Madrigal

Background and Commentary

Madrigal is named after a sixteenth-century vocal genre, a short love poem set to music.

The piece was written in its entirety at Rockfield Studios in Wales. On the Farewell to Kings album, it follows “Cinderella Man.” “On any previous Rush album, the next song would be a kick-out-the-jams rocker, but with ‘Madrigal’ the band spins another enchanting melody and does an all-out love song. The tune opens with two bittersweet lines from Neil, ‘When the dragons grow too mighty to slay with pen or sword.’ Geddy’s voice convincingly carries a tone of weariness that the whole band must have felt. They had had very little time off since the summer and they were far away from home.”—Bill Banasiewicz, Rush Visions

“Madrigal is the album’s true ballad and the only track from the record not played live.”—Martin Popoff, Contents Under Pressure

The piece, dedicated to their wives, expresses their weariness of being on the road.—Robert Telleria in Merely Players

This piece and others were targeted by Robert Christgau and other critics as ham-handed attempts by the band to sound highbrow.

Lyrics

When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward
When all around is madness
And there’s no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward
To stop a while with you

When life becomes as barren
And as cold as winter skies
There’s a beacon in the darkness
In a distant pair of eyes
In vain to search for honor
In vain to search for truth
But these things can still be given
Your love has shown me proof

Tablature

By Paul Bryant (pbryant@hawk.cs.ukans.edu)

Excerpted from Fretplay.

Song is in 4/4

LEGEND: ^ means string bend

Intro: Synthesiser and Guitar. YOU figure out what effects
will make your guitar sound like the mighty Mini Moog!

|-12———|————|———|——————-|
|—–12–14-|————|———|——————-|
|————|-14–11–13-|———|——————-|
|————|————|-14——|-11—————-|
|————|————|———|—-14-12———-|
|————|————|———|———–14-12—|
| | | | |
|-0———-|-2———-|-0——-|-2—————–|
|-0———-|-3———-|-0——-|-3—————–|
|-1———-|-2———-|-1——-|-2—————–|
|-2———-|-0———-|-2——-|-0—————–|
|-2———-|————|-2——-|——————-|
|-0———-|————|-0——-|——————-|

|-12———|————|———|——————-|
|—–12–14-|————|———|——————-|
|————|-14–11–13-|———|——————-|
|————|————|-14——|-11—————-|
|————|————|———|—-14-12———-|
|————|————|———|——————-|
| | | | |
|-0———-|-2———-|-0——-|-2—————–|
|-0———-|-3———-|-0——-|-3—————–|
|-1———-|-2———-|-1——-|-2—————–|
|-2———-|-0———-|-2——-|-0—————–|
|-2———-|————|-2——-|——————-|
|-0———-|————|-0——-|——————-|

|—————————-22^-| * See note 5 below
|——————————–|
|-11——14—-11——14——-|
|—–14————14———–|
|——————————–|
|——————————–|
| |
|–2—0———2-2-0———–|
|–3——-3-2-0-3——3-2-0—-|
|–2————-2—————|
|–0————-0—————|
|——————————–|
|——————————–|

“When the dragons …

Figure A:
|–0——-0—-0-0—|-2——2——|
|–2——-2—-0-2—|-3——–3—-|
|–1——-2—-1-2—|-2—-2—–2–|
|–2——-2—-2-2—|-0–4———-|
|–2——-0—-2-0—|—————|
|–0——-0—-0-0—|—————|

For complete tab, go to Fretplay.