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{{Infobox single
{{Infobox single
| Name =RCKSTARSAD<:>Msklfn sfdsfsdf
| Name = Tom Sawyer
| Cover = Tom_Sawyer.gif
| Artist = [[Rush (band)|Rushsf (album)|Moving Pictures]]
| Artist = [[Rush (band)|Rush]]
| B-side = "Witch Hunt" (USAf)<br />"A Passage to Bangkok" (UK)
| Released = February 28, 1981sf
| Album = [[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]]
| Recorded = October - November d], [[hard rock]]
| B-side = "Witch Hunt" (USA)<br />"A Passage to Bangkok" (UK)
| Length = 4:33fsddddddddddddddddd
| Released = February 28, 1981
| Format = 7"
| Recorded = October - November 1980 at [[Le Studio]], [[Morin Heights]], [[Quebec]]
| Genre = [[Progressive rock]], [[hard rock]]
| Length = 4:33
| Label = [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
| Writer = [[Geddy Lee]], [[Neil Peart]], [[Alex Lifeson]], [[Pye Dubois]]
| Producer = [[Rush (band)|Rush]] and [[Terry Brown (record producer)|Terry Brown]]
| Last single = "[[Entre Nous (song)|Entre Nous]]" <br>(1980)
| This single = "'''Tom Sawyer'''" <br>(1981)
| Next single = "[[Limelight (song)|Limelight]]" <br>(1981)
| Misc = {{Extra chronology
| Type = single
| Last single = "[[Vital Signs (Rush song)|Vital Signs]]"<br>(1981)
| This single = "'''Tom Sawyer'''" (Live)<br>(1981)
| Next single = "[[Closer to the Heart]]" (Live)<br>(1981)
}}
{{Extra track listing
{{Extra track listing
| Album = [[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]]
| Album = [[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]]
| Type = singledddddddddddddd
| Type = single
| prev_track = Beginning of Album
| prev_no =
| this_track = "'''Tom Sawyer'''"
| track_no = 1
| next_track = "[[Red Barchetta]]"
| next_no = 2
}}
{{Extra track listing
| Album = [[Exit...Stage Left]]
| Type = single
| prev_track = "[[Freewill (Rush song)|Freewill]]"
| prev_no = 11
| this_track = "'''Tom Sawyer'''"
| track_no = 12
| next_track = "[[La Villa Strangiato]]"
| next_no = 13
}}
{{Extra musicsample
|type=single
|filename = TomSawyer.ogg
|format = [[Ogg]]
|description="Tom Sawyer" from ''Moving Pictures''.
|title="Tom Sawyer"}}
}}

"'''Tom Sawyer'''" is a song by [[Canadian]] rock band [[Rush (band)|Rush]], named for [[Mark Twain]]'s [[Tom Sawyer|literary character]]. The song was released on [[Mercury Records]] and [[PolyGram]] in 1981 on the ''[[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]]'' album and numerous compilations thereafter, such as 1990's ''[[Chronicles (Rush album)|Chronicles]]''. It has also appeared on several live albums and [[Bootleg recording|bootlegs]]. The song relies heavily on [[Geddy Lee]]'s [[synthesizer]] playing and the techniques of drummer [[Neil Peart]]. Geddy Lee has referred to the track as the band's "defining piece of music...from the early '80s".<ref name="Rush PR Press Conference">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPmQJJbByUo Rush Press Conference in Puerto Rico], April 9, 2008</ref> It is one of Rush's best-known songs and is a staple of [[classic rock]] radio. It reached 25 in the UK singles chart in October 1981.<ref name="UK Charts 1981">[http://www.thetop40charts.co.uk/top40/1981.htm UK Charts 1981], accessed July 17, 2008</ref> and in the US peaked at #44 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and at 8 on the [[Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks|''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock]] chart.<ref>{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5323/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} |title=Rush > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |accessdate={{Start date|2009|12|27}}}}</ref> In 2009 it was named the 19th greatest hard rock song of all time by [[VH1]].<ref>{{citeweb|title=spreadit.org music|url=http://music.spreadit.org/vh1-top-100-hard-rock-songs/|accessdate=February 7, 2009}}</ref> "Tom Sawyer" was one of five Rush songs inducted into the [[Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame]] on March 28, 2010.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/753007--new-home-a-place-to-sing-praises-of-our-songwriters | publisher=[[The Toronto Star]] | accessdate=2010-06-16 | date=2010-01-20 | first=Ashante | last=Infantry | title=(News) ''New home a place to sing praises of our songwriters''}}</ref>

== Origin ==
The song was written by Lee, Peart, and guitarist [[Alex Lifeson]] in collaboration with Canadian lyricist [[Pye Dubois]] (the lyricist of [[Max Webster]]), who also co-wrote other Rush songs such as "Force Ten," "Between Sun and Moon," and "Test For Echo." According to the US radio show ''[[In the Studio with Redbeard]]'' (which devoted an entire episode to the making of ''Moving Pictures''), "Tom Sawyer" came about during a summer rehearsal holiday that Rush spent at [[Ronnie Hawkins]]' farm outside [[Toronto]]. Peart was presented with a poem by Dubois named "Louis the Lawyer" (often cited as "Louis the Warrior")<ref>{{cite book | title= Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away | last=Popoff | first= Martin | date= | publisher= [[ECW Press]] | isbn= 1550226789}}</ref> that he modified and expanded. Lee and Lifeson then helped set the poem to music. The unique [[growling]] sound heard in the song came from Lee's fiddling with his [[Oberheim OB-X]] [[synthesizer]].<ref>http://www.vintagesynth.com/oberheim/obx.shtml</ref><ref>http://www.rainycitynights.com/band/rush_stuff/tomsawyergrowl.htm</ref>

In the December 1985 Rush Backstage Club newsletter, drummer and lyricist Neil Peart said:
{{cquote|Tom Sawyer was a collaboration between myself and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be - namely me I guess.}}

[[Alex Lifeson]] describes his guitar solo in "Tom Sawyer" in a 2007 interview:
{{cquote|I winged it. Honest! I came in, did five takes, then went off and had a cigarette. I'm at my best for the first two takes; after that, I overthink everything and I lose the spark. Actually, the solo you hear is [[Multitrack recording|comped]] together from various takes.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Vital Signs|author=Joe Bosso|year=2007|month=July|journal=Guitar World}}</ref>}}

== In popular culture ==
===In film===
*''[[Fanboys (2009 film)|Fanboys]]'' (also featuring, "Limelight")
*[[Rob Zombie]]'s reimagining of ''[[Halloween (2007 film)|Halloween]]''<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SUKPTI Halloween Soundtrack on Amazon], accessed July 18, 2008</ref>
*''[[I Love You, Man]]'' (also featuring, "[[Limelight (song)|Limelight]]")
*''[[Small Soldiers]]''
*[[Adam Sandler]]'s ''[[The Waterboy]]''<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000DMU1 The Waterboy Soundtrack on Amazon], accessed July 18, 2008</ref>
*[[Ari_Gold_(filmmaker)|Ari Gold's]] ''[[Adventures of Power]]''<ref>http://andrewolson.com/Neil_Peart/adventures_of_power/interview.htm</ref>

===In television===
*''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'',<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185875/soundtrack Chuck Soundtrack on IMDb]</ref>
*The band performed the song during an airing of ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' on July 16, 2008, in their first American television appearance in 33 years.<ref>[http://sev.prnewswire.com/music/20080715/NYTU13315072008-1.html Rush to Perform for the First Time on U.S. Television in Over 30 Years on 'The Colbert Report'], [[PR Newswire]], July 15, 2008</ref>
*''[[Everybody Hates Chris]]''
*''[[Family Guy]]''
*''[[Freaks and Geeks]]''
*''[[Fringe (TV series)|Fringe]]'' episode, "[[The Man from the Other Side]]"
*''[[Futurama]]''
*''The Hard Times of RJ Berger''
* This song replaced the original ''[[MacGyver]]'' theme in its original airing in Brazil.<ref>Rush in television [http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/RushReferences.htm Power Windows Website] Accessed July 18, 2008</ref>
*''[[Regular Show]]''
*''[[The Sopranos]]'' episode, "[[Walk Like a Man (The Sopranos)|Walk Like a Man]]"
*''[[Trailer Park Boys]]''

==Covers==
(Alphabetized by artist)
* [[The Bad Plus]] from the 2007 album ''[[Prog_(album)|Prog]]''
* Briefly featured in "Grade 9" by [[Barenaked Ladies]] along with a brief cover of the intro riff from [[The Spirit of Radio]].
* Heavy metal, synth rock band [[Deadsy]] from the 2002 album ''[[Commencement (album)|Commencement]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=Deadsy - Tom Sawyer|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Deadsy/_/Tom+Sawyer|publisher=last.fm}}</ref>
* Canadian gypsy jazz band [[The Lost Fingers]] on their album ''[[Gypsy Kameloneon]]''
* punk, electronica band [[Mindless Self Indulgence]] from their 2005 album ''[[You'll Rebel to Anything]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=Mindless Self Indulgence - Tom Sawyer|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Mindless+Self+Indulgence/_/Tom+Sawyer|publisher=last.fm}}</ref>
* The band [[Rage (band)|Rage]] from the 1998 album ''XIII''
* [[Run for Cover (band)|Run for Cover]]<ref>[http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/Coveralbums.htm List of Cover Albums on Power Windows], accessed July 18, 2008 {{Wayback | url=http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/Coveralbums.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> | date=20080716224051 }}</ref>
* [[Sebastian Bach]]<ref name="Subdivisions on Amazon">[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007R8EC2/ Subdivisions on Amazon], accessed July 18, 2008</ref>
* Sampled by the [[Young Black Teenagers]] on their 1994 recording "Time To Make The Dough Nutz"
* DJ Z-Trip remix on ''[[Small Soldiers]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=Small Soldiers soundtrack listing|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122718/soundtrack|publisher=IMDB}}</ref>
*

==Mashups==
* "Pass The Mic, Tom: Beastie Boys vs. Rush" by Melody Lanes - a mashup of the Beastie Boys' "Pass The Mic" and Rush's "Tom Sawyer"

==See also==
*''[[The Adventures of Tom Sawyer]]'', the book that is referenced in the song

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.RUSH.com Rush official website]
*[http://www.rainycitynights.com/band/rush_stuff/tomsawyergrowl.htm Tom Sawyer Growl Sound article]
*[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3105 Songfacts entry]
{{Rush}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tom Sawyer}}
[[Category:1981 singles]]
[[Category:Rush (band) songs]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers]]
[[Category:Progressive rock songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Alex Lifeson]]
[[Category:Songs written by Geddy Lee]]
[[Category:Songs written by Neil Peart]]

[[fr:Tom Sawyer (chanson)]]

Revision as of 14:26, 7 November 2011

"Tom Sawyer"
Song
B-side"Witch Hunt" (USA)
"A Passage to Bangkok" (UK)

"Tom Sawyer" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, named for Mark Twain's literary character. The song was released on Mercury Records and PolyGram in 1981 on the Moving Pictures album and numerous compilations thereafter, such as 1990's Chronicles. It has also appeared on several live albums and bootlegs. The song relies heavily on Geddy Lee's synthesizer playing and the techniques of drummer Neil Peart. Geddy Lee has referred to the track as the band's "defining piece of music...from the early '80s".[1] It is one of Rush's best-known songs and is a staple of classic rock radio. It reached 25 in the UK singles chart in October 1981.[2] and in the US peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at 8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.[3] In 2009 it was named the 19th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.[4] "Tom Sawyer" was one of five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010.[5]

Origin

The song was written by Lee, Peart, and guitarist Alex Lifeson in collaboration with Canadian lyricist Pye Dubois (the lyricist of Max Webster), who also co-wrote other Rush songs such as "Force Ten," "Between Sun and Moon," and "Test For Echo." According to the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard (which devoted an entire episode to the making of Moving Pictures), "Tom Sawyer" came about during a summer rehearsal holiday that Rush spent at Ronnie Hawkins' farm outside Toronto. Peart was presented with a poem by Dubois named "Louis the Lawyer" (often cited as "Louis the Warrior")[6] that he modified and expanded. Lee and Lifeson then helped set the poem to music. The unique growling sound heard in the song came from Lee's fiddling with his Oberheim OB-X synthesizer.[7][8]

In the December 1985 Rush Backstage Club newsletter, drummer and lyricist Neil Peart said:

Tom Sawyer was a collaboration between myself and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be - namely me I guess.

Alex Lifeson describes his guitar solo in "Tom Sawyer" in a 2007 interview:

I winged it. Honest! I came in, did five takes, then went off and had a cigarette. I'm at my best for the first two takes; after that, I overthink everything and I lose the spark. Actually, the solo you hear is comped together from various takes.[9]

In film

In television

Covers

(Alphabetized by artist)

Mashups

  • "Pass The Mic, Tom: Beastie Boys vs. Rush" by Melody Lanes - a mashup of the Beastie Boys' "Pass The Mic" and Rush's "Tom Sawyer"

See also

References

  1. ^ Rush Press Conference in Puerto Rico, April 9, 2008
  2. ^ UK Charts 1981, accessed July 17, 2008
  3. ^ "Rush > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved December 27, 2009 (2009-12-27). {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  5. ^ Infantry, Ashante (2010-01-20). "(News) New home a place to sing praises of our songwriters". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  6. ^ Popoff, Martin. Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away. ECW Press. ISBN 1550226789.
  7. ^ http://www.vintagesynth.com/oberheim/obx.shtml
  8. ^ http://www.rainycitynights.com/band/rush_stuff/tomsawyergrowl.htm
  9. ^ Joe Bosso (2007). "Vital Signs". Guitar World. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ Halloween Soundtrack on Amazon, accessed July 18, 2008
  11. ^ The Waterboy Soundtrack on Amazon, accessed July 18, 2008
  12. ^ http://andrewolson.com/Neil_Peart/adventures_of_power/interview.htm
  13. ^ Chuck Soundtrack on IMDb
  14. ^ Rush to Perform for the First Time on U.S. Television in Over 30 Years on 'The Colbert Report', PR Newswire, July 15, 2008
  15. ^ Rush in television Power Windows Website Accessed July 18, 2008
  16. ^ "Deadsy - Tom Sawyer". last.fm.
  17. ^ "Mindless Self Indulgence - Tom Sawyer". last.fm.
  18. ^ List of Cover Albums on Power Windows, accessed July 18, 2008 Template:Wayback
  19. ^ Subdivisions on Amazon, accessed July 18, 2008
  20. ^ "Small Soldiers soundtrack listing". IMDB.
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