Someone has seriously misled you by suggesting that there is such a thing as a "great Canadian philosopher-poet". While Philosopher-Poets do/did exist; have not heard of one worth any major discussion recently. And there are definitely Born in Canada Canadians although our numbers are getting fewer and fewer as our immigrant count rises and rises. But to combine both concepts in one phrase is pure oxymoronity.
Oh yeah, and if you are attempting to classify Geddy Lee of Rush as a "philosopher-poet", well first I suppose we can call him a "pee-pee" for short and, as far as the lyric abstract that you cited, I honestly cannot testify as to whether Lee came up with it on his own or borrowed it; a lot of that happens in the music industry, and the practice goes back to the pie-annie playes and organ grinders of the renaissance era.. Last Canadian I might accept as a philosopher-poet; Marshall McLuan. After that, crickets.😴 As for Rush in general. the only reason they ever got any air time up here is that the federal government passed a law makingt it mandatory for radio media to provide canadian singers and musicians with air time for their output. Translation: drivel begets drivel.
(Side bar here. Back in their bar hopping days, Rush did a gig in a local dive that I happened to frequent from time to time. Little known fact about bars and drinking establishments up here is that until the 70's, they were segregated, not by race, but by sex. As seen from above, the bars were shaped like "H"s. One leg of the H was for single men, the other was for ladies and escorts. Never the twain shall meet. If you came to a bar by yourself and expected to be able to approach a young woman and ask for a dance, about the only thing that would approach would be the bouncer to invite you to leave RFN.)
So in comes Rush, into this particular dive bar, which like others in the city, had been built to conform to the law by being shaped like an H, and they set up on the bandstand which is in the middle overlooking the dance floor. The roadie doing the sound sets up the speakers and splits them equally between both sides of the bar. The musicians turn up the volume to 11 and start torturing their instruments, and suddenly, instead of stereo, there is mono, one set of speakers has gone quiet. Roadie comes over, repairs the damage, the band??? tries again and the same thing happens.......... for the whole night. Band leader finally complains to the bar manager who comes over to the table that just happens to be situated under that stack of speakers and has a quick chat with the occupants, most of whom were very well known to me. Topic, Why? Too Loud. Band wants Loud to be heard, We can't hear ourselves Too loud, don't want loud. Bar owner is unhappy, bouncers raise hands in Uh-uh, none of our business mode; they know the occupants of that table all too well-even drink with them from time to time, bar owner makes consistent income from us coming in and drinking, band doesn't drink, doesn't play music well either....................... Bar manager gives up, goes behind bar, pours himself a double, and tells the band they are on their own. Think the roadie finally shifted all the bias to the set of speakers over on the ladies and escorts side,but that band "Rush" never played that bar here again. Absolutely no national presence or status, until a law says so. They are one of the very few bands for which I will actually stop what I am doing, if they happen to come on the radio, and turn the sound system OFF. Given a choice between them and silence, I'll take the silence.
Nick
