“Tom Sawyer” is the lead single from Rush’s 1981 masterpiece Moving Pictures. Co-written by Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Pye Dubois, the track became the Canadian prog-rock band’s signature song. Blending complex, odd-time signatures with heavy hard rock and prominent synthesizers, it remains their most recognizable and enduring commercial hit, peaking at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helping drive the Moving Pictures album to #3 in the US and #1 in Canada. The lyrics, co-adapted from a poem by Pye Dubois, paint a portrait of a modern, independent rebel, updating Mark Twain's literary character for the 1980s. The song's groundbreaking, aggressive use of the Oberheim OB-X synthesizer defined Rush's sound for the decade, while its complex 7/8 time signature during the instrumental bridge cemented their prog-rock credentials. Its cultural immortality was secured decades later through iconic placements in films like I Love You, Man and Watchmen, as well as being a centerpiece track in the Rock Band video game series.