The Camera Eye

Song_infobox
Name = The Camera Eye


SorA = album
Artist = Rush
Album = "Moving Pictures"
Released = February 28, 1981
track_no = 5
Recorded =
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 10:56
Writer =
Composer =
Label = Mercury Records
Producer = Rush & Terry Brown
Chart position =
prev = "Limelight"
prev_no = 4
next = ""
next_no = 6

The Camera Eye is an epic rock song by Canadian progressive rock band Rush from their 1981 album, Moving Pictures. The song, at nearly 11 minutes long, is one of Rush's longest songs, surpassed only by the likes of The Fountain of Lamneth, The Necromancer, 2112, Cygnus X-1, and Xanadu. The song was the last song written by Rush to breach the 10 minute mark, though Fear, which was continually released until Vapor Trails, is over 20 minutes combined. The song begins with three minutes of instrumental fade-in before the lyrics begin. It is interesting to note that at roughly 2:16 into the song, the opening sequence to YYZ (the Morse Code for the letters "YYZ" on crotales) can be heard. The song, like most of Rush's music in this period, relies heavily on the synthesizer. At 8:53, a background noise can be heard; some people think that this noise is Geddy Lee burping and stating "Oh God..." In fact, it is the sound of two Londoners - a refined voice saying "Hello" followed by a working class "Mornin' guv'". Most interesting of note is the fact that The Camera Eye is the number one requested song for live performance in recent years by Rush fans the world over. Although the song was last performed live in the early 80s (on the Moving Pictures tour, the Exit... Stage Left tour, the Signals Warm-Up tour, and the Signals tour), Rush tours of late, have not granted this request.The song's last known live performance was on May 25, 1983, at the Royal Highland Exhibition Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, at the end of the Signals Tour.