To me, this song is about the story of one man who has a single goal: to find and live for all eternity in Xanadu. The promises of Kubla Khan of a wonderland where you may walk along the river Alph, explore and navigate the spectacular ice caves, and eat like a king on honey for all eternity in the beauty of nature. He finds it and is immedatly overbaringly excited and content. But, over a thousand years, he realizes what was once his paradise is now his prison, and wishes that he could escape this land.
Overall, I beleive the song is about self indulgence and greed, to major obstacles people face in life. This songs character decides that he will live there without any consideration of the future, his mind clouded by the idea of instant gratification. However, this was a bad choice and now, 1000 years later, he has come to know Xanadu as a prison, not a paradise.
This is undoubtedly one of my favorite Rush songs. It exemplifies the technical prowess of Alex Lifesons guitar playing, vocal range and bass/synthesizer playing of Geddy Lee, and unbeleivable percussion skill and song writing ability of Neil Peart. Xanadu steals the show on A Farwell to Kings, miles ahead of "Closer to the Heart", "Cinderella Man", and "Cyganus X-1".
To me, this song is about the story of one man who has a single goal: to find and live for all eternity in Xanadu. The promises of Kubla Khan of a wonderland where you may walk along the river Alph, explore and navigate the spectacular ice caves, and eat like a king on honey for all eternity in the beauty of nature. He finds it and is immedatly overbaringly excited and content. But, over a thousand years, he realizes what was once his paradise is now his prison, and wishes that he could escape this land.
Overall, I beleive the song is about self indulgence and greed, to major obstacles people face in life. This songs character decides that he will live there without any consideration of the future, his mind clouded by the idea of instant gratification. However, this was a bad choice and now, 1000 years later, he has come to know Xanadu as a prison, not a paradise.
This is undoubtedly one of my favorite Rush songs. It exemplifies the technical prowess of Alex Lifesons guitar playing, vocal range and bass/synthesizer playing of Geddy Lee, and unbeleivable percussion skill and song writing ability of Neil Peart. Xanadu steals the show on A Farwell to Kings, miles ahead of "Closer to the Heart", "Cinderella Man", and "Cyganus X-1".