Neil Peart
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart, OC, is a Canadian-American musician and author, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist for the rock band Rush. Peart has received numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest person ever so honored. He is known for his technical proficiency and stamina...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionDrummer
Date of Birth12 September 1952
CityHamilton, Canada
CountryCanada
Once I had defined myself as a compositional drummer, I thought, "Well, I want to be an improvisational drummer."
Standing in front of a microphone where every word or every slip that you make, especially in these times, is with you forever - you want to say the right thing. I fell into having to extemporize, and it came okay because of tools I've learned. I said [to myself], "Remember [to mention] mom and dad."
I'm less comfortable in a gregarious social situation, and you can be introverted and still share everything. It just means that you're guarded.
Pure libertarianism believes that people will be generous and help each other. Well, they won't. I wish it were so, and I live that way.
I have come to believe that anger and grudges are burning embers in the heart...
If you want something done right, just forget it.
All four winds together can't bring the world to me Shadows cast a play of light, so much I want to see Chase the sun around the world, I want to look at life-In the Available Light. I'll go with the wind, I'll stand in the light.
When I'm riding my motorcycle, I'm glad to be alive. When I stop riding my motorcycle, I'm glad to be alive.
With people too, you constantly think, "If I'm nice to people and treat them well, they'll appreciate it and behave better." They won't, but it's still not a bad way to live.
Better the pride that resides as a citizen of the world than a pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled
All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted. Not so boldly charted, it's really just a question of your honesty.
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start to mold a new reality closer to the heart.
It was actually drumming that gave me the stamina to get into sports later. I started playing drums at 13, and when I got to the international touring level... I got interested in cross-country skiing, long-distance swimming, bicycling... things that require stamina, not finesse.
There's still a lot I'm angry about, a lot of human behaviour that's appalling and despicable, but you choose what you can fight against. I always thought if I could just put something in words perfectly enough, people would get the idea and it would change things.