The Necromancer (song)

The Necromancer is a song by Rush from their 1975 album Caress of Steel subtitled "A Short Story by Rush." It was one of Rush's first attempts at writing an epic progressive rock piece, along with "The Fountain of Lamneth." The two songs are often blamed for the commercial failure of Caress of Steel. Part III, titled "Return of the Prince", was released as a single in some countries. No official live recordings of the song have been released, but it appears on a bootleg entitled "Rush: Caught In The Act," which was recorded with an 8mm video recorder on May 15, 1975 in Rochester, New York by an audience member.

The song is heavily inspired by the high fantasy legendarium of author J.R.R. Tolkien. Many parallels can be drawn between the song's tale and the stories of Tolkien, and several references are made to characters and locations in Tolkien's stories. In particular, the title and antagonist of this song were inspired by a character in Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: the Necromancer (a pseudonym for Sauron).

Parts

The song consists of three parts:

• I. Into the Darkness - 4:20
• II. Under the Shadow - 4:25
• III. Return of the Prince - 3:51

Personnel

• Geddy Lee: bass and lead vocals
• Alex Lifeson: guitar
• Neil Peart: drums

See also

• List of Rush songs

References