Fly By Night
by Rush

Album: Fly By Night (1975)
Charted: 88
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Songfacts®:

  • Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart wrote this about his first trip away from home. In 1971, at 18, driven by musical ambition and an insatiable desire to travel, explore, and learn about everything, he escaped the narrow world of his small-town Canadian life and flew to England. That first, great trip started an exhilarating new life. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Mountlake Terrace, Washington
  • This song is referenced in the online game Kingdom of Loathing, where in a shop you can buy a Fly-By-Knight Heladry form. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Beef - Carlson, Quia, MA

Comments: 16

  • Stukka63 from St.augustine, Fla.@Krak from USA.
    I’m writing music with ST the highest rated drummer in nashville. N yeah, when we get back to Arizona......she can cover Neil Peart n slam it like it’s a joke.
  • Krak from UsaThe Master has fallen.
    ...rip
  • David from Atlanta, GaWow, "Born to Run" and "Fly by Night". Two great songs about breaking away. There must have been something in the air in '75.
  • Claude from Kingston, MaGeddy was only 21 and he was already a magician on the bass. Just listen.
  • Critical from Asdf, WaI noticed a striking similarity to this song in the novel "bless me, ultima" when a boy says "they turn to owls and fly at night." I showed my teacher my mp3 player with the song and album picture (giant owl) and said rush must have come across it
  • Jason from Denver, CoRush needs to put this song back into their live performances. I think that it would be a great opener.
  • Kevin from New York, Ndi am all RUSH even though they been around 24 years more than me im only 13 fly by night isgreat geddys shrieking vocals is so mad awesome also has a sick guitar solo
  • John from Asheville, NcStill a great listen and one of the strongest songs from that record. Solid tune.
  • Allie from A Little Ol' Town In, MiI like the guitar in this song, very rambling!!!Geddy's voice is very good in here!!! this song gets stuck in my head all the time, very catchy :D
  • Mike from Indianapolis, InThis song, to me, is about living in a country where if you are not happy where you are you can always change it. In the free world you can "Fly by night away from here, change my life again". "My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend" is a lyric about how you have to stop fooling yourself and make changes if your life isn't what you think it should be.
    Mike, Indiana
  • Deo from Annandale, VaMy favorite Rush song... they're all realy good, though.
  • Robert from Schaumburg, IlRob in Council Bluffs, I belive these lyrics were included in the original albums content as an aside,,,,,,,,,,,could be wrong ,been a long time since I have seen my original print of the album........
  • Rob from Council Bluffs, IaThe following lyrics were written by Peart, but believed to have never been used:

    Airport scurry flurry faces
    Parade of passers by
    People going many places
    With a smile or just a sigh
    Waiting waiting pass the time
    Another cigarette
    Get in line - gate thirty-nine
    The time is not here yet
  • Jesse from L.a., CaThis song hasn't been performed, live, since the Tour of the Hemispheres (1978-79)...
  • David from Port Hawkesbury, CanadaI Beilieve This Song is About Moving on in Life and Forgetting Things No Longer Required
  • Kent Lyle from Palo Alto, CaNeil's drumming was far more loud and aggressive than John Rutsey's, and that was no more apparent than here. His Keith Moon influence shows, but in the early days Peart had difficulty knowing when not to play, which made his drum parts overly busy at times. There are drum fills in this song which do not mesh well with the rest of the music. With time would come restraint.
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