The Trees Song Analysis

The Trees - RUSH

There is unrest in the forest,

There is trouble with the trees,

For the maples want more sunlight

And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples,

(And they're quite convinced they're right)

They say the oaks are just too lofty

And they grab up all the light.

But the oaks can't help their feelings

If they like the way they're made.

And they wonder why the maples

Can't be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the forest,

And the creatures all have fled,

As the maples scream "Oppression!"

And the oaks just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union

And demanded equal rights.

"The oaks are just too greedy;

We will make them give us light."

Now there's no more oak oppression,

For they passed a noble law,

And the trees are all kept equal

By hatchet, axe, and saw.

"The Trees", a 1978 song by the prog rock band RUSH, can be interpreted many different ways - and indeed has been over the years. Although its lyricist, Neil Peart, has revealed that the inspiration for the song was a simple cartoon, RUSH-lovers all over the world have put in their two cents during conversation and on message boards - interpretations spanning from feminism to Marxism. And now, it's my turn.

I recently read a philosophy book by Ayn Rand called The Virtue of Selfishness. Leery of her theories from the get-go, I took diligent notes and outlined the basic premise of each chapter, marking things I did not agree with. Also recently, I re-added RUSH's Chronicles to my iTunes library and had a listen. (A background: Neil Peart, RUSH's drummer and this song's lyricist, identifies as a left Libertarian now, but at the time this song was written, he subscribed to many of Rand's theories. Other members of his current political leaning include Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States, and it is this leaning that influenced many of the band's later songs.) The moment I finished listening to...