One little victory...

The moment many music geeks have been waiting for is here at last: the Canadian power trio Rush has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I've always thought it was a travesty that they weren't already included and it's a little sad that, after nearly four decades of creating music and selling millions of albums, CDs, eight-tracks, cassettes or DVDs, it took a vote of the fans to get them in. I'm sure they, like me, see the humor in it and they, also like me, probably aren't too concerned with it. Who cares how long the journey takes, as long as you get there, right? This is more for the fans than the band, anyway.

Still, it is long overdue.

Consider, if nothing else, the lyrics. There is always something of substance there, whether it was a sci-fi inspired story such as the epic 2112 or nods to fantasy fiction with songs like The Necromancer and By-Tor and the Snow Dog. And who else would think to combine space travel and mythology, as they did in the 20-minute Hemispheres?

Consider, in no particular order, some of my favorites:

"Life is just a candle and our dreams
must give it flame"
--The Fountain of Lamneth

"Courageous convictions will drag your dreams into existence"
--Vital Signs

"Once we loved the flowers,
now we ask the price of the land
Once we would drink water
but now it must be wine,"
--I Think I'm Going Bald

"Everyone would gather on the 24th of May
sitting in the sands to watch the fireworks display
Dancing fires on the beach,
singing songs together
although it's just a memory
some memories last forever"
--Lakeside Park

"Each of us: a cell of awareness
imperfect and incomplete
genetic blends
with uncertain ends
on a fortune hunt that's far too fleet"
--Freewill

"Some are born to move the world
to live their fantasies
but most of us just dream about
the things we'd like to be
sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it
for you, the blind who once could see,
the bell tolls for thee"
--Losing It

and all of Something For Nothing.

I could go on, of course, but will stop there in the interests of time.

Suffice it to say that it wasn't essential for Rush to be in the hall of fame, but it's a nice little tribute to a musical career that has already meant so much to so many. I'm sure the guys in the band care more about that, anyway.