Rush/Neil Peart Fans-"Body Electric" Question

Cafe Society
1

Need to answer a couple questions for a friend:

  1. What time is it in? I say 3/4 but not quite sure.

  2. Does the drum line change on the verses from the opening drum line? I know it changes in the chorus and the bridge.

  3. And the biggie—is it based on “THX 1138” ? I was told awhile back it is.

Many thanks in advance!

2

  1. 3/4 I think, but I’m not sure either.

  2. Not that I can tell.

  3. Possibly. But I think more than likely, it’s loosely based on Walt Whitman’s “I Sing The Body Electric,” which also inspired a Twilight Zone episode of the same name.

3

After a bit of listening and re-listening, it’s in 3/4, and I’m thinking what changes is how Neil puts the rhythms together.

Thanks for the help :slight_smile:

4

Sorry, I’m just not hearing it. The song is in a straight 4/4 time. Don’t listen to the drums; listen to everything else. When Geddy sings “One zero zero <pause> one zero zero <pause> one <pause> s. o. s. <pause pause pause>” I’m hearing “one two three four one two three four one two S.O.S. two three four” (approximately)

The first time I saw the title I thought of the Bradbury story, but the THX1138 reasoning makes sense, as well. I guess we’ll have to ask Neil.

And the changes are just Neil Peart’s drumming. No time signature or tempo changes needed. (Neil’s just that good.)

5

Yanno what? You’re right about the time signature. I listened to the song again from 3 different live shows and yup, it’s 4/4.

Neil’s a drum god, and I don’t care who says otherwise.

6

Boy it really sounds like 4/4 to me, admittedly with a very stuttery pattern.

Some online commenter I googled agrees (but its just some guy, with the same authority to decide the issue as I do. Pass the salt.). here:

I’ve been unsuccessful at finding any other commentary on the time sig for this song.

7

Nah, Geddy is a bass god if he can be the second half of the rhythm section when Pert plays a pattern this weird. Alex can then follow Geddy into the weeds and come out sounding good.

8

He won’t answer.

9

I just got this vision in my head of Alex following Geddy through a huge, tall field of grain yelling, “THIS SHIT AIN’T FUNNY, GEDDY!”

Yup, it’s in 4/4. Thanks :slight_smile: