The song, "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" is the fourth song on Rush's second album, Fly by Night. It is their first multi-part song. "Rush's road manager Howard Ungerleider came up with the title at a party. There were two dogs at the party, one a German shepherd and the other a tiny white nervous dog. Howard used to call the shepherd By-Tor because anyone that walked into the house was bitten. The other dog was a snow-dog (white). So from that night on Howard called the pair of dogs 'By-Tor and the Snow Dog.'" (1)
Information[]
Song: By-Tor and the Snow Dog
Parts:
- I.) At the Tobes of Hades
- II.) Across the Styx
- III.) Of the Battle
- i. Challenge and Defiance
- ii. 7/4 War Furor
- iii. Aftermath
- iv. Hymn of Triumph
- IV.) Epilogue
Length: 8:36
Album: Fly by Night
Label: Anthem/Mercury
Credits[]
Geddy Lee: Vocals/Bass
Alex Lifeson: Guitar
Neil Peart: Drums/Percussion
Trivia[]
On the back cover of the album Alex Lifeson is identified as "Snow Dog", and Geddy Lee is identified as "By-Tor"
By-Tor returns on Rush's third album, "Caress of Steel" as the good guy, in the song, "The Necromancer"
The live dvd, "Rush in Rio" has an Easter egg which is a video for this song.
On the original vinyl album, the chimes at the end were printed into the fadeout groove of side one. On older turntables, until the stylus was physically lifted from the vinyl, the chimes
- would keep playing. On the Archives version, the song is 28 seconds longer as additional chimes were included.
Alternate Versions[]
All the World's a Stage
- Difference: Live/ Longer
Archives
- Difference: the song is 28 seconds longer, to include the chimes correctly.
Rush in Rio
- Difference: live/ shortened by ending the song after the solo