Desperate Times AI Music
Geddy Lee, the bassist and vocalist for Rush, recently released two demo songs from his 2000 solo project “My Favourite Headache” – “Gone” and “I Am… You Are.” Notably, “Gone” was originally written as a tribute to drummer Neil Peart’s daughter, Selena Taylor, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 1997.
In an interview with Q104.3, Geddy Lee discussed the writing process behind “Gone” and why it was ultimately excluded from the solo album. The song reflects on the sudden loss of a loved one and the emotional aftermath. Lee explained that the song felt too raw and close to the bone, and out of respect for Neil Peart and his grieving process, he decided not to release it.
On the other hand, “I Am… You Are” was inspired by difficult conversations Lee had with his wife, making it a song about relationships in general. He described it as reflecting personal experiences in the midst of challenging conversations, making it another deeply personal composition. However, Lee hinted that the personal nature of the song might have contributed to his decision not to include it in the final album.
“When you lose somebody, you relive a lot of your other losses. And I was thinking about, ‘How does one deal with a sudden disappearance of someone from your life, especially a daughter?’ So I wrote this song with Ben [Mink]. It was the first song we wrote for My Favourite Headache, and we demoed it, but it just felt… it was beautiful, but I felt it was too raw. It was too close to the bone. I didn’t think it was appropriate to release it, out of respect for Neil and the way he was. I didn’t feel it was right. So we shelved it.
“It’s about me in the midst of a difficult conversation with my wife, which happened more than once in my life. I think the personal nature of that made it also maybe something I wasn’t prepared to follow through with.”
These demos provide a glimpse into the emotional and personal aspects of Geddy Lee’s songwriting, shedding light on the intricate creative process and the delicate balance between expressing emotions and respecting the privacy of those involved.
