For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

There never was and never will be another rocker as talented as Neil Peart. Behind the quiet, stoic veneer was a man who was an absolute beast on drums and a master of the lyric. I always loved his drumming – the sheer speed, technique, versatility and originality. He has no peers. But lyrically, I didn’t always get it. The fantasy worlds that Neil created often soared over my head. But he is a brilliant lyricist – and occasionally his lyrics leave me speechless, like the words on “The Spirit Of Radio”.

It’s one of Rush’s big anthems – and part of the band’s coming out party. “The Spirit Of Radio” literally put them on the radio for good. Many think this is Alex’s song – as his opening guitar riff is one of Rush’s best openings – if not one of rock & roll’s best openings period. And with a song that became as mainstream as Rush gets, it’s easy to overlook the brilliance of Neil’s lyrics. It’s part poem, part essay, and at the end of the day, it’s just a song about the power of music – written in a way that only Neil can capture.

“For the words of the profits Were written on the studio wall. Concert hall Echoes with the sounds of salesmen.”