The Twilight Zone

Background and Commentary

“Neil is a big fan of The Twilight Zone TV series, and he based this song on two episodes. The first is ‘Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?’ (episode 28, season 2, May 26, 1961), which is set in a diner and Barney Phillips is the easygoing counterman with the three eyes. The second is ‘Stopover In a Quiet Town’ (episode 30, season 5, April 24, 1964), about a couple who get drunk at a party and wake up in an empty house in an empty town with no other residents and everything is fake or like a stage prop and at the end they look up and see a giant child. It turns out they are now a play-toy. Rod Serling’s closing narration is among the series funniest. ‘The moral of what you’ve just seen is clear. If you drink, don’t drive. And if your wife has had a couple, she shouldn’t drive either. You both might just wind up with a whale of a headache in a deserted village in The Twilight Zone.’ Peart changed the giant girl to a boy in the lyrics.”—Songfacts

“It is notable that Rush had already credited Rod Serling, the host of The Twilight Zone television series, on their last album [Caress of Steel] and would again on their next. this was the last track done for the album, another fantasy trip [the first being ‘A Passage to Bangkok’], this time through the fourth dimension. It’s interesting to hear the vocals whispered at the same time they’re sung. The Defenders 1977 comic book from Marvel dedicated their forty-fifth issue to each member in the band. In it, a character named Red Rajah says, “Truth is false and logic is lost, consult the Rajah at all cost.”—Robert Telleria, Merely Players

“‘The Twilight Zone’ has a mystical space feel and I think Rod Serling would have loved it.”—Bill Banasiewicz, Rush Visions

A 1976 issue of “The Defenders” comic book includes a quote—“truth is false and logic lost”—from Rush’s lyrics in the piece. The comic book story loosely tracks “2112,” with the Red Rajah seeking to turn New York City into a collectivist society ruled by him. The Red Rajah turns out to be Dr. Strange, who had been missing. The issue is dedicated to Neil, Geddy, and Alex.

Lyrics

A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you
He smiles and says he’s pleased to meet you
Beneath his hat the strangeness lies
Take it off, he’s got three eyes
Truth is false and logic lost
Now the fourth dimension is crossed

You have entered the Twilight Zone
Beyond this world strange things are known
Use the key, unlock the door
See what your fate might have in store
Come explore your dreams’ creation
Enter this world of imagination

You wake up lost in an empty town
Wondering why no one else is around
Look up to see a giant boy
You’ve just become his brand new toy
No escape, no place to hide
Here where time and space collide

Tablature

By RUSH is GOD2112

Excerpted from Ultimate Guitar.

Tuning: Standard – [EADGBe] (low to high)
Main Time Signature: 4/4
Key Signature: C
Tone/Effects: Reverb

+ Tab Legend +
+—————————————————————-+
| Symbol | Explanation |
+——–+——————————————————-+
| | | Bar line separating measures of music |
| v | Finger or wrist vibrato |
| h,p,s | Hammer on, Pull off, Slide |
| b | Bend string up to indicated pitch/fret |
| r | Release bend to indicated string/fret |
| \ | Slide down from/into infinity |
| [x] | Artificial “pinch” harmonic (use thumb to follow |
| | through the pick attack) |
| |o o| | Repeat signs; play the measures between these an |
| |o o| | additional time |
+——–+——————————————————-+

Rhythm:
w = whole note W = dotted whole
h = half note H = dotted half
q = quarter note Q = dotted quarter
e = eighth note E = dotted eighth
s = sixteenth note S = dotted sixteenth
t = 32nd note T = dotted 32nd
x = 64th note X = dotted 64th
^ = triplet

[Intro]:
Am G F C F G Am G F C F G Am G F
e:——————————————————————|R
B:–5—-3—-1—–1–1–3—5—-3—1—-1–1–3—5—–3—-1–|H
G:–5—-4—-2—–0–2–4—5—-4—2—-0–2–4—5—–4—-2–|Y
D:–7—-5—-3—–2–3–5—7—-5—3—-2–3–5—7—–5—-3–|T
A:–7—-5—-3—–3–3–5—7—-5—3—-3–3–5—7—–5—-3–|H
E:–5—-3—-1——–1–3—5—-3—1——-1–3—5—–3—-1–|M
| |
e:——————————————————————|
B:–13—12—————12–13—12————-12–13—-12——|L
G:————14—-12-14————–14—12-14—————-14-|E
D:——————————————————————|A
A:——————————————————————|D
E:——————————————————————|
* * *
(doubled by second guitar)

[Verse] (doubled by an acoustic guitar):
Em Em/D C Dsus2
e s E e s E e s E e s E
e:———-0————0——-|———-0————0———-|
B:———-0————0——-|———-1————3———-|
G:———-0————0——-|———-0————2———-|
D:—2–2———0–0———–|—————-0–0————–|
A:——————————-|—3–3—————————|
E:——————————-|———————————-|
A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you

Em Em/D C Dsus2
e s E e s E e s E e s E
e:———-0————0——-|———-0————0———-|
B:———-0————0——-|———-1————3———-|
G:———-0————0——-|———-0————2———-|
D:—2–2———0–0———–|—————-0–0————–|
A:——————————-|—3–3—————————|
E:——————————-|———————————-|
He smiles and says he’s pleased to meet you.