Lyrics for The Trees as interpreted by crackermcnacca

The Trees Lyrics
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas

The trouble with the maples
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade?

There is trouble in the forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the maples scream "Oppression!"
And the oaks just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw

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bigmac2002
09-17-2002

Rated 0 
I'm not sure exactly what this song is about, but I have some ideas:
1) Symbolism of trees in a forest represents the racism between white and black people in North America
2) Symbolism of feminist movements, women want more rights, men feel they should accept there role in society (and they wonder why the maples can't be happy in their shade)
Great song, Great lyrics, Great band!!

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1 Reply
Samoan
03-03-2003

Rated +2 
These lyrics are high poetry. The meaning is actually very simple. We are not all equal in every way. Any attempt to artifically create universal equality is ultimately doomed to failure. But no matter how inequitable life becomes, death awaits us all. In the end, we all end up the same.

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hargalaten
03-22-2003

Rated +1 
Samoan’s got it better than most people. But still off a bit from what I think. Specifically, the part he refers to as how death awaits. Before I sat and read the lyrics, the death idea was what I thought.
For me, the lines "For they passed a noble law/And the trees are all kept equal/By hatchet, /Axe, /and saw." does not show death as a natural equalizer, as shown by the first line shown (noble law). The only way to make things equal is to cut the best (the oaks here) down to the level of the others. You can only raise people up so far.
And yet, this is what is happening in America these days - cutting down the superior via standardized testing, race-specific scholarships/grants (none specific to whites, though) from places like LULAC and NAACP.

About the whole song:
His sarcastic portrayal of the maples: "the Maples scream `Oppression!` " and the "noble" law, and "And they're quite convinced they're right" as pertaining to the maples, not the oaks.
I found that you really need to read the lyrics to get the sarcasm, picking up lyrics from his singing leads one to think he takes the position that most every other popular musician of the time.
It really is a refreshing change compared to everyone else on the "maple's" side.

Man, that's long.

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shed27
06-22-2003

Rated -1 
definately about the fight between races

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beemer11
04-13-2004

Rated 0 
i think about any group that is oppressed.

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Wyrm
05-14-2004

Rated 0 
Surely, it's about the independence of Canada from the British. Canada being the Maples and Britain being the Oaks. I thought this was well known.

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masterofpuppets80
05-16-2004

Rated 0 
Geddy was born to sing this song

to me it's about racism in a forest using maple trees and oak trees as the two races

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KJValdez
06-01-2004

Rated 0 
I agree somewhat with the racism theory, but then again, it could be any group in the world. To me it represents the fight for equality and how no matter how hard we fight for it, we all end up in the same place in the end. Therefore, we are all equal in the eyes of our creator. Great song and even better in concert. Saw them in concert years ago and it was one of the best that I have ever been to.

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Garthnak
06-03-2004

Rated 0 
It is not about racism. You have to remember that Rush was a very libertarian band - this song is about the legal struggle between employees and businesses.

The Maples are workers, and the Oaks are companies. The "light" is money. The workers are envious of the wealth of of the people who run the companies. They form a union and get the government to pass a law to force the companies to give them higher wages - thus, effectively destroying their employers (by hatchet, axe, and saw - the only way to get more light is by cutting the Oaks down).

That's basically the real interpretation. Rush's album 2112, for example, is a rock opera version of Ayn Rand's book "Anthem". Ayn Rand was a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist, and would have agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment of this song.

I do, too.

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steve82c_my_AIM_sn
12-19-2004

Rated 0 
a union? demanding equal rights? It sounds like something with the work force. I am happy with the general idea in the song... seometimes it's fun to put your own spin on songs and not care about the specifics lol. I think the thing about hatchet, axe, and saw just represents them enforcing the rules, not actually killing people.

If this song is about workers vs. people who own companies and just profit off the workers, then here's what some of the lines mean....

sunlight = money
lofty = getting more sunlight
can't help the way they're made..... "made" means to be rich... you got it made

be happy with shade. = be happy with your wages

here's where I get confused:

So the Maples formed a Union
And demanded equal rights
'The Oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more Oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, Axe, And saw

either they demanded more pay and forced teh rich guys to not be so rich by paying them more, or now I'm starting to think this might be about women in the workforce lol. If you cut down the oak, you are making him not rich anymore. I don't know... it seems to make sense. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong

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steve82c_my_AIM_sn
12-19-2004

Rated 0 
sorry, I just repeated what Garthnak wrote. I was getting tired of reading by then, and I felt like talking lol.... my bad :)

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drrhythm
01-08-2005

Rated 0 
This song is actually about a) the relationship between Canada (The Maples - most common tree in Canada, national treasure and symbol) and the United States (The Oaks - most common tree in US forests); and b) Neil's suggestions for equalizing everybody (a very liberiterian concept - in line with his politics).

While Canada is bigger in geographic mass, the United States has persistently overshadowed her. [The trouble with the Maples (And they're quite convinced they're right) They say the Oaks are just too lofty And they grab up all the light . . . And they wonder why the Maples Can't be happy in their shade?]

The ultimate correction to a perceived injustice - whether real or not - is the equalization of parties. In that light, Neil's lyrics demonstrate that the only way to either make everyone happy OR at least eliminate the basis for discontent is equalization [For they passed a noble law And the trees are all kept equal By hatchet, Axe, And saw.]

Amazing song (oh so usual for the triumvurate of genius called Rush) and tremendously meaningful lyrics.

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nemt
02-22-2005

Rated 0 
Wow, you guys are WAY off. Hmm, where to begin?

First of all, Dr Rhythm, you have much to learn about Libertarian political ideology. No Libertarian would EVER espouse forced equality among citizens, and certainly not between nations. Libertarian political philosophy is basically centered on the concept of the government staying out of citizens' business economically as well as socially.

Other than that, you are almost on task, Neil Peart did believe strongly in Libertarian views, however, the song is about Communism, and a fictional dispute between trees represents the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The theme of the song is self-determination, something Peart felt very strongly about after reading some of Ayn Rand's work.

Many of Rush's songs, especially those written by Peart have anti-communist lyrics; the message is the same in The Trees as well as The Temples of Syrinx, Freewill, and Xanadu.

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the King of shit
03-07-2005

Rated 0 
mhm communism

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QuixoticComrade
03-19-2005

Rated 0 
Kudos to hargalaten for picking up on that sarcasm... I never caught that until I read about it just now... it really seems to add to the song.

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KCIRTAP
06-08-2005

Rated 0 
I find both 'communist' and 'anti-communist' leanings; The Maples' struggle is justified in the lyrics, while their views are shown in a sarcastic manner by Peart.

I think it properly uses trees to describe the wage-slave theory, Maple Trees need sunlight to survive, and it seems that they get very little.

It explains that the solution to the problem is preventing monopolies from taking over the free market or, in this case, the sky.

Though Peart is a classic libertarian, there is such thing as a social libertarian; where restrictions on the market can take place, but not on the citizen's social rights.

If the Maples wanted a true communist society, the instituition of the Oak trees would be chopped completely down.

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floydian_slip
06-27-2005

Rated 0 
probably the only rush song where the lyrics grabbed my attention before the music, dare i say it.

GO NEIL!!!!!!!!

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Brat Moj
07-23-2005

Rated 0 
Yes, it's a typical libertarian railing against egalitarianism. As is 2112. But Freewill isn't. Freewill is about what a sham religion is.

Neil is a very "soft" libertarian, he doesn't agree with all of it. Ayn Rand is shit in my opinion, but Rush is one of my favorite bands.

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murphyov
07-27-2005

Rated 0 
This song is clearly about class struggle. The Oaks represent the "haves" and the Maples represent the "have nots." The overall message of the song is that the Oaks, or Ruling Class, always get their way despite futile protests by the less priviledged classes. Social Darwinism is not dead.

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murphyov
07-27-2005

Rated 0 
This song is clearly about class struggle. The Oaks represent the "haves" and the Maples represent the "have nots." The overall message of the song is that the Oaks, or Ruling Class, always get their way despite futile protests by the less priviledged classes. Social Darwinism is not dead.

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dtox82
07-29-2005

Rated 0 
It's clearly a Rand inspired rant. They're complaining against forced equality where the achievers are forced to remain equal to the mediocre mob even though they're meant to be much more. Complaining against individual excellence being held back by jealous mediocrity... the usual.

Just like Rand produced quite well written trash, I love Rush's music even if I don't agree with their politics in the least. I love how they use the symbolism of "Hatchet, Axe and Saw". I can't think of any other song that gets sarcasm across in quite the same way.

murphyov: Social Darwinism is exactly what they're singing for.

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nemt
09-01-2005

Rated 0 
Neil Peart is a rationalist, very much inline with Rand's views, though different in some ways. This song is purely and anti-communist work, and is not meant to show sympathy for those engaged in class warfare. Agree or disagree with Peart's beliefs, this is the rationale behind the song's lyrics.

As for Freewill, it is not just about religion but about anything unexplainable by science and reason. Religion, spirituality, tarot cards, fortune telling, etc.

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nemt
09-09-2005

Rated 0 
I just noticed something important about the lyrics today. In the beginning, the maples say the oaks are "just too lofty," implying they realize it's not the oaks' fault they are getting the lion's share of sunlight. After the union is formed, however, sentiment changes to "the oaks are just too greedy" implying the oaks have decided to take the sunlight for themselves. It shows how a dissenting underclass can miss the message entirely.

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Hand of Maedhros
09-29-2005

Rated 0 
"And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw"

I think that this is a metaphor for socialism. To my knowledge, Peart is politically liberal (libertarian for Americans).

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robinjay490
01-04-2006

Rated 0 
Jesus, we got a lot of rush fans in the house. I'm rather dissapointed, however, under the consideration that rush fans are generally more eclectic than this. It's about politics. Not work force. Not communism. It's about the struggle for democracy amoungst the political system, and the lack of realization for the dangers to equal rights.

For ex: Johnny's a genius MIT grad, and Dirk's a moron HS dropout workin in a muffler shop. Should Dirk make critically effecting political decisions, or should he just leave his trust to Johnny? I think I'm right but I'm willing to accept the possibility of a double-meaning here. Rush rocks rules. Dire straits-better, but Rush rules.

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