10 Song Guide To Neil Peart's Awesomeness
5. Limelight
While "Tom Sawyer" set the scene for Rush's magnum opus, "Limelight" was the most accessible single that the band had to offer during this period. The opening guitar hook immediately gets you intrigued before Neil's cymbal crash jettisons you into the groove. The drum performance on this song is incendiaras it flows in and out of common times but never coming off as disjointed
In terms of songwriting, this song may have the most transparent set of lyrics that Neil would ever write. With the band becoming popular, Neil was uncomfortable with the type of attention he was receiving from fans. He was never one to bask in glory of stardom, which seemed to somewhat repulse him. Instead of lashing out, Neil poured his frustration into the lyrics of this song. "I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend" is probably one of the most humble ways in which Neil could have expressed his discomfort.
Neil himself considered this lyric as one which he is most proud of. While fans may never get to relate with him on a personal level, this song is one of the purest expressions of Neil's personality stuffed into one glorious track.