Subdivisions (5:33)

Cover of Signals

From Signals and 97 other releases

“Subdivisions” is a Rush song that describes peer pressure for teenage life in the suburbs.

“Subdivisions” was released on the 1982 album Signals. Aside from being a perennial fan favourite and a staple of live performances, the song appears on several greatest hits compilations, was released as a single in 1982, and despite doing little serious business in the UK charts, it gained a lot of radio airplay in Britain at the time. In the US, it charted at #8 on the Album/Mainstream rock charts. It was also played live prior to its release. Pre-release live versions exist on the internet. Geddy Lee plays an Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, and the two synthesizer solos were done on a Minimoog.

The promotional video scenes were filmed in the Toronto area. The downtown scenes were filmed in downtown Toronto, while the suburbs scenes were filmed in Scarborough, Ontario, near Warden and Finch Avenues. The high school scenes were filmed at L’Amoreaux Collegiate Institute, in the same area. The video also features scenes of the Don Valley Parkway and a busy TTC subway station. The student that walks downtown in the video is Dave Glover, a student at the L’Amoreaux Collegiate Institute at the time. Near the end of the video, Glover is seen playing the video game Tempest at an arcade, which was reportedly his favourite video game at the time.

The song features heavy use of synth. Geddy Lee takes a similar role to that in Countdown, the final track on Signals by playing a minimal amount of bass. The track begins in 7/8 time, Lee playing an pattern of F# notes on the Oberheim.

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Sprawling on the fringes of the city
Geometric order an insulated border
In between the bright lights
And the far unlit unknown

MetroLyrics Full lyrics at MetroLyrics

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  • gonetobeach

    Be cool or be cast out.

    6 May 1:52pm Reply
  • TheAmazingKoopa

    Best Rush song

    1 May 10:21pm Reply
  • lukasz_pulawski

    one of their best pieces

    29 Apr 7:46pm Reply
  • bugamartini

    @IamFlood It's about why Rush decided to use the keyboards. They weren't used to conform, but to playfully experiment. All three of them explored new styles all the time. They weren't afraid to try something new even in the face of criticism. I recommend watching the movie "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage". Knowing their history, I find them to be one of the ballsiest nonconforming group. Mercury Records was threatening them that they were going to be cut from the label if they "didn't conform" and basically they said "screw that - we're doing our own thing or nothing at all". Also the usage of the keyboards was something very unique in Rock as previously they were being used for British synth pop. Rush took the keyboards to a brand new level. The combination of them with hard prog rock was brilliant and unique. No one before them had done something like that before. Rush is a band that simply does their own thing, in my opinion and of theirs too.

    22 Apr 6:02am Reply
  • jpeiper

    Interesting and thoughtful shout bugamartini. We are fortunate to have music that stirs us so.

    1 Apr 4:59pm Reply
  • paradrome

    <333333333333333333333

    30 Mar 4:46pm Reply
  • MoonlitSea

    Favourite song.

    26 Mar 1:48am Reply
  • robban94

    I can relate to this song.

    1 Mar 8:35pm Reply
  • lukasz_pulawski

    inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010

    23 Jan 11:03pm Reply
  • GODZILLA_1964

    "...conform or be cast out..."

    14 Jan 1:39pm Reply
  • Demian1955

    Hammergeil!

    18 Dec 2012 Reply
  • bugamartini

    It is a no-brainer for me to confess that "Subdivisions" is my all time favorite song by Rush. Of course, I'm passionate about several of their songs, but "Subdivisions" takes the cake. I find the song to be thoughtful, emotional, compassionate, and like an IV it makes me feel VERY alive. It does amazing things to my body, heart, and brain chemistry.

    29 Nov 2012 Reply
  • GODZILLA_1964

    Geedy Lee is the sh!t on BASS

    19 Nov 2012 Reply
  • Eye_Gore

    Loved the band the first I heard "Caress of Steel".

    14 Nov 2012 Reply
  • DrSlump7

    amazing music, amazing lyrics!

    3 Oct 2012 Reply
  • jpeiper

    Surprise opener on 2012 Tour.

    19 Sep 2012 Reply
  • DavosRancheros

    Ahhhhhhh

    17 Sep 2012 Reply
  • squidbarrett

    my body is geddy

    20 Aug 2012 Reply
  • IamFlood

    Funny how this song is about conformity and Rush fills it 80's keyboards

    25 Jul 2012 Reply
  • NIUHOY

    Never tire of this one. One of the first Rush songs I HAD to learn to play. That signature Neil ride pattern, the triplet hi-hat splash exiting the chorus, and that ending with the ride/china crash pattern and then fills!!!

    20 Jul 2012 Reply
  • All 315 shouts

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