List of songs recorded by Rush

This is a comprehensive list of compositions performed or recorded by the Canadian rock band Rush or its principal members Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart, including contributions made to other artists.

List SongAlbumYearNotesRef."Losing Again"Unreleased song1969Played by the band as early as February 1969; their first original tune."You Don't Love Me"Unreleased song1969Played by the band as early as February 1969; a cover of a John Mayall's Bluesbreakers tune (remake of Willie Cobbs original) that featured then-keyboardist (and future brother-in-law of Geddy Lee) Lindy Young singing lead vocals."Living Loving Maid"Unreleased song1969Played by the band as early as November 1969; a cover of the Led Zeppelin tune from the Led Zeppelin II album. Geddy Lee states the song was in Rush's setlist for a while during their early bar playing days, being one of the few Led Zeppelin tunes they attempted that wasn't too difficult for them to play at the time."Child Reborn"Unreleased song1969Played by the band as early as November 1969; an original notable for its multiple time changes that seemed to guarantee a hostile reaction at high school dances."Feel So Good"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Keep in Line"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Love Light"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Marguerite"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Mike's Idea"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Morning Star"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Number One"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Run Willie Run"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970. Southern R&B song about a young guy who's running from the law."Sing Guitar"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Slaughterhouse"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Tale"Unreleased song1970Played by the band as early as September 1970."Not Fade Away"Non-album single1973Drummer: John Rutsey; First single released; Buddy Holly cover; Lifeson states the band used to play a really heavy version of this song during their early bar years, but toned it down a lot when this 1973 single was recorded for better commercial appeal. Originally planned for inclusion on Rush's debut album, but scrapped in the end. The song has not been released in any format since the initial 1973 Moon Records release until 2025, when it was included on the band's 50th anniversary box set. Allegedly, only 500 copies of the single were pressed."You Can't Fight It"Non-album single1973Drummer: John Rutsey; First original song released; B Side of Not Fade Away single; Music: Geddy Lee; Lyrics: John Rutsey; Played by the band as early as 1971. Originally planned for inclusion on Rush's debut album, but scrapped in the end. The song has not been released in any format since the initial 1973 Moon Records release until 2025, when it was included on the band's 50th anniversary box set. Allegedly, only 500 copies of the single were pressed."Finding My Way"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey"Need Some Love"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey"Take a Friend"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey"Here Again"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey; Lyrics: Alex Lifeson"What You're Doing"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey"In the Mood"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey"Before and After"Rush1974The band's first-ever suite, being of "Before" and "After", initially named "Before/After" on Lee's handwritten lyrics sheet; Drummer: John Rutsey"Working Man"Rush1974Drummer: John Rutsey; First song with US radio play (WMMS radio in Cleveland, Ohio)"I've Been Runnin’"R40 DVD / BD Box Set 1974Drummer: John Rutsey; Previously unreleased early song, featured as bonus material on the 2014 compilation R40. Disk 6 Bonus Disk. Filmed during Spring 1974 at the Laura Secord Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario."The Loser"R40 DVD / BD Box Set 1974Drummer: John Rutsey; Previously unreleased early song, featured as bonus material on the 2014 compilation R40. Disk 6 bonus disk. Filmed during Spring 1974 at the Laura Secord Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario."Fancy Dancer"Semi-official / RoIO releases1974Semi-officially released in 2011 as ABC 1974 - The First American Broadcast; circulated as bootleg releases since the year 2000; Recorded on 26 August 1974 at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio. Occasionally played during their debut album tour of 1974. Originally planned for inclusion on Fly by Night, but ultimately scrapped. About a love gone bad."Bad Boy"Semi-official / RoIO releases1974Semi-officially released in 2011 as ABC 1974 - The First American Broadcast; circulated as bootleg releases since the year 2000; Recorded on 26 August 1974 at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio. Regularly played by the band during their debut album tour of 1974, and occasionally during the Fly By Night tour of 1975. Larry Williams cover."Garden Road"Semi-official / RoIO releases1974Semi-officially released in 2011 as ABC 1974 - The First American Broadcast; circulated as bootleg releases since the year 2000; recorded on 26 August 1974 at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio. Played by band as early as 1970; Excerpt played at the very end of "Working Man" during the R40 Tour in 2015. Alludes to finding happiness with an early love."Anthem"Fly by Night1975 "...the name of our record company, which is Anthem Records in Canada, came from this song. Neil was in an Ayn Rand period, so he wrote the song about being very individual. We thought we were doing something that was different from everybody else." ~ Alex Lifeson"Best I Can"Fly by Night1975Played by band as early as 1974, prior to Peart being a member, although Peart is the drummer on the studio release."Beneath, Between, and Behind"Fly by Night1975First song co-written by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart"By-Tor and the Snow Dog"Fly by Night1975The band's first fantasy and science fiction epic track; I. At the Tobes of Hades; II. Across the Styx; III. Of the Battle (a. Challenge and Defiance, b. 7/4 War Furor, c. Aftermath, d. Hymn of Triumph); IV. Epilogue"Fly by Night"Fly By Night1975Considered the most pop-like piece on the album"Making Memories"Fly by Night1975Written on the road where the band got lost somewhere around Indiana.Making Memories"Rivendell"Fly by Night1975Inspired by Rivendell, a fictional realm created by author J.R.R. Tolkien"In the End"Fly by Night1975A song about coming home after being on the road"Bastille Day"Caress of Steel1975Inspired by the storming of the Bastille in French history."I Think I'm Going Bald"Caress of Steel1975Discusses aging. Peart chose the title of the track based on Lifeson always being worried about his potential hair loss."Lakeside Park"Caress of Steel1975Inspired by an amusement park in Port Dalhousie, Ontario"The Necromancer"Caress of Steel1975I. Into the Darkness; II. Under the Shadow; III. Return of the Prince; Inspired by the fictional character Sauron from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien"The Fountain of Lamneth"Caress of Steel1975I. In the Valley; II. Didacts and Narpets; III. No One at the Bridge; IV. Panacea; V. Bacchus Plateau; VI. The Fountain"2112"21121976I. "Overture"; II. "The Temples of Syrinx"; III. "Discovery"; IV. "Presentation"; V. "Oracle: The Dream"; VI. "Soliloquy"; VII. “Grand Finale""A Passage to Bangkok"21121976Inspired by A Passage to India by E. M. Forster, the song describes a dreamlike journey around the world in search of marijuana fields, with an allusion to Acapulco Gold."The Twilight Zone"21121976Inspired by The Twilight Zone television anthology series written and hosted by Rod Serling."Lessons"21121976Lifeson has sole songwriting credit which is rare for the band."Tears"21121976Keyboards: Hugh Syme; Lyrics: Geddy Lee"Something for Nothing"21121976Inspired by writing found on a building near Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California that read: "Freedom isn’t free".Something For Nothing"A Farewell to Kings"A Farewell to Kings1977Title adapted from Ernest Hemingway’s novel A Farewell to Arms.AFTK"Xanadu"A Farewell to Kings1977Inspired by the poem Kubla Khan written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge"Closer to the Heart"A Farewell to Kings1977Lyrics co-written by Peart and Peter TalbotCTTH"Cinderella Man"A Farewell to Kings1977Inspired by Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.Cinderella Man"Madrigal"A Farewell to Kings1977A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition"Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage"A Farewell to Kings1977Inspired by a Time Magazine article on black holes.Voyage"Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres"Hemispheres1978I. "Prelude"; II. "Apollo: Bringer of Wisdom"; III. "Dionysus: Bringer of Love"; IV. "Armageddon: The Battle of Heart and Mind"; V. "Cygnus: Bringer of Balance"; VI. "The Sphere: A Kind of Dream""Circumstances"Hemispheres1978Written by Peart about his experience on his own at 18 years old in England.Circumstances"The Trees"Hemispheres1978Inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax.The Trees"La Villa Strangiato"Hemispheres1978I. Buenos Nochus, Mein Froinds!; II. To sleep, perchance to dream...; III. Strangiato theme; IV. A Lerxst in Wonderland; V. Monsters!; VI. The Ghost of the Aragon; VII. Danforth and Pape; VIII. The Waltz of the Shreves; IX. Never turn your back on a Monster!; X. Monsters! (Reprise); XI. Strangiato theme (Reprise); XII. A Farewell to Things. An instrumental based on dreams of Lifeson "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"Unreleased song1979Written for Permanent Waves, but ultimately scrapped at the last minute after all tracks were already completed. Loosely reworked into "Natural Science". Inspired by the 14th-century Arthurian poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Peart's original handwritten lyric sheet survives."The Spirit of Radio"Permanent Waves1980Inspired by a slogan of Toronto radio station CFNY, which was the first station to play a Rush song over the air.The Spirit of Radio"Freewill"Permanent Waves1980 "[Musically], the song is a new thing for us in terms of time signatures. [The piece is mostly in 13/4.] We experiment a lot with time signatures. We work in nearly every one of them that I know of that's legitimate: all of the 5s, 7s, 9s, 11s, 13s, and combinations thereof." ~ Neil PeartFreewill"Jacob's Ladder"Permanent Waves1980Inspired by crepuscular rays, also known as Jacob's ladder."Entre Nous"Permanent Waves1980French expression translated as "between us""Different Strings"Permanent Waves1980Piano: Hugh Syme"Natural Science"Permanent Waves1980I. Tide Pools; II. Hyperspace; III. Permanent Waves"Tom Sawyer"Moving Pictures1981Co-written by Pye Dubois. Inspired by the fictional character Tom Sawyer created by Mark Twain; The quintessential Rush song.'Moving Pictures' track by track: Geddy Lee breaks down Rush's landmark 1981 album"Red Barchetta"Moving Pictures1981Inspired by 'A Nice Morning Drive', by Richard S. FosterA Nice Morning Drive author recounts cycle ride with Neil Peart"YYZ"Moving Pictures1981Inspired by the International Air Transport Association airport code for the Toronto Pearson International Airport; Pronounced Y-Y-Zed."Limelight"Moving Pictures1981Inspired by the experience of being a touring musician.Limelight"The Camera Eye"Moving Pictures1981Comprises two movements, focusing on New York City and London, respectively."Witch Hunt"Moving Pictures1981Fear: Part III"Vital Signs"Moving Pictures1981I. "+ [Plus]"; II. "÷ [Divided By]"; III. "="; IV. "− [Minus]"; V. "× [Multiplied By]"; VII. "="; Inspired by the language of electronics and computers.Vital Signs"Broon's Bane"Exit...Stage Left1981Guitar solo; Named after long-time producer Terry Brown whom the band had nicknamed "Broon"."Subdivisions"Signals1982About growing up in the suburbs.Subdivisions"The Analog Kid"Signals1982About growing up in the age of analog.The Analog Kid"Chemistry"Signals1982First time all three of members of the band collaborate