10 Hidden Details You Never Noticed In Hard Rock Songs
6. YYZ - Rush
Rush is one of the few bands that has their own separate level of complexity. After drafting in Neil Peart behind the drum kit, the band became one of the most complex musical collectives in hard rock, with songs that told grandiose stories and often eclipsed the 10 minute mark. Peart was normally inspired by literature and folk tales, but when looking for an idea for a song, something as simple as coming home does the trick.
When returning to their native Toronto after a long tour, the band were in the cockpit of their plane and heard the morse code for Toronto's airport. Noticing the intricate rhythm at play there, Peart started fiddling around with a song idea that would eventually become "YYZ." Named after the area code of their home, most of the opening and closing riffs of this song is centered around the rhythm Peart heard in that cockpit that day.
More than just an ode to their stomping grounds, "YYZ" is perfect at evoking the concept of travel, with every single riff sounding like it's depicting the hustle and bustle of an airport, subway, or any other mode of transportation that suits your needs.
Some of Rush's material could be a bit self indulgent at times, but once you hear the backstory behind this track, you realize that these prog nerds are just as playful as any other rock band out there.