Back in 1979, my high school sweetie and I decided that, in the manner of young couples in those days, we needed a song, that would be “our song.” That was a great time for rock & roll, but not many of my usual head-banger favorites seemed to suit.
We kicked around a few options, and settled on a song we both liked and that seemed to fit, a song that had just been released: Babe, by the band Styx. Well, in the manner of high school relationships, that one didn’t last, although I’m pleased to say that we are still close friends to this day, even though she’s more like a sister to me now than an old flame or anything like that. But Styx? They’re still around, if not quite in the same form. That’s no surprise, as the band formed up in Chicago in 1972, with Dennis DeYoung on vocals and keyboard, James "J.Y." Young on guitar and vocals, John "J.C." Curulewski on bass guitar, along with brothers Chuck (bass) and John Panozzo (drums). Nowadays Tommy Shaw has taken over on guitar and vocals, along with a few other new faces, but the band’s unique style hasn’t changed much.
Here are a few of my favorites.
Lady (1973): This one is from the album Styx II, and while it initially took off in the band’s hometown of Chicago, it didn’t blow up many skirts nationally – until Styx signed a contract with A&M Records, which put a little more promotional muscle behind the tune. It ended up hitting #6 on the American Billboard Hot 100, and it was the band’s first major hit.
Come Sail Away (1977): Dennis DeYoung wrote and scored this one; it’s a song about following dreams, taking a voyage off the map, as it were. In 2020, Dennis said about this song:Blue Collar Man (1978): Remember when being out of work was a shame? Something you were embarrassed about and wanted to remedy as soon as you could? That’s what this song is about. It was written by Tommy Shaw about a friend who had been laid off from his job on the railroad. Tommy later said about him:Come Sail Away is a song about yearning to be in a better place. How do you get there? You go on a boat, on a ship, angels waving their wings as you ascend to heaven with them. Is there something going on? A starship to the stars? Are they aliens? Is it Captain Kirk? You tell me.
Babe (1979): And here’s this one again. First relationships rarely last, generally because both parties are so young. But this first relationship that had this song as its theme, while it didn’t last, did lead to a friendship both of us have treasured for years – and now, my wife does as well. Dennis DeYoung wrote this one as a present for his wife, but when the record company heard it, the rest was history.Renegade (1979): Another Tommy Shaw creation, this one leans hard into a more hard rock sound. It’s a first-person take of an outlaw, a renegade, caught by a bounty hunter, and about to be hanged. Not a particularly cheerful song, but a good tune nonetheless.Too Much Time On My Hands (1981): Remember those earlier comments about being out of work? From the song Blue Collar Man? The same applies to this one, where the song’s writer, Tommy Shaw, related some personal experiences of being out of work, in a bar, wasting time.He loved his work, and here he was at the unemployment office, standing in line for a check. This was devastating to him. He didn't want a handout. I grew up in a blue-collar family, so I understood how he felt. That's what inspired the song lyrically. Then it was just a matter of picking up the guitar and putting it together.
Yeah, I'm sittin' on this barstool, talkin' like a damn fool
Got the twelve o'clock news blues
And I've given up hope on the afternoon soaps
And a bottle of cold brew
Plenty of us have been there, and that’s for sure and for certain.
Dōmo arigatō misutā robotto
Mata au hi made
Dōmo arigatō misutā robotto
Himitsu o shiritai
Which translates as:
Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto
Until the day we meet again
Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto
I want to know your secret
It’s the story of a creature with an android body and a human heart, but mostly it’s remembered for being a generation of American kids’ first exposure to the Japanese language.
Styx was a neat band with a neat sound, distinctive and all its own. And here’s the thing: Styx, after over half a century of rock, is still touring, and still putting out albums. Check them out. They were another reminder, as well, as to how bangin' great rock was in the 1970s.I’m pretty sure some of you have Styx stories and memories of your own. The comments, as always, are all yours – and the request line remains open.
