The message of “Half the World” was true 25 years ago and it remains just as potent today.
The lyrics in this song, written by Neil Peart, speak to a universal truth.
Half the World remains hopeful while educating and entertaining us at the same time.
Now that’s a great song!
Eric Lee Gardner
Half The World 🌎 1996
Half the world hates
What half the world does every day
Half the world waits
While half gets on with it anyway
Half the world lives
Half the world makes
Half the world gives
While the other half takes
Half the world is
Half the world was
Half the world thinks
While the other half does
Half the world talks
With half a mind on what they say
Half the world walks
With half a mind to run away
Half the world lies
Half the world learns
Half the world flies
As half the world turns
Half the world cries
Half the world laughs
Half the world tries
To be the other half
Half of us divided
Like a torn-up photograph
Half of us are trying
To reach the other half
Half the world cares
While half the world is wasting the day
Half the world shares
While half the world is stealing away
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson / Lyrics: Neil Peart
Liner NotesRush Test for Echo
Geddy Lee – bass guitar, vocals, synthesizers
Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars, mandola
Neil Peart – drums, cymbals, hammer dulcimer
Produced by Peter Collins and Rush
Recorded by Clif Norrell
Mixed by Andy Wallace
Project assistant engineer: Simon Pressey
Recorded January–March 1996, at Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, New York, assisted by Chris Laidlaw and Paul Marconi, and Reaction Studios, Toronto, April 1996, assisted by Tom Heron
All songs by Lee, Lifeson, & Peart, except “Test For Echo”: Lee, Lifeson, Peart, & Dubois
Arrangements by Rush and Peter Collins
Preproduction at Chalet Studio by Lerxst Sound and Everett Ravestein
Mastered by Bob Ludwig, Gateway Studios, Portland, Maine
Management by Ray Danniels, SRO Management Inc., Toronto
Executive Production by Anthem Entertainment: Liam Birt & Pegi Cecconi
Art Direction, Design and Digital Illustration by Hugh Syme
Photography by Dimo Safari, Anthony Frederick, Andrew MacNaughtan, Richard C. Negus, Eugene Fisher
“2001: A Space Odyssey” images © 1968 Turner Entertainment Co. All Rights Reserved (page 12)
Tour Manager and President: Liam Birt / Production & Stage Manager: Dan Braun / Production Assistant: Jimmy Joe Rhodes / Concert Sound Engineer: Robert Scovill / Lighting Director: Howard Ungerleider / Stage Left Tech: Skip Gildersleeve / Centre Stage Tech: Larry Allen / Stage Right Tech: Jim Johnson / Keyboard Tech: Tony Geranios / Monitor Engineer: Phil Wilkey
Personal Assistant: Sean Son Hing / Concert Sound by Electrotec: Ted Leamy, Larry (Kahuna) Vodopivec, David (H.B.) Stogner, Brad Judd / Lighting by See Factor: Jack Funk, Ed Duda, Mario Corsi, Steve Kostecke, Donny Lodico / Icon lighting by LSD: Matt Druzbik, Julian Winters / Pyrotechnics: Reid Schulte-Derne, Doug Adams, Randy Bast / Projectionists: Bob Montgomery, Conrad Coriz, Sam Raphael / Concert Rigging by IMC (Billy Collins): Mike (Frank) McDonald, Brian Collins, Rick Mooney / Carpenters: George Steinert, Sal Marinello, Joe Campbell
Drivers: Tom (whitney) Whittaker, Arthur (Mac) MacLear, Lennie Southwick, Tom Hartman, Stan Whittaker, Dave Cook, Red McBrine, Don Hendricks, Phil Dunlap, Ken Bosemer
Tour Merchandise: Mike, Shannon & Pat McLoughlin / Tour Accountants: Liam Birt & John Whitehead (Drysdale & Drysdale) / Booking Agencies: International Creative Management, NYC, The Agency Group, London, The Agency, Toronto
Friendly help and helpful friendship provided by D.I.Y Studios, B. Zee Brokers, Candlebox & Primus and crews, Westbury Sound, Reely Unique Studio Rentals, Neal Dibiase, Wee Kiltie, haggis, Tom Cochrane, Pooké, Martian Dweller (for the dulcimer), Food To Go caterers, and at the Chalet: Koopster, David, Mike (the Real Owner), Zalia, George, Perry, & Compost Pit; at Bearsville: Mark, Patty, Chris, Paul, Päûl, & Jill; at Reaction: Ormond, Claire, Tom, & Chris; and at McClear: Bob, Denis, Pam, & Tony, At SRO: Ray, Pegi, Sheila, Anna, Stephanie, Shelley, Steve, & Bob; and at home–last but far from least–our families.
For technical help, our thanks to Walter Ostanek’s Music Centre, Jim Burgess and Saved By Technology (Carl Petzelt), Paul Reed Smith guitars, DOD Digitech, Godin guitars, Trace Elliot amplifiers, Coll Audio, Drum Workshop drums, Avedis Zildjian cymbals, Promark drumsticks, Freddie Gruber, and–O (TM)
Brought to you buy the letter “R-R-R-R”
© 1996 Atlantic Records © 1996 Anthem Entertainment
