The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)
"The Larger Bowl" is the fourth track and third single from Rush's 2007 album Snakes & Arrows.
"The Larger Bowl" | ||||
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Promotional single by Rush | ||||
from the album Snakes & Arrows | ||||
Released | June 25, 2007 | |||
Genre | Progressive rock, hard rock | |||
Length | 4:07 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lifeson/Lee/Peart | |||
Producer(s) | Rush & Nick Raskulinecz | |||
Rush singles chronology | ||||
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Inspiration and lyrical structure
The lyrics were written by the drummer and primary lyricist Neil Peart. The title was inspired by a "dysentery dream" he had while touring West Africa on his bicycle in 1988.[1]
Peart's book The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa includes a chapter entitled "The Larger Bowl" in which he describes the dream. The excerpt in which he mentions the song is as follows:
Anyway... a song was playing in the store, a plaintive ballad called "The Larger Bowl." Something about loneliness and the misfortunes of life, I recall. No such song as far as I know, but I like the title.[2]
In the early 1990s, Peart put words to the title.[1] The song is written in the form of a pantoum.
See also
References
- Neil Peart. The Game of Snakes and Arrows Archived 2007-04-21 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 19, 2007).
- Neil Peart. The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa. Lawrencetown Beach: Pottersfield Press, 1996).