Totem

A survey of world religions and belief systems, examining the various totems — symbols, rituals, gods — that humanity has created to make sense of existence. Peart doesn't mock or dismiss any of them, but observes them with the curious detachment of an anthropologist.

The musical arrangement draws on a variety of textures, reflecting the diversity of traditions described in the lyrics. There's a playful quality to both the words and the music that gives the potentially heavy subject matter a lighter touch.

It connects to Peart's lifelong fascination with travel and cultural observation, which would become central to his identity as a writer in his later books.