Limelight Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Living on a lighted stage
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage
[Pre-Chorus]
Cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact
[Chorus]
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
[Verse 2]
Living in a fisheye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long-awaited friend
Living on a lighted stage
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage
[Pre-Chorus]
Cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact
[Chorus]
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
[Verse 2]
Living in a fisheye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long-awaited friend
[Pre-Chorus]
All the world's indeed a stage
And we are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage
[Chorus]
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
All the world's indeed a stage
And we are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage
[Chorus]
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
[Outro]
The real relation
The underlying theme
The real relation
The underlying theme
About
Genius Annotation
Notably ambivalent about fame and the consequent adoring crowds, Rush drummer Neil Peart penned these lyrics as a statement of such a sentiment, most forcefully in the lines:
Living in a fisheye lens / Caught in the camera eye / I have no heart to lie / I can’t pretend a stranger / Is a long-awaited friend
Guitarist Alex Lifeson also cites this song’s guitar solo as a particular favorite of his long career.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
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Credits
Producers
Writers
Recorded At
Le Studio, Morin Heights, QC, Canada
Release Date
February 12, 1981
Songs That Interpolate Limelight
Limelight Covers
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