.
But occasionally I'll have my own reading of what he's written, and it'll mean a lot to me,
and I'll sing it from that perspective.
Unfortunately for him, I change it quite a lot.
And it really [G] depends song to song.
For example, on the latest album, there's a song called The Garden, and a song called Wish Them Well.
Those two songs I hardly changed.
There are certain words, of course, that sometimes when you're singing them, sound awkward.
They look great on paper, but they sound awkward.
So sometimes you change it for a reason of pure finding a word that's more pleasing to the ear,
or a word that allows you to express your emotions vocally in a better sense.
Sometimes a word looks great but is stilted [Bm] when it's sung, or sounds muffled when it's sung.
And you don't know that until you're actually doing the vocal.
But other times, when Neil writes, he writes quite a lot.
And because it's all sort of an experimental stage, and Alex and I are writing music,
and I'm trying to find places where the lyric and the music can meet in a satisfying way.
So sometimes there'll be maybe a song with five stanzas on it.
And maybe out of those five stanzas, I'll find four lines from those different stanzas,
and I'll bring [G] them together to create a new stanza that really expresses what I think the song needs to express.
I'll play it for him, and if he likes that, then he'll take that back,
and he'll restructure according to that kind of, the way that new stanza is pointing.
So he's great to work with because he's completely without ego,
and he's very understanding of how [E] difficult it is to put [C] feeling into lyrics that may not feel right for me.
So he gives me a huge amount of latitude to play with his lyrics, and we kind of bounce back and forth.
And then the producer will come in with his two cents worth, too.
So it's a tough job being a lyricist, and he's probably the best one to work with in that regard
because of the fact he's quite happy just to have written it, whether it's used or not.
[Ab] [Bb] [E]
Key:
G
E
Ab
C
Bm
G
E
Ab
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ [E] _ It's an interesting dynamic because it's a relationship we've had for over 30 years.
Obviously, _ _ me being the spokesperson for his lyrics is an intimate and difficult relationship,
just in the sense that you're right, I have to really believe in what I'm singing,
because if I don't, you can tell.
_ You can't fake something like that. _ _
[Ab] So for me, I have to try to get into his headspace, I have to try to understand the lyrics
from a point of view that's meaningful to me, even if it's not always the same as the writer's intent.
[C] _
More often than not, it is the same, and we do agree on the statement he wants to make through those lyrics.
But occasionally I'll have my own reading of what he's written, and it'll mean a lot to me,
and I'll sing it from that perspective.
Unfortunately for him, I change it quite a lot.
_ _ And it really [G] depends song to song.
For example, on the latest album, there's a song called The Garden, _ _ and a song called Wish Them Well.
Those two songs I hardly changed.
There are certain words, of course, that _ sometimes when you're singing them, sound awkward.
They look great on paper, but they sound awkward.
So sometimes you change it for a reason of pure _ finding a word that's more pleasing to the ear,
or a word that allows you to express your emotions vocally in a better sense.
Sometimes a word looks great but is stilted [Bm] when it's sung, or sounds muffled when it's sung.
And you don't know that until you're actually doing the vocal.
But other times, when Neil writes, he writes quite a lot.
_ And because it's all sort of an experimental stage, and Alex and I are writing music,
and I'm trying to find _ places where the lyric and the music can meet in a satisfying way.
So sometimes there'll be maybe a song with five stanzas on it.
And maybe out of those five stanzas, I'll find four lines from those _ different stanzas,
and I'll bring [G] them together to create a new stanza that really expresses what I think the song needs to express.
I'll play it for him, and if he likes that, then he'll take that back,
and he'll restructure according to that kind of, _ the way that new stanza is pointing.
So he's great to work with because he's completely without ego,
_ _ and he's very understanding of how [E] difficult it is to put [C] feeling into lyrics that may not feel right for me.
So he gives me a huge amount of latitude to play with his lyrics, and we kind of bounce back and forth.
And then the producer will come in with his two cents worth, too.
So it's a tough job being a lyricist, and he's probably the best one to work with in that regard
because of the fact he's quite happy just to have written it, whether it's used or not.
[Ab] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [G] _ [E] _ It's an interesting dynamic because it's a relationship we've had for over 30 years.
Obviously, _ _ me being the spokesperson for his lyrics is an intimate and difficult relationship,
just in the sense that you're right, I have to really believe in what I'm singing,
because if I don't, you can tell.
_ You can't fake something like that. _ _
[Ab] So for me, I have to try to get into his headspace, I have to try to understand the lyrics
from a point of view that's meaningful to me, even if it's not always the same as the writer's intent.
[C] _
More often than not, it is the same, and we do agree on the statement he wants to make through those lyrics.
But occasionally I'll have my own reading of what he's written, and it'll mean a lot to me,
and I'll sing it from that perspective.
Unfortunately for him, I change it quite a lot.
_ _ And it really [G] depends song to song.
For example, on the latest album, there's a song called The Garden, _ _ and a song called Wish Them Well.
Those two songs I hardly changed.
There are certain words, of course, that _ sometimes when you're singing them, sound awkward.
They look great on paper, but they sound awkward.
So sometimes you change it for a reason of pure _ finding a word that's more pleasing to the ear,
or a word that allows you to express your emotions vocally in a better sense.
Sometimes a word looks great but is stilted [Bm] when it's sung, or sounds muffled when it's sung.
And you don't know that until you're actually doing the vocal.
But other times, when Neil writes, he writes quite a lot.
_ And because it's all sort of an experimental stage, and Alex and I are writing music,
and I'm trying to find _ places where the lyric and the music can meet in a satisfying way.
So sometimes there'll be maybe a song with five stanzas on it.
And maybe out of those five stanzas, I'll find four lines from those _ different stanzas,
and I'll bring [G] them together to create a new stanza that really expresses what I think the song needs to express.
I'll play it for him, and if he likes that, then he'll take that back,
and he'll restructure according to that kind of, _ the way that new stanza is pointing.
So he's great to work with because he's completely without ego,
_ _ and he's very understanding of how [E] difficult it is to put [C] feeling into lyrics that may not feel right for me.
So he gives me a huge amount of latitude to play with his lyrics, and we kind of bounce back and forth.
And then the producer will come in with his two cents worth, too.
So it's a tough job being a lyricist, and he's probably the best one to work with in that regard
because of the fact he's quite happy just to have written it, whether it's used or not.
[Ab] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _