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
I sang the hymns, and I read the Bible stories, but I was always perplexed, like, 'Really? Jesus wants you for a sunbeam? For a what?'
I expect if you're a professional public speaker, you probably wouldn't want to go onstage and sing and play drums.
As crises came up later on - "Oh, we have to compromise, and the record company wants to do this," I'd be like, "No, I don't have to."
Once I had defined myself as a compositional drummer, I thought, "Well, I want to be an improvisational drummer."
If you want something done right, just forget it.
I want to be an improviser, and I've worked very hard at that. It's an art. You don't just play whatever comes into your head; you have to be very deliberate about what you do.
To me, the highest expression of life is art with jokes. It's very rarified, very difficult to accomplish if you want to be more than just funny, and more than just jokes about human gaseousness.
I love jokes as much as anyone, but I don't want to hear my snail jokes every day. But I might want to hear a good song every day.
When I started playing, I played in R&B bands. I played James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and all that.
Live for yourself -- there's no one elseMore worth living forBegging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more
Well, I know they've always told you/Selfishness was wrong/Yet it was for me, not you, I came to write this song/
What you own is your own kingdomWhat you do is your own gloryWhat you love is your own powerWhat you live is your own story
Lessons taught but never learned,all around us anger burns.Guide the future by the past.Long ago the mould was cast.
When they turn the pages of history,when these days have passed long ago--will they read of us with sadnessfor the seeds that we let grow?