The third song on the self-titled
first album by the Canadian band
Rush. Words and music by
Geddy Lee and
Alex Lifeson. Drums and backup vocals by
John Rutsey, guitar and backup vocals by Lifeson, bass and lead vocals by Lee.
This song follows classic rock song structure: Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, guitar solo, Verse 3, Chorus, (repeat Chorus). It lasts just under four and a half minutes, with almost a minute of that taken up by the guitar solo. All three instruments are balanced about equally, with the guitar sounding almost bluesy.
The lyrics are nothing to get excited about (but kudos for correct use of the word "whom" and for not ending any phrase with a preposition). The singer lectures some other guy about the joys and necessities of friendship, with such memorable lines as "you need a friend/ someone on whom you can always depend". Apparently, the guy's only problem is loneliness ("you're lonely ev'ry night"), but rather than become his friend, the singer advises him to go find someone else "whether woman or man".
Because of copyright restrictions, only a small sample of the lyrics is reproduced below.
Take yourself a friend
Keep 'em till the end
Whether woman or man
It makes you feel so good
So good
Source: My Rush CD collection