June 14, 2025: A farewell to kings

You know, as part of my “daytime job,” I write a monthly review of old vinyl records for the Yakima Herald-Republic. Basically anything released after my birthday (Feb. 9, 1972) … as long as it rocks and has some relevance to the month/time of year I write it.

So I guess today’s the day to mention one of my favorite Rush songs (and albums), “A Farewell to Kings.” With a name like that, well, I’m sure many of you might guess why I’m mentioning it this morning.

Not only does the cover of Rush’s 1977 album fit perfectly today, but the lyrics are eerily apt for June 14, 2025. A sample:

“Cities full of hatred, fear and lies;

Withered hearts and cruel, tormented eyes.

Scheming demons dressed in kingly guise,

Beating down the multitudes and scoffing at the wise.”

I’ll spare you all the sound of me trying to sing it like Geddy Lee does (but if you want to hear the song, here’s the YouTube link).

Shall we continue with the lyrics?

“The hypocrites are slandering the sacred halls of truth,

Ancient nobles showering their bitterness on youth.

Can’t we find the minds that made us strong?

Can’t we learn, to feel what’s right and what’s wrong?”

It’s a great song and one of Rush’s best late-1970s albums, so I strongly recommend tracking it down and giving it a listen if you’re a prog-rock fan.

Or you could just do something patriotic today by saying “a farewell to kings” in your own community, with a few hundred (or thousand) of your fellow citizens. Your choice.

R.O.C.K. in the USA … and RIP to Rush drummer Neil Peart, who wrote the lyrics quoted here.

Let’s be careful out there.