Quotes from Neil Peart

For a person of my sensibility, you're only left with the Democratic party.

When Mr. Ludwig invented the bass-drum pedal, that's what made the drum set possible.

There's still a lot I'm angry about, a lot of human behaviour that's appalling and despicable, but you choose what you can fight against. I always thought if I could just put something in words perfectly enough, people would get the idea and it would change things.

You have to know when you're at the top of your particular mountain, I guess. Maybe not the summit, but as high as you can go.

I sang the hymns, and I read the Bible stories, but I was always perplexed, like, 'Really? Jesus wants you for a sunbeam? For a what?'

People don't realize the limitations of 200 words, and the way they get chiselled down into a song that has to be sung.

I've heard the stories. Like, Eric Clapton said he wanted to burn his guitar when he heard Jimi Hendrix play. I never understood that because, when I went and saw a great drummer or heard one, all I wanted to do was practice.

Even as a kid, I never wanted to be famous; I wanted to be good.

Like a force of nature love can fade with the stars at dawn...

I had spindly little ankles, and growing up in Canada, I couldn't skate. I was no good at any sports so was very much a pariah through those adolescent years.

Dedicated to the future, with honor to the past.

I remain the optimist: you just do your best and hope for the best. But it's an evolving state of mind.

No, his mind is not for rent To any God or government Always hopeful yet discontent He knows changes aren't permanent But change is.

You can surrender without a prayer, but never really pray without surrender. You can fight without ever winning, but never ever win without a fight.

I am the audience. I want to observe people. Even when I'm playing drums onstage, I'm watching people. I'm looking at them and their faces and their T-shirts and their signs. And travelling by motorcycle, especially, the world is just coming at me.

If I go play golf with the guys, it's intended to be a joke.

If you've got a problem, take it out on a drum.

The thing for me about Ayn Rand is that her philosophy is the only one applicable to the world today - in every sense. If you take her ideas, then take them farther in your own mind, you can find answers to pretty well everything on an individual basis.

It's interesting. I've known quite a few good athletes that can't begin to play a beat on the drum set. Most team sport is about the smooth fluidity of hand-eye coordination and physical grace, where drumming is much more about splitting all those things up.

Anytime I have an idea, I'll make sure that I put it down so that when we do sit down to write an album, I don't have to dream it all out of thin air. I don't have to be creative on the spur of the moment, or spontaneously artistic. I just take advantage of whenever creativity strikes.

Playing a three-hour Rush show is like running a marathon while solving equations.

Now I call myself a bleeding heart libertarian. Because I do believe in the principles of Libertarianism as an ideal - because I'm an idealist.

Drumming completely eclipsed my life from age 13, when I started drum lessons. Everything disappeared. I'd done well in school up until that time. I was fairly adjusted socially up until that time. And I became completely monomania, obsessed all through my teens. Nothing else existed anymore.

It was actually drumming that gave me the stamina to get into sports later.