Subdivisions (Rush) - The Greatest Rock Drumming Ever?

[Undertoad]

It's lovely when a singer has that kind of control and understanding

All this time signature and lazy stuff puts me in mind of the delightfully weird Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians "Superman". Which is not at all about control but how to rock out in a weird way.

People should not listen to this song, as they won't like it, except for me. In this song, it's a 3/4 verse, into a 4/4 pre-chorus and chorus, and then the bass and drums just stay in 4/4 while Robyn's vocal and guitar go "lazy", dragging hard and return to a 3/4 verse which has almost nothing to do with the beat! (This happens at 1:30 for those who want to avoid the song)



After the verse, they go back to the 4/4 and rock it out and finish it, until the end - where the musical tag is, the drums stay on the 4/4 and the bass JOINS Robyn's guitar in the lazy 3/4.

It's very jarring and weird but that was (and is, I guess) entirely Mr. Hitchcock's thing.


Superman, superman, crunchy little superman
Found you in a Corn Flakes box
Nourished you in privacy
Touched the parts you couldn't reach
You improved immediately

She's a squeaking head on a pleasure box
And the boys don't understand
It took the Holy Roman Empire
Just to get you by my side
And I'm gonna be more careful with you
Aren't I?

Superman, superman, let her settle gradually
On the fire extinguisher
You provided thoughtfully
In the river on a punt
Underneath the willow tree

She's a squeaking head on a pleasure box
And the boys don't understand
It took the Holy Roman Empire
Just to keep you satisfied
And I'm gonna be more careful with you
Obviously

You'd better believe it
You'd better believe it
You'd better believe it
You'd better believe it