Subdivisions (song)
Encyclopedia
"Subdivisions" is a Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...

 song released on the 1982 album Signals.

The song has been a staple of the band's live performances, is played regularly on classic-rock radio and appears on several greatest-hits compilations. It was released as a single in 1982, and despite limited success in the UK charts, the song gained a lot of radio airplay in Britain at the time. In the United States, it charted at #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart. It was also played live prior to its release. Pre-release live versions exist on the internet. Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...

 plays an Oberheim OB-X
Oberheim OB-X
The Oberheim OB-X is an analog polyphonic synthesizer. It was the first Oberheim synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules. Because of this, it was more functional for live performance, and therefore more portable. It was introduced in 1979 and...

 synthesizer, and the two synthesizer solos were done on a Minimoog
Minimoog
The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...

. Drummer Neil Peart
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...

 voices the word "subdivisions" in the chorus.
"Subdivisions" was one of five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is a Canadian non-profit organization, founded in 1998 by Frank Davies, that inducts Canadians into their Hall of Fame within three different categories: songwriters, songs, and those others who have made a significant contribution with respect to...

 on March 28, 2010. The band asked Jacob Moon
Jacob Moon
Jacob Moon is a solo Canadian folk singer/songwriter and guitarist based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Jacob has an extensive repertoire of songs, with seven albums to his credit. Jacob Moon's albums are independently produced and distributed, but he has been signed with Steve Bell's independent...

 to perform his version of the song at the gala in their absence.

The song became available as downloadable content for the video game, Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...

, on November 2nd, 2010.

Video

The promotional video scenes were filmed in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 area. The downtown scenes were filmed in downtown Toronto, while the suburbs scenes were filmed in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...

, near Warden and Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and concession road which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.-History:...

s. The high school scenes were filmed at L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute
L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute
L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute is a public high school in Toronto, located in north-east Scarborough. The motto of the school is Freedom with Responsibility. L'Amoreaux has an extended French program, and over three quarters of the students do not use English as their primary language...

, in the same area. The video also features scenes of the Don Valley Parkway
Don Valley Parkway
The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane municipal expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Ontario Highway 401, the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway. North of Highway 401, it continues as Ontario Highway 404. The parkway runs through...

 and a busy TTC
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...

 subway station. The student that walks downtown in the video is Dave Glover, a student at the L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute at the time.

Covers

  • A version of "Subdivisions" appears on Jacob Moon's
    Jacob Moon
    Jacob Moon is a solo Canadian folk singer/songwriter and guitarist based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Jacob has an extensive repertoire of songs, with seven albums to his credit. Jacob Moon's albums are independently produced and distributed, but he has been signed with Steve Bell's independent...

    The Loop (Signpost, 2008), as well as in a viral online video of him playing the song solo live on a rooftop
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