"2112": AN ANTHEM OF INDIVIDUALITY

05/15/26

A common science fiction trope, perhaps the most common, is an oppressive totalitarian government that maintains a strict status-quo, serving as a warning for contemporary societies not to let power end up in the wrong hands. Perhaps a less played out trope is the loss of individualism in an authoritarian regime, or rather the dominance of collectivism. By its own definition, collectivism is a way for totalitarianism to create a world that strips individual identity and relinquishes it to a mass, completely indistinguishable from one to another. Science fiction allows us to develop, describe, and critique oppressive societies, whether they be collectivist or not. In the case of “2112”, collectivism strangles the citizens of an unnamed Federation city on the planet Syrinx. “2112” is the seven part titletrack released on 2112 in 1976 by the Canadian progressive rock kings, Rush–written by the band’s drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. The twenty minute epic tells the story of an anonymous citizen (referred to here as Anonymous) of a planet under the control of the Priests of the Temple of Syrinx and the Solar Federation, forced into the collective and stripped of creative wonder. Art is a predetermined commodity, their lives even more so. Similarly, Anthem by Ayn Rand examines a collective authority that has erased the pronoun “I” and conformity cannot be avoided. Her story follows Equality 7-2521’s pursuit of individuality in a society that has regressed to a pre-Industrial Revolution state. Rand’s definition of individualism within Anthem describes individuality under tyranny as a necessity and absolute certainty. By examining “2112” in light of Anthem’s more abstract definition, we can see how “2112” develops a new perspective on individual creativity as an essential, multifaceted moral obligation and asks if it is enough to overcome tyranny.

Before jumping into the themes within “2112” and Anthem, it must be pointed out that the philosophies of Rush and Ayn Rand are immensely important to the development of their stories. Simply put, mostly spoken for by Neil Peart, Rush was a libertarian band. Peart’s ideas are found all throughout their discography, idealizing individual resistance against a conformist social order, but recognizing society as an environment that exceptional individuals are able to flourish in (Sheinbaum, 2011, p. 60). Rush’s lyrics consistently sing out libertarian ideas; restriction of big government, criticism of the extreme religious-right, and denouncement of western imperialist tendencies. One of the main issues that Rush’s philosophy finds is that according to both liberals and conservatives, ordinary men cannot be trusted to use the freedom they have wisely. Steven Horowitz (2011) describes libertarianism, in the context of Rush, as “people should be free to live their lives as they see fit, while respecting the right of others to do the same, no matter [how they choose to live their lives]” (p. 249). Ayn Rand’s take is more broad, it asks far more questions. It’s called objectivism. Objectivism deals with politics, economics, epistemology, metaphysics, morality, logic, and aesthetics (Block, 2011, p. 63); its complexities cannot be delved into completely here. To make a complicated matter far more simple, objectivism has three main axioms as the basis for which the rest of the philosophy is built upon. First, existence exists, the absolute fact that there is something; second, consciousness is our way of grasping said existence; and third, existence is identity, “to be is to be something” (Peikoff, 1991, p. 5-7). While Rand’s objectivism is different from libertarianism–considering the contemporary version of the latter takes influence from the former–they share similar ideas; one such idea connects our two works together. 

Individualism is the central idea in both the Rush and Ayn Rand brand of libertarianism. To each there is inherent virtue in being selfish, to find what works best for the individual. Rand believed that the individual was the center of the known world, with the innate ability of rational thought. Thus, pursuing self interest and mutual respect for other individuals to do the same is the only way to live life morally (Horowitz, 2011, p. 249). Rand developed her distaste for collectivist society while living in the newly established Soviet Union, before moving to the United States in 1926. Her appreciation for laissez faire economics stemmed from her belief that the individual is competent enough to make the right decision for themself. Just one more reason why libertarians still today spread Objectivist beliefs. 

Neil Peart, joining Rush in 1974, pushed the group from themes akin to Led Zeppelin to a more philosophical approach. In a Creem magazine interview in 1981, he said that everything he wrote had Howard Roark ideas ingrained in it; Howard Roark being the main character in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. Numerous songs within Rush’s discography thematically include individualism, some even predating “2112”. When touring in 1975, Geddy Lee, lead singer and bass player of Rush, took up reading as a way to pass time in between tour stops. Neil Peart had always been an avid reader and introduced Lee and Alex Lifeson (Rush’s guitarist) to Ayn Rand’s work. Lee mentions in his autobiography, My Effin’ Life (2023), that he felt that The Fountainhead added some moral reinforcement against the issues they had with their label. Their label discouraged the release of another concept album after the commercial failure of Caress of Steel the year before. They wanted them to produce something they could sell, hoping the band would make an artistic compromise to make money. However, Rush decided to begin writing yet another concept album. Rand’s Anthem was used as a source of inspiration, specifically as a jumping-off point for the story in “2112”, but also as a way for the band to champion individualism as a legitimate and viable mission, not to mention disobeying their authority figures.

Thematically, dystopian literature frequently includes the individual’s “struggle with losing their ability to make their own choices, being compelled to conform to societal norms, and having their uniqueness suppressed” (Mittal et al., 2024). Mittal et al. (2024) mentions that several authoritarian governments within science fiction like George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) possess a similar style to Anthem. They are described as, “the government as an overpowering force that oppresses and controls every facet of human existence” (Mittal et al., 2024). Rush’s “2112”, being based on Anthem, also falls into this category of dystopian governments. Movement II., “Temples of Syrinx”, introduces our (seemingly) all-powerful authority figures. The Priests of the Temples of Syrinx are the supreme rulers of the Solar Federation, dictating every facet of life, “we’ve taken care of everything” (Rush, 1976). As Mittal et al. (2024) mentions above, tyrannical governments often use their power to suppress the individual and “take care of” their subjects' lives. No prior context is given as to how they assumed control, but the Priests have forced egalitarian tyranny on the citizens of the Solar Federation under the guise of equality. In movement II., they ask their citizens to join the “Brotherhood of Man” and be given the gifts of life by the Priests whose “stock in trade” is equality. This suggests that the Priests’ business is to maintain equality through tyranny. In giving the people what they require to be equal, they are effectively asserting their dominance by dictating what the requirements are without regard for what may be needed in actuality. Everyone must work together as common man, there is nothing else to wonder about because the Priests have strictly established what the common man needs. No one need worry about the creativity that sets them apart from one another. Anthem’s authority works in a similar way. The Councils in Anthem are the “voice of all men” (Rand, 1938, p. 21), “body of all truth” (Rand, 1938, p. 19), and the knowers of all things. The Priests and the Councils are essentially one in the same. Their main objective is to suppress individualism and to force the will of the collective. The Priests echo the motto of the World Council from Anthem, with slight variation, “One for all and all for one” (Rush, 1976). Syrinx’s tyrannical rulers establish that their rule is for the betterment of all man, lulling their subjects into thinking their (government issued/mandated) cog benefits everyone else in the wheel. Peart’s main idea here is that suppression of the individual is detrimental to the ability for society to develop into one that truly benefits all men. 

In movement IV., “Presentation”, Anonymous stands before the Priests to show them the guitar he discovered in the cave and the music that springs from it. The Priests suspend Anonymous’ eagerness immediately. They tell him, “It’s nothing new, it’s just a waste of time” (Rush, 1976). As soon as Anonymous finds his sense of creativity, the Priests dismiss it as pointless. As something that would never contribute meaningfully to the fabric of their engineered society. Again, their rule is meant to ensure that the collective remains just that, barring any and all outside influence or disturbance. The Priests double down on their dismissal of Anonymous’ discovery, “We have no need for ancient ways, our world is doing fine, another toy, that helped destroy, the elder race of man” (Rush, 1976). To the Priests, music, or more broadly, individual creativity, is an archaic tradition. The downfall of the “elder race” was, as the Priests alluded to, because of the individual's use of the toy of destruction known as the guitar, among other pursuits of the individual. Durrell Bowman (2002) describes the Priests as having an, "insistent, impenetrable worldview, one in which the individual’s counterarguments will not be tolerated” (p. 196). Peart wants to note the intolerance of egalitarian tyrants in the imposition of the will of the collective. They are stifling Anonymous’ creative expression because their so-called perfect world should not be impeded by the selfish individual. The Priests are fearful that Anonymous will incite an individualist social revolution, so they do as any other tyrants would do, and keep their iron fists clenched. 

Anonymous begins his journey with individuality in movement III., “Discovery”. As the title suggests, he finds his sense of individuality when he discovers a guitar in a cave. Alex Lifeson mimics Anonymous learning to tune and play the guitar, a waterfall rushing in the background. “Discovery” serves as Anonymous’ awakening against the collective, but he hopes to share it with the rest of Syrinx and to, “let them all make their own music” (Rush, 1976). He wanted the rest of the Brotherhood of Man to harness the power of music and to show the Priests something wondrous that he created without direction from authority, expecting praise for what he discovered. Upon Equality 7-2521’s discovery of electricity and the lightbulb in Anthem, he too begins to discover his own individuality. Anonymous’ and Equality’s journeys begin in the same way, discovering what used to be before the egalitarian tyrants took over, and they both aspire to present their findings to the authorities for the betterment of man, before being dismissed out of fear. Rand is insinuating that collective societies perpetuate their own destruction because they reject progress, thereby rejecting what would make their lives better. A member of the Council of Scholars, International 1-5537, tells Equality that the lightbulb is blasphemous because, “What is not done collectively cannot be good,” (Rand, 1938, p. 58) even though it would be a massive step forward for society. Peart contends on this front and presents this idea in a similar way. The individual is able to progress society by making their own discoveries without scrutinous committee review or censorship by the authority (i.e., the Priests or Councils). As mentioned above, movement IV. shows the Priests attempt to strip Anonymous of his new found individuality out of fear that he will disrupt their rule. Anonymous quips back, “Our world could use this beauty, just think what we might do” (Rush, 1976), placing emphasis on the power of the guitar to create a better world for the people of Syrinx. He fails to convince them of this, and the Priests reject his idea. Peart is trying to convey that individual expression contributes heavily to beauty in society, thereby improving it exponentially. As is noted by Durrell Bowman (2002), Anonymous, “wishes to find a way to contribute to the improvement of society” (p. 196-197), not simply to drop out as a non-conformist. Rush is greatly concerned with the moral contributions of the individual and how they affect their community, Peart arguing here that to create is to make a moral contribution. Essentially, individual creation is an incredibly important social obligation for the advancement of society.

After the Priests’ rejection of Anonymous, he leaves the temple and trudges through the city streets alone in movement V. ,“Oracle: The Dream”. He falls into a deep sleep and his dreams conjure up an oracle who leads him to a society light years away from Syrinx. There he sees “the works of gifted hands” (Rush, 1976) and individuals who are not beneath the boot of tyrants. They are free to be “gifted”, to be individuals whose creativity has helped build the “strange and wondrous land” (Rush, 1976). This turns out to be the Elder Race of man who left Syrinx to learn and grow, whose new world was built up by individuality, not destroyed by it like the Priests claimed they were. While it is not explicitly stated whether or not they were exiled, the Elder Race was still able to escape the suppression of their creativity and build a society that allowed them to flourish. Again, Peart is trying to explain that individual ingenuity is inherently good for society, the Elder Race being a direct model for how it should be. Peart goes further to imply that individuality allowed, “their power [to grow] with purpose strong, to claim the home where they belong” (Rush, 1976). Individuality breeds a kind of power that the collective cannot; the power to fulfil a moral obligation to better society by contributing our own thoughts and actions. The power of freedom allows us to be individuals, to seek out what is needed to live for ourselves, not having that decided by a totalitarian collective. The Elder Race embodies the type of power that Peart is advocating for. Rush’s philosophy throughout their discography trusts that man has the ability to use his freedom wisely and that there is a moral obligation to do so. This is the same in “2112”. It does, however, ask if individuality–and the power of freedom–is able to overcome the power of the Priests, casting doubt on Anonymous’ ability to do so.

Movement VI. is titled “Sililoquey”, showcasing Anonymous’ despair after he was rejected by the Priests and his reflection on the dream he had in the previous movement. He sits in the cave and says, “the dream is still in my head, I heave a sigh, and sadly smile”, wishing that the dream would “come to pass” (Rush, 1976). Despite discovering musical individuality, his spirit is ultimately crushed with the rejection and because the land in his dream is unattainable. Toiling with his own individuality sent him into spiraling hopelessness–he longed for a world that allowed him to be himself. He stewed on what his life could have been if he was able to reach the world in which the elder race lives. With his soul crushed and his individuality weighing down him, he uttered, “I don’t think I can carry on, this cold and empty life”, that was created by the Priests. Peart, rather dramatically, communicates that individual expression gives people purpose. It gives people a sense of fulfillment. Anonymous feels unfulfilled in the end, “my spirits are low, in the depths of despair, my lifeblood, spills over….” (Rush, 1976). Anonymous decides that he’d rather commit suicide than remain under the authority of the collective. He would rather die than be forced to give up creative expression. His lifeblood spilled over rather than leading an unfulfilling life. Contrarily in Anthem, discovering individuality gave Equality the opportunity to isolate himself from the collectivism that surrounded him and free himself from a society detrimental to ego. He escapes from the Council of Scholars to the Uncharted Forest where he begins his new life with “affirmative reintegration of the ego in a new world” (D. Weinstein & M. A. Weinstein, 2011, p. 275). Anonymous is unable to do this, his story is an existential tragedy. Deena Weinstein and Michael A. Weinstein (2011) describes his situation as, “the defeated and lonely self caught in anguished despair between a poisoned world and a dying dream” (p. 275). Anonymous’ individuality was not enough to save him from despair, made evidently clear in his final moments. As dark as his ending may be, I don’t think that Peart or Rush was trying to say that discovering one’s individuality will lead to a tragic ending, but rather emphasizing the importance of individuality in society in the first place. A world so poisoned by the collective, especially when constituted by an authoritarian or dystopian government, can negate individual creativity to the point of obscurity. Peart is using “2112” as a warning against egalitarian tyrannies as opposed to Rand using Anthem as a triumphant declaration of overpowering such a society.

On the inner gatefold of vinyl copies of the album, we see “Starman”, who may or may not be Anonymous, with his hands braced against the Red Star attempting to ward it off. The Red Star comes from movement II., “let the banners, be unfurled, hold the Red Star proudly, high in hand” (Rush, 1976), serving as the symbol for the Solar Federation and a metaphorical symbol of the Priests' power. The Starman represents the ultimate battle between the aforementioned egalitarian tyranny and individualism. He is a man standing against conformity, his message resonating deeply with Rush fans. He has since become synonymous with Rush, basically an unofficial logo. Starman is, and always will be, a reminder for Rush fans, “Down with the tyrants! An eye for I”. 

The final movement, “VII. Grand Finale”, brings the epic space rock opera to a close. With our protagonist dead, the ending is left up to interpretation. Many considered that the Priests had won, the musical motifs being similar to that of “Temples of Syrinx” and their section of “Presentation”. Others, including Peart himself, interpret it as the Elder Race coming back to Syrinx and destroying the temples with the Priests inside, freeing the planet from a collectivist hell. Anonymous had not died in vain. The ending crescendos into a cacophony of symbols, thudding bass, and spastic guitars, a voice repeating, “Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation. We have assumed control” (Rush, 1976), signaling the defeat of egalitarian indoctrination. 

Their message struck a chord with fans and was well received by many as an integral part of the band’s resume. However, the album was not without its controversy. Critics claimed that the band supported authoritarianism and sided with the Priests, labeling them as fascists. This was due in part to Neil Peart crediting Rand in the liner notes of 2112. Rand’s reputation and attitude towards rock music soured the critics' outlook on Rush, who acknowledged her genius on an album that brought them great success. Peart attempted to distance the band from Rand by claiming that he noticed the song’s similarity to Anthem partway through working on it, only crediting her in the liner notes out of fear of plagiarism. It is undeniable that the stories are similar on the surface, Peart obviously being inspired by Rand’s work, but there are underlying intricacies that differentiate them. Equality and Anonymous are extremely different characters; Equality having known that he was different since his youth and Anonymous being relatively conformist until he discovered the guitar. Equality also retains his spirit the whole way through the novella, whereas Anonymous’ is broken after movement IV. The Councils and Priests, while having a similar mission, do not use the same methods to carry it out. The Councils are violent in nature, the Priests only being dismissive. “2112” takes Anthem’s story and spins it in a different way, shifting the protagonist’s individualist endeavors from electricity to music. The endings, as discussed above, push the stories in two different directions, one ending in a triumphant light and the other in tragedy.

“2112” stands out within Rush’s discography as a staple track, not only because it is a head-banging progressive rock anthem, but also because it is essential to understanding their philosophy. Individuality has remained as a key theme in their music from Fly By Night (1975) onward. Neil Peart, along with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, want to express how being an individual, a creative one at that, is beneficial to society. He urges the listener to fight for their own freedom, warning that a loss of individuality can be detrimental to humanity, but ultimately to one’s spirit. The tragic ending contends that individuality may not be enough to overcome an indomitable collective, though it is hopeful that good will prevail. Living the way you want to live and letting others do the same is a moral obligation in Peart’s eyes, additionally including an emphasis on individual creation as invaluable to the fabric of society. These ideas are encapsulated in “2112”, progressive rock’s champion of the individual.

*An Editors Note: I appreciate everyone's patience the last couple of months. I know there are Smellers out there just waiting for the next post, riding the edge of their seat every Friday hoping it will get posted. School seriously burnt me out for a while there. This is my final research paper I wrote for my science fiction class this semester. The final word count sits at 3548. As you can imagine, writing this paper took a toll on me, especially with other projects and papers due around the same time. Attempting to manage my class workload in addition to constant upkeep of Cosmic Smell DOT Com was not in the cards for me. But now we're back, ready to think and learn and absorb and write about what makes music so great. Thanks fer 'yer understanding.

"It’s got wires that vibrate, and give music, What can this thing be that I found?" | See you next week...

Cheers,

Jack

References

Block, W. E. (2011). Ayn Rand, Religion, and Libertarianism. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 11(1), 63–79. https://doi.org/10.2307/41560403

Bowman, D. (2002). Let them make their own music: Individualism, rush, and the progressive/hard rock alloy, 1976-77. In K. Holm-Hudson (Ed.), Progressive Rock Reconsidered (pp. 183–218). Routledge.

Horowitz, S. (2011). Rush’s Libertarianism Never Fit the Plan. In J. Berti & D. Bowman (Eds.), Rush and Philosophy : Heart and Mind United (pp. 248–263). Open Court.

Lee, G. (2023). My Effin’ Life. HarperCollins.

McDonald, C. (2008). Open Secrets: Individualism and Middle‐Class Identity in the Songs of Rush. Popular Music and Society, 31(3), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007760701214195

Peikoff, L. (1993). Objectivism : the philosophy of Ayn Rand. New York Meridian.

Rand, A. (1938). Anthem. Cassell.

Rush. (1976). 2112 [Song]. On 2112. Mercury Records.

Sciabarra, C. M. (2002). Rand, Rush, and Rock. The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, 4(1), 161–185. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/41560208

Sheinbaum, J. (2011). The Groove of Rush’s Complex Rhythms. In J. Berti & D. Bowman (Eds.), Rush and Philosophy : Heart and Mind United (pp. 55–68). Open Court.

Weinstein, D., & Weinstein, M. (2011). Neil Peart versus Ayn Rand. In J. Berti & D. Bowman (Eds.), Rush and Philosophy : Heart and Mind United (pp. 264–276). Open Court.