Nobody's Hero

Neil Peart (Modern Drummer magazine, February 1994): "I had a lot of reflections over the last couple of years about the nature of heroism, what a 'role model' is supposed to be, and the differences between the two. That thought manifested itself in a song on the new album called 'Nobody's Hero.' A role model is obviously a very positive example of what can be accomplished, and it's what I think, with all humility and pride, Rush has been a good role model for other bands."

Neil Peart (1993 Raw Magazine): "If people think that discussing homosexuality is controversial, then they've been living under a rock. 'Nobody's Hero' will probably polarize people, even though the AIDS issue is only a small part of the lyrical theme, and people will probably jump to conclusions. That's their problem. I don't worry about it, whether it's brave or foolish or whatever. When things affect you, you talk about them and it comes out in your music. You let it fly. I never had the slightest idea that it could be interpreted as controversial until someone pointed it out to me after we'd finished the record. I guess I've always worked in the music business, which is very tolerant environment."

The boy in this song is a old friend of Neil's that he met while in London in 1971. He used to work with him. Then years later he heard that his friend had died.