Rushing into "Tom Sawyer" Trivia Quiz

Answer: pride

"A modern day warrior
Mean mean stride,
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean mean pride"


The band Rush, which formed in 1968, has had only a few personnel changes since then: John Rutsey (drums) was replaced in 1974 by Neal Peart, and Jeff Jones (lead) was very quickly replaced by Geddy Lee.

"Tom Sawyer" was written by Geddy Lee, Neal Peart and Alex Lifeson along with lyricist Pye Dubois, and was based upon a poem by Dubois called "Louis the Lawyer".

Answer: arrogant

"Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant"

Geddy Lee was born Gary Lee Weinrib on 29 July 1953 in Toronto, Canada. His parents were Jewish refugees who had been interned in Nazi concentration camps, and his mother's accented version of his first name led to his nickname, Geddy.

The song was first released on the 1981 album, "Moving Pictures", and was also released as a single from that album.

Answer: his reserve

"His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river"

Lee's trademark falsetto voice has sometimes been compared to that of Robert Plant.

The album "Moving Pictures" was recorded during October and November 1980 at Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec.

Answer: mist

"What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift"

Lee's choice of bass guitar has always been the Fender, whether Jazz Bass, the Geddy Lee bass or the Jaco Pastorius (according to the official Rush website, www.rush.com).

In an interview in April 2008, Geddy Lee stated that "2112" was their "defining piece of music from the '70s, and Tom Sawyer from the early '80s". (Rush press conference in Puerto Rico, 9 April 2008)

Answer: skies

"The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide"

Neil Ellwood Peart was born on 12 September 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The eldest of four children, he was not enthused by early piano lessons but instead was prone to take a pair of chopsticks and use anything he could find as a drum.

As with many other Rush songs, the time signature changes within the song, in this case to 7/8 during the instrumental section.

Answer: God

"Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you

No his mind is not for rent
To any God or government"

At the age of 18, Peart travelled to London to try to break into music professionally, but instead wound up supporting himself by working in a Carnaby Street shop. By the age of twenty, he gave up and moved back to Canada, working in tractor parts sales.

Neal Peart, in an interview with the Rush Backstage Club newsletter (Dec 1985) stated that "Tom Sawyer was a collaboration between myself and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be - namely me I guess."

Answer: change

"Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is"

Peart plays custom drums from the Drum Workshop with Sabian Paragon cymbals. He also uses Roland electronic drums.

Alex Lifeson described his guitar solo in "Tom Sawyer" as follows: "I winged it. Honest! I came in, did five takes, then went off and had a cigarette. I'm at my best for the first two takes; after that, I overthink everything and I lose the spark. Actually, the solo you hear is comped together from various takes." ("Guitar World", July 2007)

Answer: society

"What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide"

Alex Lifeson was born Aleksandar Zivojinovic on 27 August 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia, Canada. He the son of Serbian immigrants, and his stage name, "Lifeson" is a literal translation of his Serbian surname.

"Tom Sawyer", with its intellectual lyrics and Geddy Lee on his Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, reached Number 25 on the UK Charts and remains one of the best-known songs by the band.

Answer: energy

"Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade"

Lifeson's first instrument was a viola, but by the age of 12 he chose instead to become proficient on the guitar. He plays other string instruments, including the mandolin, bouzouki and mandola.

"Tom Sawyer" can be heard in a number of movies, including "Halloween" and "The Waterboy" plus television shows including "South Park", "Futurama", "Family Guy" and "Freaks and Geeks".

Answer: friction

"A modern day warrior
Mean mean stride,
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean mean pride

Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide

Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you

No his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is

What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit

The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide

Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to the friction of the day"


Lifeson's choice of guitar is the Gibson Les Paul Custom, although he plays several different Gibson models.

Rush's 2002 "Vapor Trails" tour opened with "Tom Sawyer", the first time this song had been used to open a concert. However, they did not start off with their usual "1-2-3-4" count. Instead, Neal Peart closed his High Hat cymbal, giving the signal for the band to silently count down the start.

Thanks to Sing365 for the lyrics.