' s ▁lead ▁singer , ▁bass ist , ▁and ▁keyboard ist , ▁Ged dy ▁Lee , ▁has ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁track ▁as ▁the ▁band ' s ▁" def ining ▁piece ▁of ▁music   ... ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁' 8 0 s ". ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁R ush ' s ▁best - known ▁songs ▁and ▁a ▁st ap le ▁of ▁both ▁classic ▁rock ▁radio ▁and ▁R ush ' s ▁live ▁performances , ▁having ▁been ▁played ▁on ▁every ▁concert ▁tour ▁since ▁its ▁release . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁recording ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Lee , ▁drum mer ▁Neil ▁Pe art , ▁and ▁guitar ist ▁Alex ▁L if es on ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁ly ric ist ▁P ye ▁Dub ois ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁Max ▁Web ster , ▁who ▁also ▁co - w rote ▁the ▁R ush ▁songs ▁" For ce ▁Ten ", ▁" B et ween ▁Sun ▁and ▁Moon ", ▁and ▁" Test ▁for ▁E cho ". ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁radio ▁show ▁In ▁the ▁Studio ▁with ▁Red be ard ▁( which ▁devoted ▁an ▁episode ▁to ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁Mov ing ▁Pictures ), ▁" Tom ▁S aw yer " ▁came ▁about ▁during ▁a ▁summer ▁re he ars al ▁vac ation ▁that ▁R ush ▁spent ▁at ▁Ron nie ▁Haw kins ' ▁farm ▁outside ▁Toronto . ▁Pe art ▁was ▁presented ▁with ▁a ▁poem ▁by ▁Dub ois ▁named ▁" Louis ▁the ▁Law yer " ▁( o ften ▁incorrectly ▁c ited ▁as ▁" Louis ▁the ▁War rior ") ▁that ▁he ▁modified ▁and ▁expanded . ▁Lee ▁and ▁L