"Leave That Thing Alone" became a staple of Rush's live sets, often serving as the lead-in to Neil Peart’s drum solo. Notable live versions include:
The track began as a sequel to the instrumental "Where’s My Thing?" from the previous album, Roll the Bones . Much of the song grew out of spontaneous jam sessions where the band captured "happy moments" that were later dissected and refined into a formal structure. Rush-Leave That Thing Alone
: Alex Lifeson contributed a "clean verse thing" he had been developing on tour, along with a solo that originated from an early digital recording on an Alesis ADAT. Lifeson noted the solo has a distinct "Celtic flavor". "Leave That Thing Alone" became a staple of