Losing It

One of Peart's most poignant and melancholy lyrics, examining the tragedy of artists losing their creative abilities — through aging, illness, or simply the fading of inspiration. The first verse depicts a dancer whose body can no longer perform; the second portrays a writer staring at a blank page, the words no longer coming.

The track features electric violin by Ben Mink, who would go on to become a major collaborator with k.d. lang. His mournful, swooping violin lines add an extra dimension of elegance and sadness to the arrangement. It's one of the few Rush songs to feature a prominent guest musician beyond Hugh Syme.

"Losing It" was never performed live until the R40 tour in 2015, when it was finally brought to the stage with Mink reprising his violin part. The fact that it was included in their final tour — a celebration of a career nearing its end — gave the song an almost unbearably poignant resonance.