Witch Hunt - Rush (1981)

Описание: "Witch Hunt" was released on the Moving Pictures album in February of 1981. Moving Pictures was the album that broke Rush into the big time. All of a sudden even people who hadn't been listening to Rush much were huge fans of this record, mainly due to the success of the singles, "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight". It became a huge album on FM radio, many of the tracks are staples even today.

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While most of my friends favored the more popular singles, it was "Witch Hunt" that I thought the greatest track on the record...definitely in my favorite Rush songs....and, because of the beautifully written, powerful, and important lyrics, the one I'd usually pick for absolute all-time favorite Rush song.

This video was a very last minute decision to upload something for last night for Halloween 2024, but as rushed as it is, still missed Halloween by a couple days! And, trust me, I understand the song lyrics aren't really about witches, but this is the updated version for my original "Witch Hunt" video that was about literal witch hunts the title is referencing. I hope to try something really different with a video for the figurative witch hunt of the lyrics...coming soon "Witch Hunt" Ver. 3 (The "Witch" Free Version!) LOL!

About the artist/album/song:
Moving Pictures came out while I was working at the record store and it's about as close as I've ever come to being burned out on a Rush record. Damn, we played this thing constantly! Never got tired of hearing "Witch Hunt" though....still one of my all time fav Rush songs!

The band crafted another beautiful and unique tune, it's a really fine melody, an awesome bass line by Geddy Lee, very cool keyboard work by Hugh Syme (Rush's longtime artwork creator), and unique and stylish percussion and effects....but of course it's Neil Peart's lyrics that make it truly special. I think it's an incredibly insightful, honest and elegantly constructed statement about some of mankind's less admirable qualities.....this has to be among Neil Peart's finest work.

About the audio:
Audio Guru Sparky went deep into audio tuning and has this one sounding better than ever! Check out the amazing sound on a full-system or decent headphones!

About the video:
From description of original vid: "Even though the song isn't (really) about witches, it's these images that are the coolest to play around with (much easier than trying to visually represent the intangibles of hatred and paranoia!.....even though I thought about trying to make that video). The song is just so awesome, and I think the video we all want to see behind this song has witches, lots of witches it it!.....so I threw in a bunch! :-)"

When I made the first video for this song over 10 years ago, I wanted to do something that would reflect the lyrics, but I couldn't figure out how to do it way back then so I just centered the vid around actual witch hunts from history, and random witch imagery from paintings, etc. Through the years I've gotten some comments about the song "not being about witches!" LOL!....yeah, I know, but I couldn't make THAT video yet.!

Now with new tools to help, I've been thinking about jumping into a new video for. Then a few days before Halloween I decided I'd go ahead and do an update for my old video with the witch effects and have it for Halloween....and to tide over until the new improved "witch-free" version comes together! This video is all over the place stylistically, and some of the AI effects are sketchy, but I hope you enjoy it!

Everybody wish luck for me to make a better video for "Witch Hunt" in the not too distant future!

[Lyrics]
The night is black
Without a moon.
The air is thick and still.
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torchlit hill.

Features distorted in the flickering light,
The faces are twisted and grotesque.
Silent and stern in the sweltering night,
The mob moves like demons possessed.
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right,
Confident their ways are best.

The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will.
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill.

They say there are strangers who threaten us,
Our immigrants and infidels.
They say there is strangeness too dangerous
In our theaters and bookstore shelves.
Those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves.

Quick to judge,
Quick to anger,
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand...