You are probably a bigger fan than me, and know their music/philosophy better. What is going on in this song? Because to me it’s a sad commentary about blue-collar life. It reminds me of my Dad, who has worked in a factory line for nearly two decades. Same thing every day, gets up, goes to work, comes home, drinks himself stupid while watching sports on TV by himself, and has completely and utterly resigned himself to his misery.
I always got the impression there was a nasty subtext here.
That’s called “talent”, “chops”, “not sucking”.
And FTR, yes, I dig Rush quite a little bit.
If, by “terrible”, you mean “freakishly awesome”, then we are in total agreement.
No, what’s sad, my friend, is you trying to frame your opinion as stone cold fact.
Yep. Quite sad, indeed.
That’s true but as someone else said, the bland language is quite possibly deliberate in order to reinforce the idea of monotony. Plus that song is off their very first album which didn’t feature Neil Peart, whom subsequently wrote much of their lyrics afterwards.
Me, I’m particularly fond of this bit from The Camera Eye:
*Grim-faced and forbidding,
Their faces closed tight,
An angular mass of New Yorkers.
Pacing in rhythm,
Race the oncoming night,
They chase through the streets of Manhattan.
Headfirst humanity,
Pause at a light,
Then flow through the streets of the city.*
Well, there is, actually. As I said before I bow to no one in my Rush background.
But you’re correct that ‘Working Man’ is a bleak song. It includes this
“I got no time for living, yeah
I’m working all the time
Seems to me I could live my life
A lot better than I think I am
I guess that’s why they call me
They call me the working man”
It is, indeed, a portrait of a guy who’s life is work and bed and who wants something more but doesn’t actually want to go out and do anything about it. But no one ever said that an honest song needs to be uplifting. How is it any different than a thousand other working class songs about being trapped?
Spirit of the Radio was featured on Permanent Waves. Or did they release a greatest hits album by that name?
Huge fan here also, grew up on 2112, A farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, and Moving Pictures. I lost them after that, couldn’t get into what they were doing, although I guess Signals might have had a good song or two.
Also, my hat is off to the ladies in this thread who like Rush. 
(Rushgeekgirl, I did not assume that your name was dedicated to the band. Awesome!)
Ck this out! This girl is only 11 years old. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XsYuHbXZUk
I don’t think it is. I’m just guessing it’s misinterpreted a lot.
It is a broad social commentary on human behavior: RUSH FAQ.
“No. It was just a flash. I was working on an entirely different thing when I saw a cartoon picture of these trees carrying on like fools. I thought, “What if trees acted like people?” So I saw it as a cartoon really, and wrote it that way. I think that’s the image that it conjures up to a listener or a reader. A very simple statement.” – Neil Peart, in the April/May 1980 Modern Drummer magazine
Just so we’re clear, my comment was referring to ‘‘Workin’ Man’’ not ‘‘The Trees’’
Both are, I think, broad social commentaries about human behavior. Rush is good like that.
ETA: Thanks for the link.
Everything else has been said already, but I’ll add that for a band that has been pretty private and low-key through its career, they seem to be on the verge of over-exposure lately.
They must need money.
Holy Shit! I mean, er, wow! That was great!
My bad! In which case, I agree with you.
My problem is the lead singer’s voice. I can’t stand it.
Yeah that’s my problem too, along with some of their songs like “The Trees.” ::blech::
Of course I’ve gotten over voices before, I came to love Black Sabbath and The Misfits in spite of the singers voice.