The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)

"The Larger Bowl" is the fourth track and third single from Rush's 2007 album Snakes & Arrows.

"The Larger Bowl"
Promotional single by Rush
from the album Snakes & Arrows
Released	June 25, 2007
Genre	Progressive rock, hard rock
Length	4:07
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Lifeson/Lee/Peart
Producer(s)	Rush & Nick Raskulinecz
Rush singles chronology
"Spindrift" (2007) "The Larger Bowl" (2007) "Caravan" (2010)

Inspiration and lyrical structure

The lyrics were written by the drummer and primary lyricist Neil Peart. The title was inspired by a "dysentery dream" he had while touring West Africa on his bicycle in 1988.^[1]

Peart's book The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa includes a chapter entitled "The Larger Bowl" in which he describes the dream. The excerpt in which he mentions the song is as follows:

Anyway... a song was playing in the store, a plaintive ballad called "The Larger Bowl." Something about loneliness and the misfortunes of life, I recall. No such song as far as I know, but I like the title.^[2]

In the early 1990s, Peart put words to the title.^[1] The song is written in the form of a pantoum.

See also

• List of Rush songs