Geddy Lee Reveals the Toughest RUSH Song to Play and Sing

Rush songs are notoriously difficult to sing and play on bass, but Geddy Lee has always managed to do both simultaneously—almost as if he’s not from this world. However, there is one track that posed a significant challenge for him. In an interview with The Metal Voice, Lee identified the 2012 song “The Anarchist” as the most difficult one he’s ever written to perform.

“The hardest song to play and sing that I’ve ever written is ‘The Anarchist’ from Clockwork Angels. I wrote the song on bass first, and when we put together the bed track during the demo stage, I composed this melody without considering the bass part.

“It wasn’t until we finished the record and I was rehearsing that I realized how rhythmically different the bass and melody were—there was no overlap. Typically, my bass line would follow a pattern, and the vocals would slip into it, but this one was just impossible.

“I ended up spending weeks, literally, just playing the bass line without trying to sing, until I could do it without thinking. Then I had to focus intensely to finally perform both parts together. I eventually figured out a way to make it work.

“When I began playing it live, it was the one song where I had to split my focus like a drummer does. Drummers develop independence, but bass players don’t usually have that, so it was a real challenge.”