The Trees lyrics by Rush, 8 meanings. The Trees explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
Request & respond explanations
  • Don't understand the meaning of the song?
  • Highlight lyrics and request an explanation.
  • Click on highlighted lyrics to explain.
Rush – The Trees lyrics
There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples,
(And they're quite convinced the're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the Forest,
And the Creatures all have fled
,
As the Maples scream oppression,
And the Oaks just shake their heads.

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
"These oaks are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light."
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw
.
×



Lyrics taken from /lyrics/r/rush/the_trees.html

  • Email
  • Correct
Songwriters: Alex Zivojinovich, Geddy Lee Weinrib, Neil Elwood Peart
The Trees lyrics © Anthem Entertainment

The Trees meanings Post my meaning

  • U
    + 9
    Unregistered
    This song could be interpreted to reflect any social or economic disparity - wealth, talent, medical, etc., but the point is the same. There are oaks acting as oaks and maples acting as maples. The maples are get sunlight (or they wouldn’t exist) but not as much as the Oaks, who are a taller species of tree. Their height was not their choice, it is as they were made. The Maples, angry they are not getting as much light as the Oaks as they a shorter species, insist that the Oaks are too tall and just don’t care about them. The Oaks don’t understand why they should be sorry or ashamed for being just as they were made. The solution is to cut everyone down to their height, to make it equal, without realizing that inviting such measures will impact them, too, when THEY are suddenly the tallest trees in a forest. The selfish act invites the Maples to be cut as well, as all the animals that would want them around have fled, since there is no longer shelter, food, etc.
    I feel like this is more a warning about coveting your neighbor’s ‘sunlight’ to the point Of mutual destruction.
    Add your reply
  • r
    + 9
    rocknroller1993
    To really understand this song, you need to understand neil peart's background.
    He was heavily influenced by the philosophy of ayn rand (just look at 2112) which is highly individualistic. In her novels, the bad guys are second handers- people who live off of others, people with no talent, no strength and no work ethic. The good guys are prime movers, people who build and create all good things in society. Second handers create collectivist societies as a means of destroying prime movers, either in the name of "fairness" or because they understand that they can't be great.
    The oaks, I think, are prime movers. The simple fact is that they achieve more than others, and thus reap the greater reward, as is fair.
    The maples are second handers, who can't accept that the oaks keep the fruits of their work, so they destroy the oaks.
    Read the fountainhead, anthem, or atlas shrugged by ayn rand, or listen to 2112 again, and you'l get it.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 5
    Unregistered
    The conflict in the trees describes the clash betwwen the french Canadian provence of Quebec and the rest of Canada. Quebec has two official languages, anddoesn't want to change many of thier laws to comply with the rest of Canada. This has caused friction between Quebec and the rest of Canada. They are the maples in the lyrics, the Oaks being the rest of Canada. Rush is, after all, a Canadian band.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 4
    Unregistered
    The point of the song is NOT that the oaks are bad, or that the maples are right. It's that forests have different heights and the enemy is the outsider who threatens the forest. It's more about left and right fighting each other (instead of evil empires or global warming).
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    This seems to be an attempt to justify extreme wealth disparity by insinuating that insisting that everyone be treated fairly will lead to "hatchets, axes and saws" being employed to ensure that fairness. The songwriters are relying on our negative connotations with those things and our innate desire not to have them used on us to prompt us to agree that "forming unions" and other attempts at ensuring fair treatment are actually bad. But of course, if you think of the maples as the poor, the oaks as the rich, and sunlight as money or medical care or education, then it seems much less unreasonable to think that the maples might rise up and demand together that they not have to die just so the oaks can have thousands of times more than they need to survive. Rocknroller1993 is right that this echoes themes found in Ayn Rand, that nobody has the right to demand anything of anyone else. But there's a reason that no experts in philosophy take Rand seriously; we all depend on each other in societies, and we have responsibilities and duties towards each other.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    Ah, finally, a deep song. This is all about people. Maples are the poor, oaks are the rich. Sunlight is money. The oaks just so happen to have talents that let them have jobs that have a high pay rate, while it's the opposite with the maples. "but the oaks can't help their feelings if they like the way they're made. " the oaks just don't care and they are happy with all the money. They wonder why the maples can't be happy in their shade/poverty; they're still doing what they love and they're good at, right? But this doesn't make enough money to live, so the maples need to get better jobs to live, which they're not happy with. Now the shade represents unhappiness in general. The creatures have all fled, meaning that eveyone with a ton of power, like the gov't, has abandoned trying to help (animals have more power than trees because they can move by themselves while the trees are fixed in place). The maples are now broke or homeless, so they scream out (commit crimes) and the oaks don't care, they just call the police, whatever, no biggie, which makes the maples even more angry because they have lost, totally. Then the maples form a union, or suggest a new form of gov't like communism, where the hatchet, axe, and saw are socialists taking everything away from everyone. Or maybe the maples form a new country and everyone is made equal at death. Or the union is some kind of constitution, and the trees are cut down because they are all unhappy with this law. Or maybe the new government steps in (made up of maples) and punishes the rest of the maples and all oaks because they all acted wrongly.
    Honestly, there is no proper way to do society and government so I think everybody should just go and be nomadic. The song is possibly a greatly philosophical metaphor or just total nonsense.
    -the deviant panther.
    Add your reply
  • g
    + 2
    guitardevil23
    The real meaning to the song is that the maples are like the people at the bottom of the pyramid and that do all the work for the company or buisness or whatever. The oaks are the people at the top that take all the credit for everything that the maples do for them.
    Then the oaks are saying to the maples why aren't you happy. You have the job(taking the copany example).
    Add your reply
  • s
    + 1
    Steffi888
    Be content within yourself. In what ever things you judge you will be judged. Perceived injustice is not always as it seems. Discontent, jealously and envy blind us to the bigger picture. Do not repay evil for evil. Even what you do not have will be taken away. God has mercy on the creatures who do not see the trees as inferior or superior, yet understand the power he has to bring judgment. Again be content in all things you were created as you are for a reason, it may be to protect even the smallest of Gods creatures, don’t rob them because of your own jealously.
    Add your reply
    View 3 more meanings

    Write about your feelings and thoughts about The Trees

    Know what this song is about? Does it mean anything special hidden between the lines to you? Share your meaning with community, make it interesting and valuable. Make sure you've read our simple tips.
    U
    Min 50 words
    Not bad
    Good
    Awesome!

    Top meanings Post my meaning

    • U
      + 9
      Unregistered
      This song could be interpreted to reflect any social or economic disparity - wealth, talent,... Read more →
    • r
      + 9
      rocknroller1993
      To really understand this song, you need to understand neil peart's background.
      He was heavily... Read more →

    official video

    0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z