Musician Listens To Rush 2112 For the First Time! Reaction (Lyrics + Analysis) 

Nothing compares to the first time you hear 2112. I think the reason why so many Rush fans love watching reactions to their music is that is the closest we will get to hearing a new Rush song for the first time.

When Alex is tuning the guitar it’s the protagonist finding a guitar and not knowing what it is. This song is cinematic as hell, I’ve had the movie version in my head for 40 years.🤣🤘🏻🔥

This was the song and album which gave Rush permanent artistic freedom from record company interference. The record company had told Rush to write more commercial and radio friendly songs after Caress of Steel and the guys decided that they would not give in but recorded an epic instead. 😁

“Attention all planets of the solar federation”, 7 words repeated 3 times equals 21. “We have assumed control “, 4 words repeat 3 times equals 12. This epic song ends with the album title 2112! Rush, a synonym for fun!

The Solar Federation is controlled by the priests. At the end of the song the Elder Race of Man appears from another galaxy or dimension or wherever and takes over the Solar Federation, presumably toppling the stagnant technocracy and allowing creativity and art to return. Taken in the context of Rush's struggles with their record label (demands to write more "radio-friendly" material) and their mindset when they wrote and recorded this album (going all in on their creative vision and rejecting those demands knowing they were probably ending their career), this science fiction epic takes on a very personal meaning for Neal and the boys. And considering the success of 2112, Neal's story kind of came true!

One of the greatest albums of all time! Its progressive but its also unapologetically heavy metal. Its got intelligence, its got soul, its got a great vibe. One of the very few perfect albums out there! Thank you John and also thank you Rush!

Its a waterfall, our hero finds a forgotten guitar in a cave behind a waterfall, which sends him on his journey

It's not over.. there is a side two. Everyone forgets to flip the album. Don't forget to listen to the rest of the record. Yes, the story 2112 is over, but there is much more to be heard from 2112...

Buckle up and get ready for a ride. With this album, they from then on got to write their own ticket. The record company was hands off and the band had all final say.

There's an animated version of the song available on RU-vid. It's great for visualizing what's happening. It includes the song lyrics and the extra narrative that you read off of your phone.

2112/Overture was my first exposure to Rush. I was a Jr. high student (middle school) in 1980.

I just love that Rush took a stand for their principles and gave them a great big eff you and it was such a great way to do it!!!

They killed it with this album. It is one of the greatest albums of all time. They said FU to the record company and did another concept album. This album is a masterpiece. They stayed true to themselves. It only gets better from here. And this whole side of the album is a story.. the first side starts with overture and ends with grand finally. There is another whole side of the album. You have just listened to the first side of the album.

"There's something here as strong as life, I know that it will reach You"

Welcome to the Solar Federation. :D

Just about every time I hear "And the meek shall inherit the earth" I still get that tingling and goosebumps! ...lol...Actually so many Rush songs do that to me! 🙂

Great job John! One of the greatest albums ever written.

I was 15 when this came out I have played it since and I am 61 in my humble opinion one if the best albums of all time.

This is a timeless masterpiece. You get completely pulled in and drift away. The drumming!! Thanks JS. Good stuff.

Thanks for listening to the studio recording first. btw, i'm still in awe of this song.

The boy's musical skills are increasing but often overlooked is Neil's growing skill as a storyteller. By-tor, Necromancer, Fountain leading into 2112 and soon to longer works. Can't tell if he cuts back in the later albums or he just gets so good he can broad-stroke paint a complete scene in two lines like he does in Nobody's Hero or One Little Victory. Anyway, fate of the protagonist is debated on how optimistic the listener is Someone animated all this (!) and had the auto-theocracy overthrown before his end. Also, this is the origin of the iconic rush symbol, a man against the red star. so many parents freaking out when they saw their kids wearing that....

The hero of the story lived under an authoritarian system controlled by the Solar Federation. He finds a guitar, not knowing what it is, but soon realizes its potential to bring back individuality and creativity. Naively he thinks the Priests will embrace this Discovery, but they realize it challenges their control over the masses. They destroy it and send him home. He returns home, falls dejectedly to sleep and has what he assumes is a dream. He awakens and realizes the meaninglessness of life under authoritarian control. He would rather die than live another day subjugated by the Priests, and thus takes his own life. What he assumed to be a dream was actually a premonition. After his death, the Elder Race of man returns and frees the world of the Solar Federation's tyrannical control. If he had only realized the world was about to change...

I remember the 1st time I heard this 37 years ago

2112 is a timeless masterpiece! So musical, with great dynamics, emotion, etc.

Truly one of the greatest songs ever written an produced… By-Tor an the snow dog an The Necromancer we’re their earliest beginnings of producing such compilations of storytelling and musical journeys but 2112 was truly the when they let their creative juices start flowing… Hold the red star proudly in hand all rush brothers an sisters!!!

This is my favorite album of all time. It’s what turned me into a diehard Rush fan the first time I heard it in 1981 as a 14 year old kid.

I first heard this on their live album about '75. Only then did I discover the genius of the studio version. My musical life took a huge turn by discovering RUSH. Thanks Mike.......RIP.

Massive shout out to you for saying what almost nobody does in reactions but which is so important to me as musician. At least on the first time, you not only don't want to see a live performance you want to see what their original intent was and what made it so popular and what we heard. And then even if it's in the studio, you want to listen to the entirety of it with 100% of your brain attention on the sound and the music and all the emotions and lyrics and everything that Associates with it, versus having to pay attention to a dumb music video or maybe even a really cool music video which is worse, or even just lyrics. I totally get you man. I love doing all those things but first time through or maybe if you're like me maybe the first five times in repeat you do it. Then you go out and check out all the auxiliary stuff. I'm so glad you called that out man.

2112 what a fuckin great story Lee's voice is so fuckin wicked one of a kind all three of them you definitely left your mark on rock and roll 👏

“Do we make it out?” Sorry, bud, this couldn’t be more tragic if Shakespeare wrote it himself. Our prtagonist is given a vision of what life is like on planets settled by the Elder Race, who apparently have a society of open expression and self-determination. Deciding he cannot face life under the oppressive rule of the Solar Federation and the Temples, he ends his life. The tragedy is made deeper when the Elder Race returns, defeating the the Federation and assuming control. Here's some cool things to ponder on further listening. The overture is a proper operatic overture - it’s an instrumental piece that introduces you to most of the musical themes you will hear throughout the suite. It’s made up of most of the other movements with slight variations. It's fun to listen and try to figure out which part is which movement. Also, the little guitar lick at the end of overture is a nod to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture - see what they did there? Clever, clever. I could go on about the bass and drums (Neil sounds like an entire drum line from a marching band!), but Alex really shines in this one. The solos are so emotional and well connected to the theme, I would put them up agains any Gilmour solo. In Presentation: the disbelief and panic of an unexpected rejection as he races from the temples. His mind is frantic and can’t accept what he’s heard. Soliloquy is the best - our protagonist’s heart is broken having seen a world filled with the art, music, etc. that a free society can create. He knows his world will never be like that. Alex makes that guitar wail and moan - utter despair. In Grand Finale, I love the frenetic solo that pans back and forth - you said it sounded like a mosquito - as a kid, it always made me think of radio communication between the Elder spaceships as the attacked the temples, lol. Finally, the lyrics you read include the liner notes from the album that give a good deal of backstory - just in case you were confused about parts that were not in the song. Every listen you will hear something new! Cheers!

Watch the animated video for this song. You'll love it !! It has the lyrics on top of the imagery so it's very easy to follow along. BTW, this song was Rush's fuck you to the industry after they were told no more long songs... This was their response... And from that point forward they had total artistic freedom !!!!!

Geddys bass is just insane too!!

I first heard this in my buddy's 1972 Chevy Nova. He had Jensen Coaxial speakers in the back package tray and a floor mounted 50W Pioneer cassette player/amp. Mind Blowing.

The Grand Finale is a flex by the whole band. But Neil is really flexing on this one.

I've been waiting for your reaction to this lol. After 40+ years of this album in my life, i can say without any doubt that it is one if the greatest albums ever made. Everytime i listen to it, it fills me with passion & awe for Rush. An album that saw all three of them perform with such expertise, its virtually untouchable. From sweet notes & harmony to pure rock/metal, the story is told. Hearing you say "wow" was great to hear & i still think wow everytime i listen to this masterpiece. Read up on the words/story to this, its a heartbreaking tale of finding something wonderful, life changing (guitar). Taking that beauty for acceptance & it being ruthlessly denied by the authority, which in the end got their way clearly stating.. "We have resumed control, We have resumed control... We have resumed control!!". 👍 🇬🇧❤🇺🇸🇨🇦

The Oracle is basically informing the protagonist in his dream that the Elder Race of Man was not what the Priests claimed, but that they were coming back to tear down the Temples of Syrinx. At the end, the statement "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation, we have assumed control" is the Elder Race telling the Solar Federation that there was a new boss in town, just like the Oracle had predicted. Tragically, it seems that our protagonist didn't hold on long enough to see his dream come true. I think this "not that happy ending" is a nod to both Ayn Rand, the dystopian author, and the show Twighlight Zone, which they do a full tribute to on side 2 of the album. I discovered this album during the 70's when I was 14 years old, and it completely changed my life. I wanted to be a musician and write awesome songs like Rush, and I have been playing guitar and writing songs ever since. It's wonderful to see somebody else experience this masterpiece for the first time! Thanks for sharing!

Amazing song and your reactions made me smile. Thanks.

The documentary about the making of 2112 is a great film. Hard to believe they almost got dropped from the record company.The movie details all these decisions throughout 2112. Fascinating how it came together. Crazy looking back to see their 40+ years career and how iconic they became.

Much love and respect to one of the greatest bands that ever was and ever will be!

24:47 chills every time. and i've been listening to this song since 2005ish

I remember an acid trip back in the day during which someone put this on to play and, almost predictably in hindsight, this suite lasted for about 500 years. Having a colour organ in the room just added an additional flavour to Rush's musical stew.

Ged's voice is so natural during this period. I love it!

The record company told them before they made this, ‘We want short radio playable song like Bad Company.’ They got 2112 in response. R O F L

Terry Brown. The most loyal, Underrated music producer of all time!!!

Yay! I knew you'd love it. I never heard much Rush the first time I heard this album. A friend and I were getting high (in 1990) and he's like have you heard 2112? Nope. So we proceeded to listen to it on vinyl and I was blown away! So good! Core memory.

At the end... They say, "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation"... 3 times. (21 times) "We have assumed control"... 3 times. (12 times) .............................................................................. 2112 ;-)

So glad to share this experience with you. John, don't despair, the Elder Race came back and assumed control. Our maybe I'm totally wrong.

Hard to believe only 3 guys!!

This is a joy hearing your reaction. I listened to this for the 1st time when I was 24. One of the 1st times using weed. This song blew me away back then, and it continues to, till this day. And I don't need the weed to be blown away now.

HRH King Lerxst. That's from the GUP concert program. Classic.

This is one of the albums I clearly remember hearing for the first time almost 48 years ago

100%. I'm so glad you did just go with the audio without the visual distractions. As musician I know for sure, your brain only has so many different ways to divide its attention. So for example if you're reading lyrics and singing you know if you've done it a lot that be good but that's nothing even in the same universe is knowing something inside out because you played it a whole bunch of times with a whole lot of different people. And so that to me is the epitome of this listening experience these guys are just in that thing where they had to prove something at the end of the really hard rock era, before the technology shifted into a lot more synthesizers and sequencers and sampling and strings and things like that that changed it. And then of course they went ahead and like excelled at that. I'm just saying this is a fascinating snapshot of that changing history. This album was so monumental.

Everyone talks about Rush being masters of their art, but I would have to say that RUSH not only master their art, but lift it to the highest art of transcendent originality.

Only RUSH can make tuning a guitar sound beautiful 😍

Saw Rush on the 2112 album tour way back when. Great band. Great album.

To hear this for the first time!! I can't explain my envy. 😉

Excited to experience this with you since I couldn't do it live. Starting now!

Loved the reaction man. I love watching new Rush fans red pilled by this album. I gotta second everyone saying you should watch the animated video for this song to get the full picture. It’s really good and puts it all together for you. Love that you reacted to side two also! Keep up finding these classic hard rock/metal bands and you’ll get a new sub!

I was 13 when my friend said to me come over, you know that song , Passage to Bangkok on the radio? Here's the album...... Life changed.

Okay I've got the virtual popcorn out and I'm about to watch this bad boy. I actually watched the side B of this album from you out of order of course. And now it's super out of order but I really have to check this out. I really love your reactions man they're thoughtful and you really give the music space to breathe it's nice. I grew up listening to the span and loving this band along with lots of others but and I got to see him a couple times including in the late 70s and then in the early 80s. Mind blowing.

Great point. They haven't even hit that final little section yet but you paused it and said this is got to be one of the most interestingly arranged instrumental intros ever. Or something similar to that. And yeah man I think that is what defines it. And then they give you a little tease and that's it. And then after a bit more bam so that's about the limit of spoilers I'll go to but I'm positive you'll be reading this like eons later I'm just experiencing it in real time myself. Great reaction for sure man thank you.

Never mind that last comment because I was about to say there is a whole context backdrop thing on the liner notes of the record album. And for whatever reasons, that's what you are actually reading right now as opposed to the actual song lyrics and I was so worried you wouldn't be able to experience it that way. I'm glad they Incorporated the liner notes, used to be you just pulled record out of the record cover and it would have a paper sleeve on it and if you were lucky, there would be a whole another sheet of paper you can pull out of the record album and it was covered front and back with lyrics and the backstory for example in this case on 2112 and so forth. It was so fun and in fact they often packed in a really large color poster that you could unfold by like 16 times and it actually ended up taking up huge amount of space on your wall. Everybody did this with their favorite bands. My sister did it with things like Shawn Cassidy in the Bay City Rollers for Christ sakes man

I have seen Rush 32 times live starting in 1980 through until their retirement. I have seen every tour at least once, but only remember them playing side 1 of 2112 in its entirety or close to it only once and what a gem it was. They would play the beginning through temples of syrinx quite a few times through the years.

RECORD COMPANY: “Your last album didn’t do well. We need you to make more radio friendly songs or we’re dropping you“. RUSH: “Here you go. We’re not going to compromise our artistic integrity”.

Sooo , know you know , not only What if - but what’s next .

2112 name comes from Neil's birthday, September 12th. September is the 9th month and military time for 9 pm is 21.00. So you get 2112

As I understand the story, the arrival of the "Solar Federation" at the end of the song was a reprieve. A segment of humanity had left to explore space many generations earlier now returning to the Earth after achieving enlightenment and advancing in abilities and technology far beyond those left behind. They were returning to crush the priests of the temples and free the oppressed population of the Earth but those left behind had regressed and did not understand the true nature of the "dreams" they were experiencing. The section of the story describing the dream sequences were the result of the enlightened humans having learned how to link across space with the minds of a few of those still remaining on Earth and, through those links, learned of the corruption of society which was the reason for their return. The protagonist in the story didn't understand that what he was seeing in his "dreams" was real and he commits suicide moments before their arrival.

I’m totally with you on the ‘music only first’ thing. I don’t always do it. But, I get it.

Great call on the music only first reaction John.

I first jammed to this 42 years ago. Still sounds awesome and brings back memories!!

Your head-nodding-time-keeping is on point :)

The record company told them to make some radio friendly hits on their next album or else, so they made their next album feature a 20-minute opus. To be fair, side 2 did have some radio-style hits, although one of them was so clearly about getting high that most stations wouldn't play it. But Something For Nothing and Twilight Zone were both radio friendly. In fact, every song on side 2 is under 4 minutes long.

It was the mid-eighties and I was 13 or 14 and I liked the Rush songs I had heard on the radio and wanted to get one of their CD's (CD's were brand new back then) and did it through mail order since I lived in the sticks and I didn't know what was what and I ordered this CD. My disappointment at not hearing the hits of Rush was greatly tempered by how much I ended up liking this album and looking back, I'm glad I started here with them.

What a Rush!

Hi John, I’m Albert. Just discovered your channel and just subscribed. Love the selections I see here and look forward to watching your other videos. I wonder if classical composers would admire and have evolved to write pieces like 2112. 👍

I love how into this you are. I had to pause it right now because you're just starting to read the lyrics. But in a way this isn't quite right. But it kind of is. If you were one of those people that only ever heard this on the radio which would not have been dreamed of prior to right around this time, but FM radio is getting really good and had pretty much replaced AM radio and so then at least really serious rock stations would start to play so-called aor or album oriented rock. Meaning it was okay to do like the whole side of a Pink Floyd album or a rush album or whatever album. You know and this just happened at the right time for them because this is fantastic. They had always worked on Long stuff and concept stuff it's just that it all came together here. If by any chance you read this, I think based on what you're saying about you're impressed even with the instrumental part of it then I think and I'm not alone in fact they agree with me, literally, the guys in the band say that Lavia strangiato from their hemispheres album which is a nine minute instrumental, is probably the most ambitious thing they've ever done and that they were happy they did it when they were young. It's fantastic, and just like this song, even though it's a 9 minute instrumental, it's exactly the same, you'll be surprised at how fast it ends and then you'll want it to go on, just like a really good novel when you turn the last page.

That 1812 overture reference. Killer

You are gonna love the lyrics to this.

and let me reiterate: the boys were in their early 20's when they wrote and recorded this, *on tape*, without all the digital correction and nonlinear editing that is common in this era.

The ending words are 7 words x3 then 4 words x3 or 21 words then 12

I subbed. Great watching you hear this masterpiece for the first time John. I prefer watching musicians react to amazing music because, like you have here, they hear the different parts of the track, the subtleties and understand how impressive the accomplishment of multiple people giving life to a song really is. Had a great time sharing this with you.

Wait till you hear it the thousandth time...Then it's even better...:) Everytime I hear Neil's voice doing; "All starships of the solar federation, WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL..." I get a little choked up

🤗 Ok, I'm late, 🤗 but I'm here now! 🥰 Let's Go! 🤗 And yes I have 😉 "snacks" at noon cause I'm old & retired! 😁🐰

Cygnus X-1 will always be my favorite but this is also great

Thanks for initially listening to the music alone. That's what we were all doing. That was the experience. As a kid, I saw this at the record store and bought it purely on the strength of the sleeve art. I had no idea what it was. None of my friends knew it. No one was taking about it (yet). It was just me, alone in the dark, with headphones. I was unprepared. There was only one 2112. There was only one initial hearing. And it still hits me about the same.

Welcome to the year 2112. "We have assumed control."

Always a trip.

my all time favorite 🎉

Did I overhype it? ;) Ayn Rand heavily influenced Neil's philosophy in his early life and career, though he did sort of disavow her later in life, because she turned out to be a nutjob. 2112 is based on an Ayn Rand story called "Anthem", about a dystopian future where everything is controlled and society is conformal and complacent. In 2112, the Elder Race of Man has left the planet to explore, and the Priests of Syrinx control society with their mighty computers, telling everyone what to think, what to feel, making everyone conform to the cookie-cutter norm they deem appropriate. Until a dude finds a guitar. When you read the lyrics, some of what you were actually reading were excerpts from "Anthem" which are not actually part of the song, but are included for exposition of the story. Definitely listen again and try to follow the lyrics. This song requires multiple listens to really appreciate the full experience. The official video has a comic-book-style animation that portrays the story in a way that makes it very easy to follow. There is a guitar theme repeated just before the cannons at the end of the Overture. This theme is from Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", which famously featured batteries of cannons in the score. The end of the story is the Elder Race returning home to overthrow the Priests and freeing the society from their oppressive reign. It is unclear (at least to me) if the hero survives to experience this freedom of which he dreamed. It seems to me that he may have survived just long enough to see the Elders return as he died. At the end: ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION (7 words) ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION (7 words) ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR FEDERATION (7 words) WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL (4 words) WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL (4 words) WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL (4 words) 7x3=21 4x3=12 2112

Thanks for that like John, enjoying your prog journey. Thou I took it 40 years ago, trust me dude now that your gettin indoctrinated, its never gonna get old. First had exper. 2112 was 15 brother in law introduced with a lil micro dot for a chaser, suffice it to say them fade outs were real! WHOOOOO! You could see em on that Pioneer Stereo blastin it was like being at a concert right next to the speakers, you felt that shit! It was mind blowing to say the least, 24 hours later was like did that really happen? Suffice it to say we had to do a repeat just to make sure not a fluke. All 8 of us agreed best intro to 2112 and can never be beat! THAT WAS A WAY TO HEAR A NEW RELEASE!

Reached 2000 subscribers! Congratulations, John! You have assumed control!!!!! 2112 is a masterpiece, but hemispheres is even better.....

They all flex during the Grand Finale.

When considering how he'd do the "tuning" of the acoustic for a live performance, it t ook Alex a while to find an UN-tune that could be corrected easily yet dramatically on stage. The only thing "wrong" with the song is that they didn't make it 21 minutes and 12 seconds...

lets go to space

I enjoyed your reactions to the greatest band in this universe or any other so bloody much that I subscribed before it even ended. Thank you. I really hope you try Hemispheres, and that you have just as great an experience. You made my whole night. ❤ 🐇 🇺🇦

I enjoy watching people fall in love with music I love for almost 50 years. Thank you! Neil Peart was the GOAT (RIP) GOD has him now Neil wrote all the lyrics for the band after he joined them "Listen to my music. Hear what it can do" "There's something here as strong as life. I know that it will reach you" Get into the story. It's worth it. That was side 1. Side 2 has other very good songs too. There are videos on RU-vid with a serious cool video to go with the song. Enjoy! 4/20 😎 The band was at war with their record company/publishers because they wanted shorter more radio friendly music. So the band pretty much gave them the finger and said, "We're doing this for us not you." They didn't need to include their fans because they knew we were already onboard. Thus the 20+ minute song. The entire side of 2112. The song is about that war between what THEY want and what WE(collectively) want. NOTE: There's a remake of this with the story told in graphic form but it's actually better this way because it's how we heard it and had to use our imagination.

Oh, and thank you Anne Ranyd.

The 1st album I bought after getting a proper stereo. Rattled the dishes and vibrated the windows.

When the story gets to the discovery of the instrument, the description of the guitar and its properties implies that our protagonist found an electric guitar. The guitar's sound would be very limited given that he didn't also find an amp and a power supply. There is a possible refutation to this interpretation in the destruction of the guitar by Father Brown but there is no necessary internal contradiction; electric guitars have been known to have wooden bodies. The crux of the biscuit (to use a Zappa expression) is that you will never get an acoustic guitar to scream, as it apparently does in our hero's hands.

Man, dude, you are an amazing reactor. Maybe because you are a musician, well, duh, you are super methodical and detail oriented, but always keeping the big picture in mind. It is truly scholarship, what you are doing. No crap. Not even sure if you care about numbers, but if you do, they will grow, once the quality of your method gets seen enough. That's my feeling anyway. You taught me a lot about this song that I have listened to 1,236 times from beginning to end, now it sounds even better. (Plus, you look familiar. I was a teacher at a certain DHS (CO) once, a high school. Any chance you went there?) Love the channel. Thanks for putting your heart into it.