Imagine a time when it all began
In the dying days of a war
A weapon - that would settle the score
Whoever found it first
Would be sure to do their worst -
They always had before...

Imagine a man where it all began
A scientist pacing the floor
In each nation - always eager to explore
To build the best big stick
To turn the winning trick -
But this was something more...

The big bang - took and shook the world
Shot down the rising sun
the end was begun - it would hit everyone
When the chain reaction was done
The big shots - try to hold it back
Fools try to wish it away
The hopeful depend on a world without end
Whatever the hopeless may say

Imagine a place where it all began
They gathered from across the land
To work in the secrecy of the desert sand
All of the brightest boys
To play with the biggest toys -
More than they bargained for...

Imagine a man when it all began
The pilot of "Enola Gay"
Flying out of the shockwave on that August day
All the powers that be, and the course of history,
Would be changed for evermore...



Lyrics submitted by MasterDuncan03


Manhatten Project song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:One of Rush's few entirely literal songs. There is nothing more here than Neil's retelling of the race to build the bomb. Anecdotally, this song got me to where I am today, studying nuclear engineering in college. It went from "I want to hear more about the manhattan project" to "wow this nuclear stuff is pretty amazing" to "I want to work in nuclear energy". So here I am, thank you Rush for helping me decide my career path.
    Flag phildo123on May 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great song. Right up there with Distant Early Warning(about the DEW line Canada and USA built to alert us to Soviet bomber planes attacking us), and Red Sector A (about the Holocaust Death camps of WWII).
    Flag tigerx2374on September 13, 2007   Link
  • -6
    General Comment:This has to be one of the worst songs of the 80's. It's pathetic how the singer says, "imagine a time when it all began...", it sounds like he's telling children a bedtime story. It's also quite poor musically... can you say synth overkill?

    Rush used to be a good prog rock band, then in the 80's they turned into a third rate new-wave band.
    Flagged RapIsGarbageon June 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Asian Rush Fan-

    Re: dumping fluoride, and putting in our toothpaste and water to get rid of it, I hope you're being sarcastic...

    Kids, If he's not kidding, fluoride strengthens tooth enamel. It's put in our water because it's a necessary mineral that we don't get from our food.

    This song is great. Doesn't glorify the A-bomb. Just tells the story.
    Flag bronchialon May 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's more than just the bombing of Hiroshima and eventually Nagasaki but man's desire to have a bigger, stronger and more powerful weapon. Just that Hiroshima and Nagasaki was pandora's box. Thes steps from a bone to rock to bow and arrow, all the way up to the atomic bomb was the inevitable step man took to kill. Gee, I wonder what's next and the next Rush band will sing about?
    Flag Asian Rush Fanon January 06, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Neil read something around 10 books on the subject to make sure all the facts were correct, now thats dedication.
    Flag Vannarothon July 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:by watchthefireworks on 05-26-2002 @ 10:26:22 PM
    It could be about 'chicks' symbolically (MAYBE), but in a literal sense it's totally about the atomic bombs, "fat man" and "little boy".

    ^^no....

    The "Manhattan Project" was the name of the Atomic Bomb projecf, dumbasses... 00**
    Flag z22on December 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Good song. This song helped me learn what my aunt experienced on August 6, 1945 in the city of Hiroshima. She was one klick south of the Peace Dome in Hiroshima-shi. It's also sad that the song Manhattan Project also had its downfall in the U.S. In New Jersey, while the bombs were being made, the corporaions who made these bombs dumped tons of fluoride into Jersey's harbor, thus making Jersey on of the most dirtiest states. Impossible? Look it up. Oh, BTW, the fluoride they used to make the bombs? There is no legal place to dump it, so they put it in our toothpaste and water. See? Just by listening to Rush, one learns
    Flag Asian Rush Fanon June 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:man, this makes me wanna pull out my chronicles VHS.
    im young, but i can still recall the day seeing geddy's face on a music video on MTV. i was prolly 6.
    aaaaahhhh, when TV used to be lovely.
    he is right though, it is distant early warning for the boy on the missle.
    Flag acrosstheuniverseon April 16, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hey Frank - The video where the boy is riding the missle is the music video for "Distant Early Warning", not "The Manhattan Project".
    Flag RUSHMANon November 22, 2004   Link

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