“Tom Sawyer” is perhaps RUSH’s most popular song, but the recording of the track was so frustrating that frontman Geddy Lee didn’t even want to include it on the band’s iconic 1981 album Moving Pictures, a decision he admits would have been very “dumb.”
In a new interview with YouTube personality Rick Beato, Lee was asked why he thought “Tom Sawyer” connected with so many people.
“I can’t answer that,” responded the singer-bassist. “I’m the last guy to know because when we finished that song in the studio, we were so frustrated. It was a very difficult song to make [and] difficult song to mix. Every step of the recording was beset with problems.”
He continued, “And at the end, I was so sick of that fucking song, I didn’t want to put it on the record. So, can you imagine how dumb that was? Like, let’s not put our most popular song on the record.”
Earlier in the interview, Lee mentioned that “Tom Sawyer” was the most difficult song for late drummer Neil Peart to play live.
RUSH are sure to play “Tom Sawyer” among the 38 songs they’ve prepped for their upcoming reunion tour, with Anika Nilles filling the legendary shoes of the aforementioned Neil Peart. The tour kicks off June 7th with a four-night stand in Los Angeles, and runs all the way into 2027, with tickets available here.
Watch Geddy Lee’s interview with Rick Beato below, and check out Consequence‘s roundtable discussion on RUSH’s Moving Pictures featuring drummers Mike Portnoy, Charlie Benante, Arejay Hale, and Matt Halpern
