Details
Male singer
2-part Harmonies
Closer to the Heart is a song by Rush which is about people who run governments, and how they should be responsible for initiating harmony among themselves, just as blue collar workers do: "And men who hold high places must be the ones to start to mold a new reality, Closer to the Heart, Closer to the heart. " The next part talks about a blacksmith and an artist and how they forge their creativity in their art. Then we hear about the role of philosophers and ploughmen in sowing a new mentality - a new way for people to view life. Finally, "You can be the captain, I will draw the chart, sailing into destiny, closer to the heart " - achieving your goal is like sailing; someone needs to guide you or be your role model, but you have to draw the charts to navigate toward your destiny. The goal is to be "Closer to the Heart." (thanks, Nathan J. Smith - Bensenville, IL)
Since this was originally released, it as appeared on 7 other Rush albums, including all their live albums.
This was not on the set list for their 2002 Vapor Trails tour until they played in South America (the last two shows). The decision was made to include it due to how popular it was with their fans there. Therefore, it was included on Rush In Rio.
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson says this is the ultimate Rush song.
Lifeson (Guitar For The Practicing Musician, 1991): "There was a feeling that the song had changed a bit. It opens up into a bit more of a ham towards the end. It probably translates better live, visually, than it does on the record. But there is an energy to it, and it's a very positive song. It's been connected with the band for over 13 years ." (thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, Washington, for above 4)
Songs available as Downloadable Content
Released on marketplace 2011
"2112 " • "2112: Discovery, Presentation " • "2112: Oracle: The Dream, Soliloquy, Grand Finale " • "2112: Overture, The Temples of Syrinx " • "867-5309/Jenny " • "Adolescents " • "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie " • "Aerials " • "Airplanes " • "All Along the Watchtower " • "All Apologies " • "Alright " (RB3 Version) • "Angel " • "Animal " (Live) • "Animals " • "Audience of One " • "Awful Beautiful Life " (RB3 Version) • "Backwoods " (RB3 Version) • "The Ballad of Ira Hayes " • "Bark at the Moon " • "Barracuda " • "Bend Down Low " • "Bicycle Race " • "Big Bang Baby " • "Billionaire " • "Black Magic Woman " • "Blood and Thunder " • "Blow Up the Outside World " • "Blue Bayou " • "Blue Jean " • "Blurry " • "Boom " • "Born This Way " • "Brand New Cadillac " • "Breaking " • "Breath " • "Bringin' On the Heartbreak " • "Burden in My Hand " • "Burnin' and Lootin' " • "By the Way " • "Californication " • "Caravan " • "The Card Cheat " • "Child in Time " • "Clampdown " • "Clocks " • "Coming in from the Cold " • "Control " • "Conventional Lover " • "Crawling " • "Crazy Town " (RB3 Version) • "Cry, Cry, Cry " • "Dance, Dance " • "The Day I Tried to Live " • "Death or Glory " • "Diary of a Madman " • "Do You Feel Like We Do " (Live) • "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me " • "Dolly Dagger " • "Don't Stop Me Now " • "Don't Take Your Guns to Town " • "Don't You Want Me " • "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) " • "Dream Police " • "Dreams " • "Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove) " • "Every Breath You Take " • "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall " • "Fame " • "Fell on Black Days " • "Fire " • "Fire and Ice " • "Five Feet High and Rising " • "Five Minutes Alone " • "Fix You " • "Fly By Night " • "Flying High Again " • "Folsom Prison Blues " • "For What It's Worth " • "Forever " • "Four Horsemen " • "Freedom " • "Freeze-Frame " • "From Out of Nowhere " • "Get Clean " • "Ghost of Perdition " • "Giddy On Up " (RB3 Version) • "Gold Cobra " • "Gold Dust Woman " • "Grenade " • "The Guns of Brixton " • "Gypsy Eyes " • "Hard Rock Hallelujah " • "Hash Pipe " • "Hateful " • "Head Like a Hole " • "Heart of the Sunrise " • "Heart-Shaped Box " • "Help Is on the Way " • "Here Without You " • "Higher Ground " • "Hot Blooded " • "How You Remind Me " • "Hypnotize " • "I Alone " • "I Believe in a Thing Called Love " • "I Don't Know " • "I Go to Extremes " • "I Got Stripes " • "I Walk the Line " • "I Want You to Want Me " (Live) • "I Will Possess Your Heart " • "I Wish " • "I Write Sins Not Tragedies " • "If Today Was Your Last Day " • "I'm Broken " • "I'm in Love With My Car " • "I'm Not Down " • "In the End " • "In Waves " • "Intentional Heartache " (RB3 Version) • "Invincible " • "Island in the Sun " • "I've Seen All Good People " • "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter " • "Jimmy Jazz " • "Just the Way You Are " • "Kaya " • "King of Rock " • "Kiss a Girl " (RB3 Version) • "Koka Kola " • "Landslide " • "Left Behind " • "Lightning Crashes " • "A Little Respect " • "Lively Up Yourself " • "Living Dead Girl " • "Living for the City " • "The Loco-Motion " • "London Calling " • "Long Away " • "Long Hot Summer Night " • "Long Road to Ruin " • "Look Around " • "Lost in the Supermarket " • "Love is a Battlefield " • "Love Rollercoaster " • "Love Will Tear Us Apart " • "LoveGame " • "Lover's Rock " • "Made of Scars " • "Make Some Noise " • "Mama Tried " (RB3 Version) • "Mama, I'm Coming Home " • "Man of Me " (RB3 Version) • "Man on the Moon " • "Marry You " • "Me and Bobby McGee " • "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) " • "Misery " • "Modern Love " • "Monarchy of Roses " • "Mouth for War " • "Mr. Crowley " • "Must Have Done Something Right " • "My Life " • "My Way " • "Need You Now " • "Never Let Me Down Again " • "Night Lies " • "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia " (RB3 Version) • "No More Trouble " • "No Sleep till Brooklyn " • "Nookie " • "Nothin' but a Good Time " • "Numb " • "Obsession " • "On the Backs of Angels " • "Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) " • "The Only Time " • "Operation Ground and Pound " • "Otherside " • "Outshined " • "Over the Mountain " • "Owner of a Lonely Heart " • "Panic " • "Paparazzi " • "Paradise by the Dashboard Light " • "Parallel Universe " • "Pardon Me " • "Party for Two " (With Billy Currington) (RB3 Version) • "The Party Song " • "Perfect Day " (RB3 Version) • "Perfect Situation " • "Personal Jesus " • "Photograph " • "Policy of Truth " • "Pour Some Sugar on Me " (Live) • "Prelude/Angry Young Man " • "Pressure " • "Promises in the Dark " • "Pulse of the Maggots " • "Radio Ga Ga " • "Rain is a Good Thing " (RB3 Version) • "Rape Me " • "Re-Arranged " • "Rebel Love Song " • "Relax (Come Fighting) " • "Revolution Rock " • "Rhiannon " • "Ride " (RB3 Version) • "The Right Profile " • "Ring of Fire " (RB3 Version) • "Rob the Prez-O-Dent " • "Rock and Roll All Nite " (Live) • "Rock of Ages " • "Rock the Casbah " • "Rope " • "Rudie Can't Fail " • "Rusty Cage " • "Sanctified " • "Say You'll Haunt Me " • "Scar Tissue " • "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant " • "The Scientist " • "Settlin' " (RB3 Version) • "Seven Seas of Rhye " • "Shadows of the Night " • "She Hates Me " • "She's Always a Woman " • "Shooting the Moon " • "Shoulder to the Plow " • "The Show Must Go On " • "Sideways " (RB3 Version) • "Single White Female " (RB3 Version) • "Sir Duke " • "Small Axe " • "Snuff " • "So Lonely " • "Somebody to Love " • "Someday " • "Somewhere I Belong " • "Sooner or Later " • "South Side of the Sky " • "Spanish Bombs " • "Spill the Wine " • "Spinning Wheel " • "The Spirit of Radio (Live) " • "Stacked Actors " • "Stand Back " • "Starship Trooper " • "Stash " • "Stay Together for the Kids " • "Steal Away (The Night) " • "Stereo Hearts " • "Stone Cold Crazy " • "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around " • "Strutter " (Live) • "Sugar, We're Goin Down " • "Summer Nights " (RB3 Version) • "Super Bad, Pts. 1 & 2 " • "Super-Charger Heaven " • "Superstition " • "Supreme Girl " • "Surrender " (Live) • "Take On Me " • "Talk Dirty to Me " • "Tell Me Something Good " • "Tennessee Flat Top Box " • "Terrible Lie " • "That's How Country Boys Roll " (RB3 Version) • "The Good Left Undone " • "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) " • "This Love " • "This Means War " • "Thnks fr th Mmrs " • "Through Glass " • "Through the Fire and Flames " • "Thunder Kiss '65 " • "Total Eclipse of the Heart " • "Tubthumping " • "Turning Japanese " • "Twang " (RB3 Version) • "Tweezer " • "Unbelievable " • "Undefeated " • "Unholy Confessions " • "Unskinny Bop " • "Until the End " • "Up All Night " • "Urgent " • "Wait and Bleed " • "Waiting for the End " • "Walk " • "Walk " • "A Warrior's Call " • "We Belong " • "We Built This City " • "Welcome to the Family " • "Welcome to the Neighborhood " • "We're an American Band " • "What I've Done " • "When I'm Gone " • "When You're Young " • "Wish You Were Here " • "Visions " • "Viva la Vida " • "Won't Go Home Without You " • "Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Live) " • "Working for the Weekend " • "Wrong 'Em Boyo " • "Yellow " • "You Know You're Right " • "You Make Me Feel... " • "Young Americans " • "You're My Best Friend " • "Youth of the Nation " • "Ziggy Stardust "