“The Larger Bowl” is the fourth song on Rush’s 2007 album, Snakes and Arrows. In addition to being a simply beautiful song, the lyrics are an interesting play on traditional rhyme schemes. Drummer and lyricist Neal Peart based it on a Malay form of verse in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next stanza. The goal is to repeat these lines exactly, while at the same time changing their meaning.
The title of the song was taken from a “dysentery dream” Peart had while on a bicycle trip he took through Western Africa in 1988 (he published his adventure in the fantastic non-fiction book, The Masked Rider:Cycling in West Africa, which I highly recommend).
Please enjoy the song and lyrics and let me know what you think of them in the comments (all credit to songwriters Neal Peart, Alex Lifeson, and Geddy Lee).
If we’re so much the same, like I always hear
Why such different fortunes and fates?
Some of us live in a cloud of fear
Some live behind iron gates
Why such different fortunes and fates?
Some are blessed and some are cursed
Some live behind iron gates
While others see only the worst
Some are blessed and some are cursed
The golden one or scarred from birth
While others only see the worst
Such a lot of pain on the earth
The golden one or scarred from birth
Some things can never be changed
Such a lot of pain on this earth
It’s somehow so badly arranged
Some things can never be changed
Some reasons will never come clear
It’s somehow so badly arranged
If we’re so much the same, like I always hear
RB
What a message in this one, I don’t remember it ever hearing it before! Thank you! 💞
My pleasure, Dawn. It’s really a beautiful and thoughtful piece of music and I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🎶
Unfamiliar and enjoyable share, Richard.
I’m happy to know you liked it, Pat. Thanks!
The verses are interlocked with chosen words that remind me of building a wall with bricks. This surely gives solidity to the song.
That’s a fantastic way to describe it, Swabby. Thanks!
Thank you for the introduction Richard
You’re welcome, Sheree. 🙂
I could not access the video.
I’m intrigued by the verse arrangement. It’s hard to see and follow the lyrics given the cramped layout. I might try and copy the lyrics to see the verse structure better.
The layout was cramped on my cell phone. Looks great when viewing it with my desk top computer.
I’m glad you were able to view it, Jasper.
I love the lyrics: this is a fantastic song, with a great guitar solo.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Luisa! Alex Lifeson is the guitarist and one of the most under appreciated in rock music. Thank you for taking the time to listen. 🙂
You’re more than welcome, dear Richard🌹
I resonate with the words so much… Seeing the pain on the earth… And closer to home my goddaughter was born with huge physical and intellectual deficits maybe from oxygen starvation but they don’t really know why… She lived trapped in her mortal body for twenty nine years. She couldn’t talk and only managed to crawl but she loved music. She would sing in her own fashion and bounce around. it’s so sad that she lived trapped and for what reason. Her parents had a lot of pain.
I am intrigued by the Malay style verse. We have a Malay community in Cape Town but I never really studied their customs or literature. I might try it out for fun.
Oh, that’s so sad to hear, Morag. We often never know why these things happen, and all we can do is try to make the best of the situations.
I haven’t tried writing a poem using this form yet, but I’d like to try at some point. I’m sure it’ll be challenging. 🙂
😢💜Oh Morag! What a sad story about your goddaughter – but the idea that music still reached her is uplifting. Good luck with your verse-experiment – and you too RB, the music was impressive! Linda xx
Thanks so much, Linda!
Thank you Linda, ❤️
You’re welcome, L xx
“It’s somehow so badly arranged”.
Hah, aint that the truth!
I am not a big fan of the arguements behind “priceledge”, but the way these guys worded it, is simple genius and beautiful 🙂
Neal Peart was a great writer – both as a lyricist and non-fiction book writer. This is one of my favorite songs by this band, mostly because of the way the lyrics hit. Glad you enjoyed this one, Andrea.