Rush Songs - By-Tor And The Snow Dog Lyrics

Rush - By-Tor And The Snow Dog

Rush - By-Tor And The Snow Dog Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Fly By Night
Released: 1975

By-Tor And The Snow Dog Lyrics

I. At the Tobes of Hades
The Tobes of Hades
Lit by flickering torchlight
The Netherworld is gathered in the glare
Prince By-Tor takes the cavern
To the north light
The sign of Eth is rising in the air
By-Tor, knight of darkness,
Centurion of evil
Devil's prince

II. Across the Styx
Across the River Styx
Out of the lamplight
His nemesis is waiting at the gate
The Snow Dog, ermine glowing
In the damp night
Coal-black eyes shimmering with hate
By-Tor And The Snow Dog
Square for battle
Let the fray begin

III. Of the Battle
IV. Epilogue
The battle's over
And the dust is clearing
Disciples of the Snow Dog sound the knell
Rejoicing echoes
As the dawn is nearing
By-Tor in defeat
Retreats to Hell
Snow Dog is victorious
The land of the Overworld
Is saved again

Writer/s: ALEX LIFESON, ALEX ZIVOJINOVICH, GARY LEE WEINRIB, GEDDY LEE, NEIL PEART
Publisher: OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

By-Tor And The Snow Dog

Rush's road manager Howard Ungerleider came up with the title at a party. There were two dogs at the party, one a German shepherd and the other a tiny white nervous dog. Howard used to call the shepherd By-Tor because anyone that walked into the house was bitten. The other dog was a snow-dog (white). So from that night on Howard called the pair of dogs "By-Tor and the Snow Dog." The dogs belonged to Rush's manager.

The song is divided into 4 chapters: I) At the Tobes of Hades, II) Across the Styx, III) Of the Battle, IV) Epilogue. Chapter 3 (Of the Battle) is divided into 4 chapters in and of itself: i) Challenge and Defiance, ii) 7/4 War Furor, iii) Aftermath, iv) Hymn of Triumph. Total running time, according to the label, is only 8:37.

On the back cover of the album Alex Lifeson is identified as "Snow Dog", and Geddy Lee is identified as "By-Tor".

The character By-Tor returned on the following release, "Caress of Steel." In that song, By-Tor was the victor in the battle. (thanks, Jeff - Haltom City, TX, for all above)

This was the first Rush album with Neil Peart, their drummer and lyricist who became an integral part of the group.

There is a video created for the Vapor Trails tour that played on screen behind stage. This is also a hidden feature on the Rush In Rio DVD (Easter egg) accessible on the second disc (Boys in Brazil). (thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, Washington)

Section III was originally called "The Battle."

On the original vinyl album, the chimes at the end were printed into the fadeout groove of side one. On older turntables, until the stylus was physically lifted from the vinyl, the chimes would keep playing. On the Archives version, the song is 28 seconds longer as additional chimes were included. (thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, Washington, for above 2)