What does Freewill mean?

Rush: Freewill Meaning

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Album cover for Freewill album cover

Freewill Lyrics

There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance,
A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance.

A planet of playthings,
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
"The stars aren't aligned,
Or the gods are...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Apr 14th 2008 !⃝

    To the idiot who said this song is about a singer coming out of the closet.....you are a moron. Freewill is about humans having the ability to have the freedom to choose and make their own decisions.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    dylanthomas
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    May 14th 2008 !⃝

    Neil Peart is inspired by the philosophy of Ann Ryand, who was a devout atheist (notice the oxymoron). For example, in Tom Sawyer: "though his mind is not for rent to any God or government." In this song there are the lines "kicked in the face you can pray for a place in Heaven's unearthly estate." He despises this religiousity and is stating his own philosophy concerning free will. I happen to disagree with him. I think you can both belief in God and recognize the existence of free will. Neil Peart is an exceptional man; but I respectfully disagree with his devout atheism.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    wreklund
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    Feb 28th 2012 !⃝

    Freewill; To me this song means that one does not need a God or a type of religion to be a good person. Some of us do not need a "ready guide in some celestial voice" to guide us in our daily lives. We choose a path that is clear to us and do right by our fellow man all of our own accord.If I choose not to decide on what religion is right, I still have made a choice, a choice of free will to live my life guided by my own good fortunes, not by phantom fears or kindness that can kill. Because this fortune hunt that we call life really is far too fleet.

  4. anonymous
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    Aug 23rd 2020 !⃝

    Shop around and do your research as to who God really is. The universe came into existence from nothing. That is supernatural. Truth supposition: either there are no gods or there could be only one God. I have arrived at the God of the Bible as God.
    God is a gentleman. He is Holy and He judges man when we die. It’s His universe and His rules. Love your neighbor. Forgive your neighbor. Be made “right” by Jesus’ righteousness. None of us deserve heaven. I have been forgiven of my sins and live the life of a changed person. Anyone in rebellion to God WILL receive their just reward...an eternity separated from Him. God is all powerful, present everywhere, and all knowing. But the free will is OUR duty to call Him Father. Would it surprise you if your children chose to be estranged from you and emancipate themselves from you that they would be written out of your will and not receive your home or your wealth? People willing to wait till they die to see if there is a second chance to accept Jesus’ taking our place on the cross are playing with fire. Kind of an entitlement 10.0 way of thinking. No sin is unforgivable. God adores you. Accept Him. He misses you. Don’t blame Him for the hurt in this world. Just as people have hurt you and you could use the “victim” card, you and I have hurt others. Get forgiven and washed clean. The devil cannot control you anymore without the shame and guilt of sin.

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  5. anonymous
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    Sep 6th 2019 !⃝

    This song could be about any libertanian or just about any free thinking individual man or woman, not believing or allowing today's ficticious government[s] set-up by men as ''appointed gods'' that they think and believe they are and want to rule over one's mind with their own kind of self righteous and legalized religious laws. by which want to get sovereign freemen to make unhealthy and unchristian choices for themselves that would only profit them in the end. ''if you rent your mind out to them and their unlawful radical ideas''. The protagonist seems to know the workings of this world and oneself well enough to make clear headed choices with a ''freewill'' that one thinks and believes one has to see and control it's outcome. Or in a less positive way this song could be about any human person who has been radically deceived to think and believe that one has a ''freewill'' for choosing and making it's own choices, when one may be in a fallen state of mind. in which one is easily programmed and guided to buy into today's corporational government[s] psychology as a scientific religion without a true God that the false ego lisens to and follows it's choosing, thinking and believing one has a ''freewill'', where freedom is always in question and out of reach.

  6. anonymous
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    Aug 23rd 2013 !⃝

    Man certainly has free will. Otherwise God would be unjust to choose some to be saved and others to be lost based just on his whim.

  7. anonymous
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    May 2nd 2011 !⃝

    Awesome song its about gay pride and good gay things in life.

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  8. anonymous
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    Apr 9th 2008 !⃝

    It's about the singer coming out of the closet.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Apr 21st 2007 !⃝

    I thought Neil had a mate in jail at the time called 'Will', and he wanted him to be released....only kidding....roll on October (GLASGOW)... This will be my 10th time seeing the masters. do you think I will get a gold watch off the boys? I'm only 42, but I seen the gods at the APOLLO 3 times.Hope the go on for another 30 years....

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  10. anonymous
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    Oct 5th 2006 !⃝

    The song is about freewill and neil's belief of freedom of choice not fate. Some people believe that things happen for a reason that are out of their control ie like puppets who dance on strings of powers they can not perceive. They believe that everything is controlled by fate. Neil believes in freewill. He believes that he can make his own choices

  11. spasticewok
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    Dec 29th 2005 !⃝

    Neil is saying you need to do something with your life make a choice, you can't be a rebel and choose not to choose because you still have made a choice.

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  12. anonymous
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    Nov 21st 2005 !⃝

    I love this song, the lyrics really say wat it means.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    Oct 16th 2005 !⃝

    One of Neil Peart's many statements of his personal beliefs. It explains why he disagrees with other worldviews, and explains his own.


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