there's a lot of mystical content in the lyrics of many Rush songs (Neil Peart, the drummer, being the man who writes the lyrics), but recently I listened to "The Fountain of Lamneth" while reading the lyrics, while under the influence of a couple mushrooms, and it was like the words were jumping off the page at me. it seemed so profound and wise, but also seemed to allude that he had been to the far off distant lands I have experienced on DMT...like he knew what it was to die and come back. I also got the feeling that "The Fountain of Lamneth" he keeps referring to is the thing we DMTers desribe as the chrysanthemum -- that magnificent morphing multi dimensional geometric flower you see before leaving this world completely. I really wish I could know if he's done DMT, or if he got all this off just some strong acid trips....if anyone here ever gets the opportunity to talk to him please see if you can work DMT into the conversation and report back here, heh heh

so when you get a chance, listen to this song. its 20 minutes long, but totally awesome. and read the lyrics while you listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mC7j-fxqfs

I. In the Valley

I am born
I am me
I am new
I am free
Look at me
I am young
Sight unseen
Life unsung

My eyes have just been opened
And they're open very wide
Images around me
Don't identify inside
Just one blur I recognize
The one that soothes and feeds
My way of life is easy
And as simple are my needs

Yet my eyes are drawn toward
The mountain in the east
Fascinates and captivates
Gives my heart no peace
The mountain holds the sunrise
In the prison of the night
'Til bursting forth from rocky chains
The valley floods with light

Living one long sunrise
For to me all things are new
I've never watched the sky grow pale
Or strolled through fields of dew
I do not know of dust to dust
I live from breath to breath
I live to climb that mountain
To the Fountain of Lamneth

Yet my eyes are drawn toward
The mountain in the east
Fascinates and captivates
Gives my heart no peace
The mountain holds the sunrise
In the prison of the night
'Til bursting forth from rocky chains
The valley floods with light

II. Didacts and Narpets (and the shouting may not be perfect...)

Stay! Go!
Work! No!
Learn! Live!
Earn! Give!
Stay or fight? What's right?
Listen!

III. No One At the Bridge

Crying back to consciousness
The coldness grips my skin
The sky is pitching violently
Drawn by shrieking winds
Seaspray blurs my vision
Waves roll by so fast
Save my ship of freedom
I'm lashed helpless to the mast

Remembering when first I held
The wheel in my own hands
I took the helm so eagerly
And sailed for distant lands
But now the sea's too heavy
And I just...I just don't understand
Why must my crew desert me?
When I need...I need a guiding hand...

Call out for direction
And there's no one there to steer
Shout out for salvation
But there's no one there to hear
Cry out supplication
For the maelstrom is near
Scream out desperation
But no one cares to hear

IV. Panacea

The whiteness of confusion
Is unfolding from my mind
I stare around in wonder
Have I left my life behind?

I catch the scent of ambergris
And turn my head, surprised
My gaze is caught and held and I
Am helpless...mesmerized

Panacea, liquid grace
Oh let me touch your fragile face
Enchantment falls around me
And I know I cannot leave

Here's a meaning for my life
A shelter from the storm
Pacify my troubles with
Her body, soft and warm

Naked in our unity
A smile for every tear
Gentle hands that promise me
Comfort through the years

Yet I know I must be gone
Before the light of dawn

Panacea, passion pure
I can't resist your gentle lure
My heart will lie beside you
And my wandering body grieves

V. Bacchus Plateau

Another endless day
Silhouettes of grey
Another glass of wine
Drink with eyes that shine
To days without that chill at morning
Long Nights, time out of mind

Chorus
Draw another goblet
From the cask of '43
Crimson misty memory
Hazy glimpse of me
Give me back my wonder
I've something more to give
I guess it doesn't matter
There's not much more to live

Another foggy dawn
The mountain almost gone
Another doubtful fear
The road is not so clear
My soul grows ever weary
And the end is ever near

Chorus

VI. The Fountain

Look! The mist is rising
And the sun is peaking through
See the steps grow lighter
As I reach their final few
Hear the dancing waters
I must be drawing near
Feel, my heart is pounding
With embattled hope and fear

Now, at last I fall before
The Fountain of Lamneth
I thought I would be singing
But I'm tired...out of breath
Many journeys end here
But, the secret's told the same:
Life is just a candle, and a dream
Must give it flame

The key, the end, the answer
Stripped of their disguise
Still it's all confusion
And tears spring to my eyes
Though I've reached a signpost
It's really not the end
Like Old Sol behind the mountain
I'll be coming up again.

I'm in motion
I am still
I am crying
I am...still.
I'm together
I'm apart
I'm forever
At the start

Still... I am.

Just thought I'd stop by and show some love since no one else has responded yet.

Well, I guess I agree with you. Some of those lyrics sound almost unmistakably about a DMT trip or some other spiritual experience. But if you look at it another way, it sounds like he is describing the cycle of life, from birth to death to rebirth. Notice the lines at the end which imply reincarnation:

Though I've reached a signpost
It's really not the end
Like Old Sol behind the mountain
I'll be coming up again.

Sol = the Sun. It is "reborn" everyday. He also could have been using the life cycle theme as a metaphor to describe a spiritual experience or vice versa. Either way, I applaud Neil's songwriting skills. I have all of Rush's stuff on my ipod but haven't gotten around to listening to much of it yet. They have quite a large discography.

DUDE

RUSH are Friends with tool...

therefore If rush has not smoked DMT I would be quite shocked...
I'm actually guessing they used it in the 70s though while tool was still in diapers.

yes, good point. I also see how these lyrics seem to describe life...

if you haven't listened to much Rush you should really check out the album "Hemispheres." the first track, "Cygnus-X Book 2" is a 20 minute epic using mythology and sci-fi to describe the merging of the left and right hemispheres of the human brain (in my analysis, at least.) The story starts in the age of Apollo when the world was ruled by reason, but the people grew discontent and were lured by Dionysus into an age of love. but love failed them in the face of the elements and other dangers, thus a new god, "Cygnus" the god of balance was born.
Its really quite a marvelous and well thought out piece...one of my favorite pieces of music of all time.

@Eliyahu: thanks for that, I didn't know they were close with tool.

They are also friendly with the trailer park boys whos latest effort was the drunk and on drugs happy fun time hour, great fun here's the first episode if interested
http://www.youtube.com/w...ure=youtube_gdata_player

11 years later I just finished listening to this same song and googled "did Neil Peart ever smoke DMT" and this was the top result.

I guess we'll never know for sure now, but having smoked much more DMT than when I originally posted this, and listened to countless hours of Rush, I'm leaning towards "yes."