Lessons
by Rush

Album: 2112 (1976)
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Songfacts®:

  • Rush drummer Neil Peart wrote most of the band's lyrics starting from when he joined the group for their second album, Fly By Night, but "Lessons," a track from their fourth album, 2112, was written solely by Rush founder and guitar player Alex Lifeson. The song is about learning from experience.

Comments: 3

  • Chuck from Downingtown, PaGreetings... I play guitar and am familiar with both songs. Both use D, A, and G chords in their main themes but the rhythm and sequence of the chords are completely different. Not to mentions there's other chords involved that aren't common between the two songs (e.g., B minor and D suspended 2nd). The opening chord for the repeating motif in Sweet Jane is a D - in Lessons, it's an A. I can understand you hearing some similarity - there is a somewhat similar "feel" to the two main parts but, without going into a lot more detail - they aren't the same.
  • John from Louisville, KyThe guitar in this song sounds very similiar to the repeated guitar riffs in "Sweet Jane" by the Velvet Underground....I don't play the guitar...
    but I'd like someone with a musical background to listen to both songs and give me your insight or thoughts about the similarities. It may be my imagination?? Thanks.
  • Kent Lyle from Cincinnati, OhThis is the only song in Rush's released collection which was entirely written by Lifeson, certain guitar instrumentals notwithstanding.
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