Theatre Kid Reacts to Rush: Subdivisions 

Although they have Alex saying it in the video, that's actually Neil saying "subdivisions" on the recording.

I was a 15 year old suburban kid when this song came out and I felt it was written with me specifically in mind.🤘🏻

This is the one that did it for me. This dropped when I was in 8th grade. I was by no means an outcast, but neither was I one of the cool kids. I was, get this, a theater kid! Anyway, I immediately connected with the lyrics (I almost always sided with the misbegotten over the popular crowd) and fell in love with the keyboard parts and the melodies as well. It started me on a journey that took me to 50 concerts between 1984 and 2015 and continues to this day. Best band ever.

Ah, the anthem for square pegs 🙋🏻‍♂️ Neil writes the majority of the lyrics, but they all have some input. In this song, Neil's lyrics were "in the battle cars," it was Geddy who came up "in the backs of cars." Pulling up the lyrics is important, especially at this point in their career. Some of my favorites off the top of my head are. Natural Science, Freewill, Half the World, Ghost Rider, Earthshine, Armor and Sword, Faithless, Headlong Flight. Enjoyed the reaction! Take care ✌️

Truly one of the greatest pieces of his lyricism...Outstanding...

This song dropped when I was a sophomore/junior in high school. Talk about timing! I was that kid! Neil understood…he got us! R.I.P. professor!

Yes, Rush is a band where having the lyrics will be helpful as they have a lot to say.

Great reaction!! You've hit on my #1 Rush song! This was the one that truly 'spoke' to me. I was that misfit Neil spoke of, I was that 'free thinking nerd'. Was never part of the 'cool' crowd - it was as though this was a song about my teenage life, and this was the case for many Rush fans, which is why we hold them in such high regard. Honestly - I would always have the lyrics on hand for their songs. Neil always had something to say - there was nothing flippant or vapid to his lyrics! They're just as important as the music. Where to go from here for Rushmas? Mystic Rhythms, 2112 (there is a great graphic novel type video), Xanadu (there is an official 'live' video for this), and I highly recommend a 3-part analysis of what is called the 'Fear' Trilogy - each song released on a separate album, songs are: The Enemy Within (Part 1); The Weapon (Part 2), Witch Hunt (Part 3). Each track is marvel of sound and word. Cheers!

Neil Peart wrote the lyrics about his own experiences growing up in Canada... He was a tall, shy goofy and awkward kid who couldn't play sports or ice skate... so, he was immediately 'uncool' w/ his peers. He loved to read and was a brainy nerd who got into rock n' roll music in the 60's as a teen and grew his hair long... That got him physically threatened (Geddy and Alex of Rush had similar experiences growing up in the suburbs of Willowdale near Toronto... Both were kids of immigrants... both were awkward and goofy, and got threatened a lot as kids)... Peart started playing drums after he became a fan of The Who and admired their drummer Keith Moon, as well as Cream's drummer Ginger Baker... This was the first time Peart was "admired for anything" ... He even left for England in the early 70's hoping to land a professional gig w/ a major British rock band, but came home defeated. In 1974, he was contacted by a manager to audition for a band named Rush, who were signed and going on tour in America for the first time... He'd never heard of them or their first album, but his parents told him to go for it... He met Geddy and Alex and impressed them w/ his drumming skills (despite then thinking that Peart was "goofy" at first) and they picked him... He fit in the band perfectly because he had the same musical influences and shared a humorous mindset... Geddy and Alex noticed on tour that Neil read a lot and was very opinionated, so they figured that Neil could write the band's lyrics so that the other 2 could focus on the music... Neil accepted the challenge. 'Subdivisions' (from the 1982 album 'Signals') came after the huge success of the 'Moving pictures' album... At the time, 80's synth pop was becoming huge (Bands like Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Berlin, etc.) and Geddy liked the freedom of composing music on a keyboard... Neil also started dabbling w/ electronic beats and samples... and Alex was using pedals and effects on his guitars... Rush wanted to try something new. That experimentation led to a more pop-friendly record 'Signals' ... than their prog rock 70's records like '2112'. Rush used a lot of synthesizers on their 80's albums ('Grace under pressure'... 'Power windows' ... 'Hold your fire') and embraced a futuristic sound that was emerging after 'Subdivisions' became a hit... Only Alex Lifeson was unhappy w/ that direction because he found his guitar being utilized significantly less on those records (He had to find places in the tracks Geddy and Neil were composing to play guitar on)... Many Rush fans were disillusioned by the changes in their musical direction, but many also stood by the band and were curious what they would come up w/ next. Thankfully, Alex was able to convince Geddy and Neil to turn back to a more rock-oriented sound w/ more guitars (and less synthesizers) in 1989 w/ the album 'Presto'... and then 'Roll the Bones' in 1991... Rush was back playing heavier music in 1993 w/ 'Counterparts'.

Geddy and Alex wrote the music to Neils lyrics

Masterpiece. Lyrically, musically, philosophically and in performance. Thanks.

I think their album Grace Under Pressure is often left out of these lists and it's one of my favs, so I'm going to recommend "Afterimage" from that album! It is synth-heavy like Subdivisions, which you may enjoy, but it is kinda melancholy as it was written about the death of a friend of the band. The video's kinda cool too.

Love it. Happy Rushmas Charis! 😃Thanks!

Oh, yes 😊 Another favorite from my childhood. I relate to the lyrics (as so many do from this time). I'm really glad you liked it! 👍

That was very interesting. Thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself and how the lyrics affected you from those experiences. I had never thought of what it must be like to be home schooled (I was bullied at school for years, hated it, I would go so far to say my education came from music, books etc that captured my attention during and after schooling.) Rush's words always connected with me and inspired me in so many ways. I look forward to your next take on a Rush track!

My all-time fave Rush song. SO good.

After the first couple years, Neil and Geddy would eventually collaborate on the lyrics where Neil would write something and Geddy would go over it to make sure he can a) sing it and/or b) emotionally connect with it (some of their earliest songs had Geddy sing quite a mouthful and he sometimes struggled getting the words all in).

The funny thing is the word "subdivisions" is spoken by Neil, although it seems like Alex is saying it. This song was my gateway back in the 80s to Rush and their music. Hands down, it is my favorite Rush song. Probably because in the 1980s, when I was in junior high and high school, it hit really close to home. This also has a lot of nostalgia in the video, as I used to play the video game featured in the video...Tempest. I wasted many dollars, quarter by quarter, playing that one in the arcade!

Yes, this would have been footage from a helicopter

Also your disconnection from 'highschool' is actually a blessing. High school has been hell for kids longer than you've been alive. You can actually see how bad it's gotten because people denied that truth for so long. We have children taking videos and posting them so that people will actually believe the madness.

I am having so much fun discussing this with you I tried to pass you the pipe ... but you were just on the TV ... Thank you

Hey Charis ,been loving your reactions to all that you do , now especially on RUSH, have a great rest of the day and a safe weekend.

next song from Rush - Red Sector A( with lyric ) = song about holocaust . Geddy Lee parents was survive to holocaust . Neil Peart deep lyric .

I remember when Subdivisions came out in 1983. It was totally the soundtrack to my angry, depressed, alienated high school years. BTW, Neil wrote the lyrics, Geddy and Alex wrote the music for pretty much all of the Rush songs, including this one. Nice appreciation of a song that very much deserves to be appreciated. This was a really good episode.

As a lifelong Rush fan I feel like as the band got older the lyrics took on more and more meaning. This song is a prime example, which is why so many people connect with it. Yes, Neil wrote most of the lyrics. When he first joined the band the other guys noticed that he did a lot of reading and that he was a deep thinker. Geddy wrote many of the lyrics for their first album and it sounds like he did it on the fly when their original drummer, John Rutsey, didn't deliver on writing lyrics for a bunch of songs they were supposed to be recording soon. Neither Geddy nor Alex seem to have like writing so they asked Neil if he'd like to give it a try. He did it for the next 40 years or so. Neil and Geddy worked together to come up with a sing-able version of what Neil had originally came up with for a song. They'd massage things to make them work better in a song from a vocal perspective. Geddy would also suggest changes if he felt like he wasn't connecting with a verse or phrase. It makes for a better product if the singer can connect with the words he is singing. There was a lot of collaboration between the two of them.

Beautiful 80 s song. Gorgeous Charis

RUSH The greatest rock band that ever was or ever will be.

Growing up in the 70s and 80s was a whole different world compared to today.

The drummer writes the lyrics

Will it be the 12 videos of Rushmas

What a hell of a good month kid! RUSHMAS should be a shirt in December. Great reaction! Thanks \/

Your true fact for the day,Neil used to work at a tractor dealership selling parts and he loved it..

All THREE going into their TRIPLE solos at the same time, not just the guitar....

High School memories! My senior year in high school and the first tour of Rush's that I attended.

This song could be the anthem for Theater Kids everywhere.

you talked about how the opening would be a drone shot now…i also notice this whenever i realize that most steady cam shots done outside in the recent past would be drone shots now

This is the point where they switched from following the guitar to following the drums

Who remembers Tempest? The video game in the video.

Awesome reaction as usual. Next Rushmas can you turn the Duck on. Thanks

A band you would appreciate - being a theater kid - is Jethro Tull. They were a big influence on Rush, Iron Maiden, many other bands. The main guy, Ian Anderson, is the epitome of theatricality. Geddy said his fave tour ever was Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick tour and that album is in his top 10, Steve and Bruce in Maiden love Tull and have covered them, Bruce has performed with Ian, Dio covered numerous Tull songs when in the band Elf before he was in Rainbow, etc. Geddy felt Jethro Tull was a great example of how you could take your music very seriously, but not yourself. Write great music, but give people their money's worth, and try not to be a dick. Ian was a big Frank Zappa fan so was pretty anti-drug, had a lot of social commentary - just like Rush - and was an absolute firehose of material, on a level with Prince or Frank Zappa. Check out Thick as a Brick live on the BBC broadcast from 1977. He is similar to Geddy in his excellent enunciation, very animated presentation, and he made the flute an aggressive instrument. You'll thank me. But, back to Rush, I love this song, I was 14 when this came out, so it hit hard. Thank you so much for the reaction, Love seeing you get to know Rush and these other great bands.

Charis, a friend of mine owns one of the houses in that very subdivision, with the Buick station wagon parked out front, also shot street side in the video. Yes, drones didn't exist, all the aerial shots were from helicopters. Rush compensated my friend for the help of the video production, for using his house and car in the shoot. Met them as well, great guys!😅😅

It all comes full circle. Kids dream of the city, become cubicle workers, burn out and "lose the race to rats, get caught in ticking traps, start to dream of somewhere to relax their restless flight, somewhere out of a memory of lighted streets on quiet nights...."

“Subdivisions” is a metaphor for “cliques” in society or in High School or in corporate circles, etc.

Geddy and Neil spent a lot of time working together when developing songs. Lyrics sometimes make great sense, but can be impossible to sing. Working together, they were able to convey Neil’s messages and allow Geddy to get those messages vocalized.

Yes, Helicopters but sometimes also old fashioned balloons with cameras as well.

The way you liked and could relate to this video, as someone who felt othered or outcast, is the way most of us became lifelong fans. I was 14 when this song came out and Rush has been my favourite band ever since. I don't think that experience is by any means unusual.

Neil's accuracy and precision on this song is mind-blowing. From start to finish he is a machine. I once saw a video of him playing live with the studio drum track over-laid. It was perfect!

What a wonderful song! It epitomized the high school experience!!

Nice to know home schooling doesn’t always crush adorability

Another Rush essential: Ghost Rider, which was based on what happened after Neil's wife and daughter died tragically within 6 months of each other, and he took a break from the band and rode his motorcycle all across North America as he worked to process his grief; Neil was also a best-selling author, and he wrote a same-named book chronicling his journey, which makes for an amazing read. Cheers from Toronto! 🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🔥 🔥 🔥

They not only had to put a camera in a helicopter, they sometimes had a guy hanging out of a helicopter holding a camera...

love how 'the misfit' is watching RUSH on the tube.

Drones are ... small helicopters. :) So yes, back in the day they used regular helicopters. Before that, carrier pigeons. Okay. I made that part up.

Howdy, first time caller here. Long time Rush fan (i shoplifted Fly By Night when i was 12 yo in 1975) Loved your reaction! Ii just subbed!

My home town Toronto band, footage in this video all in Toronto. Rush one of the best bands of all time , best Canadian band of all time by far, never mind that there is three guys doing everything .

Some bands have lyrics that you don't need to know because they really have very little meaning. Rush, however, is a band that puts lyrics in their music that means or says something worth hearing. Geddy does a great job of getting those lyrics through your ears and into your brain. So yeah. Put the lyrics up. And thanks for the post. You're always fun and good for my mood.

Now I’m gonna be thinking about The Beach Boys every time this song starts

Is that a "Bert is Evil" portrait in the backgrond ? And Geddy playing the piano . . . That would be epic . . .

Never caught the "Barbara Ann" vibe...I don't think it's out of the question that it was an influence: "What if we took that sort of Beach Boys thing and made it really dark and mysterious, and played it on a synthesizer?"

One of the things about Neil's lyrics was that he would often use word play in the verses, and a lot of the songs were metaphorical. For example, Subdivisions wasn't only about the suburban housing developments that were appearing in a lot of cities in North America, but also how cliquish - if that's a word - society was becoming at the time. Another example would be at the end of 2112. The ending of the song is seven words, repeated three times, and then four word repeated three times. Hence, 2112. For musical geeks everywhere. If there hasn't been a class on songwriting featuring Neil's lyrics, there should be.

Good reaction! You have a fun personality and good energy about you so it’s nice to enjoy your reactions. I would suggest that you react to the official music videos for Rush’s Distant Early Warning next, then do The Big Money, then Mystic Rhythms, then Time Stand Still, then Lock And Key. In that order as it’s chronological.

Neil wrote pretty much all the lyrics. Occasionally Geddy would pen one, but this was rare except on the first album before Neil joined.

That's really interesting about the homeschooling watching videos about high school and stuff. I'm a public school kid all the way and for me it was the late sixties through the 1970s and then college in the early 80s. I simply can't imagine the isolation of homeschooling although I suppose it would have its benefits in other ways perhaps. And while this song came out a few years later than when I was in high school, everything that he talks about was apparent in the multiple environments I have been through, we moved around a lot but sometimes it was in small towns and other times it was in cities in subdivisions. Once I got into my twenties I really got into Punk and post-punk and played in bands that did that it's hard to explain, but there is a certain alienation that goes on in these Suburban environments. It's different than in small towns or if you live in an urban center. There's just this lack of something truly compelling in your life and so people get into all kinds of trouble and it can be this empty kind of existence if you don't have really good friends and family.

It's an interesting phenomenon that loads of people call it 'Spirit Of THE Radio'! 😄

Rush rules always & you are so entertaining. I subscribed!

A flawless song. Lightning in a bottle.

I've seen them live a couple times back in the early days, before this album came out, but it was a small enough arena that I was pretty close add those three guys just really multitask like crazy. It really is impressive. At one point I remember Geddy was just going off on the bass, I think it might have been on 2112, and yet you can watch him closely and see that he had masking tape on some of the lower jeys on a nearby keyboard and and he would just tape a certain key down and it would do the slow drowning pedal tone is what it is technically called where it just camps on a note for a while, and then in the middle of totally going off and also singing, he would lean over and lift up that one key with its masking tape and then tape down the one right next to it without missing a beat.

The high school scenes were filmed at my school in Scarborough Ontario, before i went there , and my locker was in the yellow hall lol..also played alot of games at that arcade

Oh my God…. she is way too happy to understand this song

Grew up in Scarborough on the far east side of Toronto. I lived this song.

AHHhhhhh... Welcome to the party!!!! First off, THANK YOU for doin' THIS PARTICULAR TRACK!!!! I have been a RUSH SUPERFAN since the 1980's. My journey started with "Moving Pictures" Album, continued on with RUSH'S MASTERPIECE, the ICONIC "2112" ALBUM, & I've never ONCE looked back!!!! I've been a MUSIC NERD (I play a variety of musical instruments, from Classical guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, Piano, Sax, Drums, & write/compose lyrics & songs), so I'm quite familiar with this PROGRESSIVE POWER TRIO. They are PHENOMENAL in their CRAFT, truly MASTERS of switching tempos/time signatures, a STAPLE of progressive rock, & LEGENDS in the PROGRESSIVE ROCK GENRE. Check out RUSH'S documentary "RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE" on RU-vid, or their vast catalog of songs (I'm SURE you won't regret it). By the way, I subscribed (just saying...). I'm looking forward to experiencing MORE content from your channel!!! Once again... Welcome to the PARTY. Once a RUSH FAN, ALWAYS a RUSH FAN FOR LIFE. MIC DROP 🎤.

I just like Charis. She’s funny and cute. And fun.

That was cool, I miss those times.

Red Sector A... epic track. Perhaps tied with Subdivisions for me. Tom Sawyer.... The Trees... Time Stand Still... 2112 Overture (or the full 2112 epic - all 21 minutes of it : Overture / The Temples Of Syrinx / Discovery / Presentation / Oracle (The Dream) / Soliloquy / Grande Finalé ).....

This is my favorite Rush song. It always brings tears to my eyes. It’s a magnificent piece of music.

You have to check the live version of this song and pretty much anyother Rush song....way better!

Well she likes the synth on one of the greatest songs recorded

Find "Lakeside Park", written by Neil about a Summer he worked at lake side side Park in Toronto Ontario before the band made it big.

You should see Neil's drum solo Live in Frankfurt

Charis. You gotta check out (Rush - losing it) Ohhh man that'll bake yer noodle. Follow the lyrics on that. Soooo well written.

Neil the drummer a huge book worm considered himself a cast out in high school not fitting in with the chicks , Also the Bass player and Guitar player they had their own goals

This video was shot in and around their home town of Toronto, Canada my home town as well

Lyrics by the late Neal Peart. Music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Most songs performed by Rush are written as stated here. The songwriters for The Who, Spandau Ballet and Scandal are written by their guitarists, not the singers. Most songs performed by The Go-Go's are written by everybody who is not the lead singer. Patty Smythe wrote many songs after her band Scandal broke up 💔 . I remember this sing and video back in 1982. I was a kid 👦 then. I did play the video games 🎮 which were in this video 📹. I also like playing this song on synth. Fun times! 😎 1 of my favorite songs 🎵 from Rush.

Charis, this is my first time seeing any reaction by you. I've been a Rush fan for 45 years. I saw Rush play Live 5 times. You sounded just find to me. Rush's first album came out in 1974. Neil wasn't a part of the band yet. "Working Man" off the album is a MUST to react to. John Rutsey was Rush's original drummer. John had diabetes and didn't want to go on lengthy tour in the USA. Their manager Ray Danniels asked John to leave the band. That's when Neil saw Rush was looking for a new drummer. Neil, played for Geddy and Alex. They were blown away by Neil's playing. After Neil joined Rush around June/July. Neil was in a Band called J R Flood before joining Rush. Geddy and Alex notice Neil was always reading. Geddy and Alex asked Neil to write the lyrics. Neil always welcomed any input by Geddy and Alex about the songs he was writing. Geddy and Alex wrote all the music to go with the most profound lyric written in Prog Rock history. Songs that blew my mind lyrically and musically at Live concert 1. Natural Science 2. Jacob's Ladder. 3. Grand Design 4. Far Cry. 5. Trees. 6. The Garden 7. Witch Hunt. (Instrumentals only) La Villa Strangiato and Main Monkey Business.

You sounded fine, I haven't watched your othe Rush videos "yet" but this one the sound was fine. Check out Everyday Glory from Counterparts, please, nobody ever does these newer albums.

Rush On!!!🎵😄

Most of the aerial footage in those days was bought from freelancers and companies who specialized in aerial b-roll footage. It operates much like that today but you have most of the content being created by drone operators instead of companies who hire helicopter pilots.

The girl reacting to the RUSH video's reminds me of the show I use to watch when I was a kid THAT GIRL starring Marlo Thomas when she was young ....I mean that in a good way... But yeah RUSH is my favorite band ...and the girl that's reaching to RUSH is very Cool she's really into reacting to the video of RUSH....KEEP ROCKING ON WITH THIS SHOW YOUR DOING A FANTASTIC JOB ....BEST REACTION SHOW I'VE SEEN YET .

Ba Ba Ran, hilarious. And from a musical standpoint in case you are curious, this opening is in a 7/8 time signature which Rush uses a lot but somehow they make it accessible to the normal listener, which is an art unto itself.

Inunciation and proper English, along with cursive writing, were pressed upon by teachers on students up to the 70s until the rebellious streak of Gen-Xers decided it wasn't needed to be a productive member of society. Baby boomers had aut least one parent at home (mostly the mother) to help their kids with homework, but Gen-X kids had both parents having to work outside the home, and speech and writing were not as important anymore. This was more prevalent in England and the Commonwealth Countries that shared a similar curriculum.

Geddys singing always reminds me of bar mitzvah haftorah singing. Hard to describe. The enunciating and the precise cantillations/vocalizations, the emotion and minor scales. Always wanted to ask Geddy about that.

Ohhhh myyy ...loved ur reaction... on side note lol... my marine Grandson wants U2 have his baby 🎉😂🎉 shhhh

Other my child, I am so glad that I clicked on your reaction. Let me start by saying great first analysis. You realized the duality of the title,great job. As others have advised please read the lyrics to all of Rush's reactions. Neil Peart was such a wordsmith. Many of his lyrics have more than one meaning. I was just out of high school when this album came out but it took me a few listens to catch the double meaning, I had to laugh at my self, super impressed you got it right away. Keep up the great work and enjoy your journey into the world of Prog

If you're a fan of the synth stuff, you may enjoy more of their 80's stuff more than most reactors. I love a few of them from that era: Time Stand Still, Marathon, Mystic Rhythms, Manhattan Project, etc.

Rush made me read books You should do working man next That's a very very early tune And neil is not on drums L o l

You want to watch a live version check out snakes and arrows tour they're playing live in Holland it was a damn good show

I've been calling it Spirit of the Radio forever.

This song still hits me in square the feels despite not being in high school for over 40 years. It's like I was having these experiences yesterday.

Spirit of the Radio live ....Snakes and Arrows 2007 ....rotisserie chickens

Goofy reasons I love this video besides the obviously awesome song: - I work in one of the buildings show at around the 2:30 mark of this video - the math book thrown at the kid is the same one I had in Grade 9 - the video game the kid is playing is called "Tempest" and ate many of my quarters back in the day