Territories

I've been a fan of Canadian rock band Rush since my early teens. Some older die-hard fans get a bit snooty about the band's very keyboard-driven mid-period, but I'm not one of those people. I'm especially fond of their 1985 album Power Windows, and, in particular, the track "Territories".

Recently, I found myself thinking once again about this track, specifically about its lyrics. In these very uncertain times, blighted by horrific conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, drummer & lyricist Neil Peart's critique of the territorial greed and warmongering of nations hits harder than ever before.

For starters, Peart questions the value of conquest to the conqueror:

We see so many tribes overrun and undermined
While their invaders dream of lands they left behind
Better people, better food, and better beer
Why move around the world when Eden was so near?

And he criticizes not just the posturing of political leaders but also the jingoism of ordinary people:

The bosses get talking so tough
And if that wasn't evil enough
We get the drunken and the passionate pride
Of the citizens along for the ride

Meanwhile, the chorus includes the almost throw-away line "Don't feed the people, but we feed the machines" - a prescient aside that resonates strongly in this era of generative AI hype, as our tech overlords battle over who can more profitably consume and regurgitate our digital lives, whilst doing very little to address humanity's real problems.

However, the real jewel in the crown occurs later in the song:

Better the pride that resides
In a citizen of the world
Than the pride that divides
When a colorful rag is unfurled

For my money, these are the finest words Peart ever wrote for the band: words we should all live by.