"Tom Sawyer" Makes No Sense!

What is the deal with "Tom Sawyer" by Rush? Modern day warrior, mean mean stride..."today's Tom Sawyer"...mean, mean pride...

?

Okay. This is going back a ways for me, but you know what - I don't recall Tom Sawyer being all that "mean, mean." If anything, Huck was the more rebelled up and bravadofied of the two! And frankly, I've long suspected that Joe Harper could have kicked either of their ass. He was just a little more low key with it is all.

Heck, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Becky Thatcher couldn't put Tom on his butt, two out of three tries! That's a double negative, but just you see if it doesn't sound better than either other way to put it.

Today's Tom Sawyer...please. In what way does Tom Sawyer resemble this legendary badass depicted in the song? Does tricking a bunch of dudes into doing your chores for you qualify you as a "warrior"? Hey, maybe in the 1800's it might have. MIGHT have. But it certainly does not in the modern day - as the song would have you believe! Rush fans who take it back to the book hoping to thrill to the literary adventures of their mean-striding unrentable-minded hero's ostensible progenitor are going to be let down.

Shame on you, Geddy Lee. Shame on you, Alex Lifeson! Shame on you, the drummer.

Now, okay. I won't dispute that the song itself has a mean, mean stride. Wow, does it ever. But it's just such a random choice for the lead role, it makes the whole thing ludicrous! They might just as well have said "today's Pip Pirrip" or "today's J. Alfred Prufrock"! Cast as the mean, mean modern day warrior, coming at you with that big menacing sound. It's to laugh!

Now, on the other hand, for the sake of comparison - you know who would have really fit the bill? Natty Bumppo. Oh yeah.

But then, the sound of the name - "Natty Bumppo" - that's just a tad less badass, going by sound alone. So I don't know, I guess I can't fault them, choosing sound over sense. They are after all, Canadian.

A proud and poetic race!