Time & Perspective Quote by Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee’s line reads like a humblebrag only if you don’t know the kind of career that forces humility. Coming from the frontman of Rush - a band mythologized for virtuosity and obsessive craft - “still learning” isn’t a coy posture. It’s a refusal to let reputation calcify into identity. The intent is quiet but pointed: don’t mistake technical proficiency or legacy for arrival. In rock culture, where “authenticity” is often sold as instinct and swagger, Lee frames musicianship as a practice, closer to a discipline than a vibe.

The subtext is also defensive in the best way. Progressive rock has long been treated as either sacred geometry or self-indulgent math. By emphasizing “trying to do something every time out,” Lee shifts the conversation from genre snobbery to effort: the gig isn’t a recital of greatest hits, it’s an experiment with stakes. “Every time out” has the athlete’s cadence, suggesting repetition, endurance, and the willingness to fail publicly. That’s a useful corrective to the myth that great players are great because it looks easy.

Context matters: Rush spent decades underestimating themselves in a culture that often underestimated them, grinding through tours, studio reinvention, shifting tastes, and intense scrutiny of chops. Lee’s statement functions as a philosophy of longevity. It keeps the ego in check, but it also keeps the work alive - a commitment to growth as the only real antidote to becoming your own tribute band.