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A modern day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride
Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift
The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you
No, his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit
The world is the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide
Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to
The friction of the day
Mean, mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride
Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift
The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you
No, his mind is not for rent
To any god or government
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit
The world is the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide
Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to
The friction of the day
Lyrics submitted by knate15
Track duration: 04:37
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"The river" is symbolic of how badass they are.
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society When you question this power of the tyrants (the hidden hand), you are questioning the decency of society itself. They have made it so through mass media manipulation, to make you feel guilty about questioning them. Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift. That is the mystery. We're being lead around by con men and bullshiters. No, his mind is not for rent
To any god or government (The powers that be have no homeland and answer to no one. Don't put him (them) down as arrogant
His(there) reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river
That just about says it all.
I heard from a friend and fellow RUSH fan that the band thought that Tom Sawyer was their least favorite song on the album. Does that mean it is a bad song? Not at all, this song is a work of art! It has my favorite RUSH line of all time in it:
"He knows that changes aren't permanent
But change IS"
There are so many RUSH songs out there that are so intelligent and stunning that the whole world should know them. That is what joey is saying. Not hurting on Tom Sawyer, just saying that there are other RUSH songs just as deserving of the limelight.
One of the problems of understanding this is that the writer winged the song.
I also want to take on something one of the previous posters said.
When he says "change is not permanent, but change is." he is not saying change is the only constant, but rather change is a constant.
I do not want to get into a detailed analysis of this song, so I have not included line by line proof. I am not getting paid for this.
He is not saying that change is a constant in particular because that is a cliche. He is saying the changes aren't permanent where changes are little things that you are trying to change "But change is" is to say that true change is actually permanent. If you truly change yourself it is permanent or it is not really change.