"Limelight" is a song by the Canadian progressive rock bandRush. It first appeared on the 1981 album Moving Pictures. The song's lyrics were written by Neil Peart with music written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. "Limelight" expresses Peart's discomfort with Rush's success and the resulting attention from the public. The song paraphrases the opening lines of the "All the world's a stage" speech from William Shakespeare's play As You Like It; the band had previously used the phrase for its 1976 live album. The lyrics also refer to "the camera eye", the title of the song that follows on the Moving Pictures album. Released as a single, it charted at on the U.S. BillboardTop Tracks chart and on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and remains one of Rush's most popular songs. "Limelight" was one of five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010.
Background
In "Limelight", lyricist Neil Peart comments on the band's commercial success and the fame and its demands that come with rock star status. According to guitarist Alex Lifeson, the song "is about being under the microscopic scrutiny and the need for privacy—trying to separate the two and not always being successful at it". Bassist Geddy Lee describes the motivation for "Limelight" in a 1988 interview: In a 2007 interview, Alex Lifeson gives his take on "Limelight":
Recording and live performance
Lifeson's guitar solo was performed on what he called a "Hentor Sportscaster", a modified Fender Stratocaster equipped with a Floyd Rosevibrato arm. Critics frequently point out Lifeson's use of vibrato in the solo, with Max Mobley writing that it "is dripping with Floyd Rose whammy". "Limelight" has been described as Lifeson's "signature song", and critics cite the influence of Allan Holdsworth. Lifeson himself calls it his favourite solo. The song was a staple of Rush's live performances, having been played on every tour since its release except the Grace Under Pressure Tour, the Presto Tour, and the R40 Live Tour.
The song was featured in the films Sonny, Used Cars, That's My Boy, I Love You, Man, and Fanboys. The latter two films also feature the song "Tom Sawyer".
The song is available as a downloadable track for the musicvideo game seriesRock Band, along with the rest of the Moving Pictures album. It is also playable in Guitar Hero Live.
