Fly By Night

Fly By Night

Released: February 15, 1975
Certified Gold by RIAA: December 1, 1993
Certified Platinum by RIAA: December 1, 1993
Highest Billboard Chart Position: 113

Alex Lifeson - Electric guitars, six and twelve string acoustic guitars "Snow Dog"
Neil Peart - Percussion
Geddy Lee - Bass guitars, classical guitars, all vocals By-Tor

Engineered by: Terry Brown
Assistant Engineer: John Woloschuk
Arrangements: RUSH and Terry Brown
Recorded and Mixed at: Toronto Sound Studios, Toronto, Canada
Road Master: Howard "Herns" Ungerleider
Road Crew: Ian Grandy, Liam Birt, J.D. Johnson
Mastered at: Masterdisk, New York
(Remastered at: Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine)
Mastering: Gilbert Kong
(Remastering: Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee)
Cover Concept: RUSH
Cover Painting: Eraldo Carugati
Art Direction: Jim Ladwig/AGI Chicago
Design: Joe Kotleba
Photography: Richard Fegley
By-Tor Characters inspired by: Herns
Belated Mention: Mr. O. Scar
Continuing Thanks to: Cliff Burnstein, Donna Halper, Don Shafer, and to all who have helped

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© 1975 Mercury Records © 1975 Anthem Entertainment

Anthem

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart

Know your place in life
Is where you want to be
Don't let them tell you that
You owe it all to me
Keep on looking forward
There's no use in looking round
Carry your head above the crowd
And they won't bring you down

Anthem of the heart and mind
A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind
We marvel after those who sought
New wonders in the world they wrought

Live for yourself, there's no one
More worth living for
Begging hands and bleeding hearts
Will only cry out for more

Though I know they've always
Told you selfishness is wrong
Yet it was for me not you
I came to write this song

Best I Can

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee

Got a living that's rough
A future that's tough
You know what I mean
Blankers and boasters
All the bluffers and posers
I'm not into that scene

You can tell me that I got no class
Look around you see who's laughing last
Don't give me speeches cause they're
Oh so droll
Leave me alone and let me rock and roll
I do the best that I can
I'm just what I am
I do the best that I can
I know just what I am

Got an itching to rock
A hate for small talk
I'm funny that way
Got my sights on the stars
Won't get that far
But I'll try anyway

I just like to please
Don't like to tease
I'm easy like that
Don't like long rests
I must confess
I'm an impatient cat

Rock and rollin's a scream
Making millions my dream
I do that a lot
But I'll just give it a try
Won't let good times pass me by
They're all I've got

Beneath, Between And Behind

Lyrics by Neil Peart, Music by Alex Lifeson

Ten score years ago
Defeat the kingly foe
A wondrous dream came into being
Tame the trackless waste
No virgin land left chaste
All shining eyes but never seeing

Beneath the noble birth
Between the proudest words
Behind the beauty, cracks appear
Once with heads held high
They sang out to the sky
Why do their shadows bow in fear

Watch the cities rise
Another ship arrives
Earth's melting pot and ever growing
Fantastic dreams come true
Inventing something new
The greatest minds, but never knowing

The guns replace the plow
Facades are tarnished now
The principles have been betrayed
The dreams gone stale
But still let hope prevail
Hope that history's debt won't be repaid

By-Tor And The Snow Dog

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart

I. At The Tobes Of Hades

The Tobes of Hades lit by flickering torchlight
The netherworld is gathered in the glare
Prince By-Tor takes the cavern to the northlight
The sign of Eth is rising in the air
By-Tor - Knight of Darkness
Centurion of evil - devil's prince

II. Across The Styx

Across the River Styx out of the lamplight
His nemesis is waiting at the gate
The Snow Dog - ermine glowing in the damp night
Coal black eyes shimmering with hate
By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Square for battle, let the fray begin...

III. The Battle

i) Challenge and Defiance
ii) 7/4 War Furor
iii) Aftermath
iv) Hymn of Triumph

IV. Epilogue

The battle over and the dust is clearing
Disciples of the Snow Dog sound the knell
Rejoicing echoes as the dawn is nearing
By-Tor in defeat retreats to Hell
Snow Dog is victorious
The land of Overworld is saved again

Fly By Night

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee and Neil Peart

Prologue

airport scurry, flurry faces
parade of passers-by
people going many places
with a smile or just a sigh

waiting, waiting pass the time
another cigarette
get in line - gate thirty-nine
the time is not here yet...

Why try, I know why
The feeling inside me says it's time I was gone
Clear head, new life ahead
I want to be king now not just one more pawn

Fly by night away from here
Change my life again
Fly by night goodbye my dear
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend

Moon rise, thoughtful eyes
Staring back at me from the window beside
No fright, or hindsight
Leaving behind that empty feeling inside

Start a new chapter
I find what I'm after
Is changing every day
The change of a season
Is enough of a reason
To want to get away

Quiet and pensive
My thoughts apprehensive
The hours drift away
Leaving my homeland
Playing a lonehand
My life begins today

Making Memories

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart

There's a time for feeling as good as we can
The time is now, and there's no stopping us
There's a time for living as high as we can
Behind us you will only see our dust

So we'll just keep smiling, move onward every day
Try to keep our thoughts away from home
We're travelling all around, no time to settle down
Satisfy our wanderlust to roam

You know we're having good days
And we hope they're going to last
Our future still looks brighter
Than our past
We feel no need to worry
No reason to be sad
Our memories remind us
Maybe road life's not so bad

From sea to shining sea and a hundred points between
Still we go on digging every show
The cities in the land all extend a welcome hand
Till morning when it's time for us to go

Rivendell

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee and Neil Peart

Sunlight dances through the leaves
Soft winds stir the sighing trees
Lying in the warm grass
Feel the sun upon your face
Elven songs and endless nights
Sweet wine and soft relaxing lights
Time will never touch you
Here in this enchanted place

I've travelled now for many miles
It feels so good to see the smiles
Of friends who never left your mind
When you were far away
From the golden light of coming dawn
Till twilight when the sun is gone
We treasure every season
And every passing day

You feel there's something calling you
You're wanting to return
To where the misty mountains rise
And friendly fires burn
A place you can escape the world
Where the dark lord cannot go
Peace of mind and sanctuary
By loudwater's flow

We feel the coming of a new day
Darkness gives way to light a new way
Stop here for a while until
The world calls you away
Yet you know I've had the feeling
Standing with my senses reeling
This is the place to grow old
Till I reach my final day

In The End

Lyrics and Music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson

I can see what you mean
It just takes me longer
I can feel what you feel
It just makes you stronger

You can take me for a little while
You can take me you can make me smile
In the end

I know, I know, I know
The feeling grows
I see, I see, I see
It's got to be

I can do, what you do,
You just do it better
I can cry like you cry
It just makes me sadder

I can shine, like you shine,
It doesn't make me brighter
If I think like you think
It don't make my load any lighter...