Show Don't Tell (song) - Lyrics

Lyrics

As is the case with a vast majority of Rush songs, Neil Peart writes the lyrics for this song. In an interview, he explained that "Show Don't Tell" is an example of his trend from the album Grace Under Pressure onward from writing concepts and abstractions to a more concrete, first-person viewpoint, or as he noted when interviewed a perspective with a "stance and a good attitude". Peart alternates between narration and a first person perspective as he writes about confronting a person who has fooled the protagonist of the song too often. Peart's philosophy throughout the song is epitomized with the very no-nonsense lyric "You can twist perception. Reality won't budge!" The first verse explains the frustration of depending on others and finding out that is the wrong approach (e.g. "Everyone knows everything, and no one's ever wrong, until later. Who can you believe?").

The chorus shows the protagonist's resolution to being fooled: stop listening to the schemer's persuasion, pay attention only if the schemer shows evidence, rather than being convinced by conniving words.

The second verse uses vivid imagery of a courtroom trial as the solution to the protagonist's; however, in this case, the deceived protagonist is the "judge and the jury". After the second verse and chorus, an instrumental section features a bass solo by Geddy Lee and a shorter guitar solo by Alex Lifeson. The chorus in the last section uses more courtroom imagery and then alternates lines from the chorus between the two verses and the chorus using courtroom imagery.