Rat Race

Lore & Background

The source identifies "Rat Race" by Bob Marley as a track released in 1976. The text explains that the phrase generally describes an exhausting, repetitive lifestyle with no time for relaxation or enjoyment. It draws a parallel between rats pursuing cheese and humans pursuing financial and competitive gain, noting that both eventually reach the same fate: death. This metaphor represents a nihilistic philosophical approach to life.

Reader's Guide

The source provides limited direct information regarding Bob Marley's "Rat Race" beyond its existence and release year. It lists the song among other works by artists such as The Specials (1980), Placebo (2000), and Enter Shikari (2013) that use the term. To understand the concept behind the song, one must look to the general definition provided in the text: a metaphor for a pointless pursuit where humans chase financial gain similar to rats chasing cheese.

Did You Know?

• The phrase "rat race" took on its meaning of a competitive struggle in work and life starting from 1939.
• In 1934, the term was used to describe aviation training where a pilot had to copy the loops, rolls, and spins of an experienced pilot.
• Philip K. Dick used the phrase in his 1954 story "The Last of the Masters," having characters compare it to rats in a maze doing tricks thought up by another species.
• Daniel Lang wrote about physicist Samuel Goudsmit transitioning from a tranquil life of contemplation to a "rat race" in a 1953 article.
• Jim Bishop quoted Jackie Gleason in his book The Golden Ham saying, "Television is a rat race, and remember this, even if you win you are still a rat."