2112 Overture / The Temples Of Syrinx

This piece is 20 minutes long and takes up an entire side of the album. It was the second time Rush did this, the first being "The Fountain of Lamneth" from the album Caress of Steel.

The song is considered a "suite" and divided into seven chapters: I) Overture, II) The Temples of Syrinx, III) Discovery, IV) Presentation, V) Oracle: The Dream, VI) Soliloquy, VII) Grand Finale. In the printed lyrics, each chapter begins with a text story, describing the events. Part one is the overture of the year 2112. Part two is about the Temples of Syrinx and the Priests that rule them. Part three is about a man who discovers an "ancient device" that is actually a guitar. Part four is the presentation (hence the part title) of the device to the priests. The priests say that there is no need for this ancient way, and crush it to pieces beneath their feet. Part five is about the man going back to his cave by the waterfall and falling asleep, dreaming of the "elder race" (the oracle) leading him back to his world. In the year 2112 the elder race of man live on a planet far far away from the Federation. Part six is about the man being unable to live under the Federation's control any longer. His only hope is that with his death he will pass into the next world. Part seven is the instrumental Grand Finale.

The lyrics are based on the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand, a writer and philosopher who grew up in Russia, but moved to the US as a young adult. She often wrote about the concept of "Objectivism," which focuses on reason, self-interest, and objective reality. The narrator of this story is never named.