"Bastille Day" | ||||
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Song by Rush | ||||
from the album Caress of Steel | ||||
Released | 1975 | |||
Recorded | 1975 | |||
Studio | Toronto Sound, Toronto | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:37 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Songwriter(s) | Composer: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson Lyricist: Neil Peart |
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Producer(s) |
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Caress of Steel track listing | ||||
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"Bastille Day" is a song by Rush, the opening track from their third album, Caress of Steel. Like most Rush songs, the music was written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, and the lyrics by Neil Peart. The song uses the storming of the Bastille, which began the French Revolution, as an allegory for revolutionary fervor needed in the struggle against tyrannical government. It is therefore in the same vein as other libertarian-themed songs from the early stages of Rush's career, including "Anthem", "Closer to the Heart", "Freewill", "Something for Nothing", and "A Farewell to Kings", when the band — Neil Peart and Geddy Lee in particular — was influenced by the Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand.
Live versions of the song appear on the albums All the World's a Stage and Different Stages. It was last performed live in 1981, but an instrumental section was played during the R30 Tour as part of the "R30 Overture," which opened concerts on that tour.
Progressive metal band Dream Theater, originally known as "Majesty," took their original name from founding drummer Mike Portnoy's description of the ending of "Bastille Day" as "majestic."