Virtuality
by Rush

Album: Test For Echo (1996)
Play Video
  • Like a shipwrecked mariner adrift on an unknown sea
    Clinging to the wreckage of the lost ship 'Fantasy'

    I'm a castaway, stranded in a desolate land
    I can see the footprints in the virtual sand

    Net boy, net girl
    Send your signal 'round the world
    Let your fingers walk and talk
    And set you free

    Net boy, net girl
    Send your impulse 'round the world
    Put your message in a modem (put your message in a modem)
    And throw it in the Cyber Sea (and throw it in the Cyber Sea)

    Astronauts in the weightlessness of pixelated space
    Exchange graffiti with a disembodied race

    I can save the universe in a grain of sand
    I can hold the future in my virtual hand

    Net boy, net girl
    Send your signal 'round the world
    Let your fingers walk and talk
    And set you free

    Net boy, net girl
    Send your impulse 'round the world
    Put your message in a modem (put your message in a modem)
    And throw it in the Cyber Sea (and throw it in the Cyber Sea)

    Let's dance tonight
    To a virtual song
    Press this key
    And you can play along

    Let's fly tonight
    On our virtual wings
    Press this key
    To see amazing things
    To see amazing things

    Like a pair of vagabonds who wave between two passing trains
    Or the glimpse of a woman's smile through a window in the rain
    I can smell her perfume, I can taste her lips
    I can feel the voltage from her fingertips

    Net boy, net girl
    Send your heartbeat 'round the world
    Let your fingers walk and talk
    And set you free

    Net boy, net girl
    Send your impulse 'round the world
    Put your message in a modem
    And throw it in the Cyber Sea

    Put your message in a modem (put your message in a modem)
    And throw it in the Cyber Sea (and throw it in the Cyber Sea) Writer/s: Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Neil Elwood Peart
    Publisher: Anthem Entertainment
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 5

  • Alex from Portland, OrYeah the lyrics are a little corny, but if you're a real Rush fan, you're used to that. Considering the band wrote this when it did reminds me of the fact that they were writing songs about black holes with relatively accurate physics and cosmology references way before black holes were part of common parlance.
  • Michael from Frederick, MdI don't care much for the lyrics in this one, although the subject matter is interesting. The "Net Boy... Net Girl" section is just embarrassing.

    That said, Alex's verse riff is a total JAM!
  • Chuck from Oklahoma City, OkMy sister sent me a video of a hockey game with one of my nephews playing a few years ago. Loved the video and the song the creator used . But being a techno-queeen, had no idea who sang it. A friend at work recognized the lyrics and turned me on to RUSH. I think Neil Peart was way ahead of his time in 1996 writing this song, and find it even more relavent 11 years later. If only all music outlived it's time-period....chuck
  • Kent Lyle from Cincinnati, OhThe timing of this song synchs with the CD's second counter exactly. Watch it and see. Also, I became aware of the fact that this was one of their first songs to not contain a single trace of keyboards since after _2112_.
  • Drew from Butler, NjGreat tune, one of my favorites from the Test For Echo CD, and definitely an interesting look at life in the age of information technology. Neil's words are inspiring, and as always, a perfect match with the music created by this excellent band.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."