Animate - R30 Live Version

The lyrics contain many ideas based on the theories of Carl Jung. Jung called our collective unconsciousness our "inner space," containing knowledge we are all born with. This knowledge he called archetypes, which are demonstrated by the creative experiences shared by fairy literature around the world, represented in the song by the various fairy tale allusions. More importantly, however, is the fact that all the imagery in the song alludes to the archetype symbolizing the unconscious female component of the male psyche, the Anima. Its "counterpart" is the Animus, symbolizing the unconscious male component of the female psyche.

Neil Peart (Modern Drummer magazine, February 1994): "I used a basic R&B rhythm that I played back in my early days, coupled with that hypnotic effect that a lot of the British bands of the turn of the '90s had -- bands like Curve and Lush. The middle section of the tune is the result of the impact African music has had on me, although it wasn't a specific African rhythm."