submissions
| Styx – Too Much Time On My Hands Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Tommy himself says it's an update on the Blue Collar Man. The song was a last-minute inspiration that came to him as he was driving to the studio from his farm in Michigan on the last day of pre-production for the album Paradise Theater. He realized he didn't have a rock song for the album, worked it out in his head as he drove, and called it out to the band as he walked into the studio. |
submissions
| Styx – Superstars Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Uh, no. It's merely a song about rising to fame, becoming a superstar, and seeing fans "from the 14th row," who wish they were stars, as well. |
submissions
| Styx – Mademoiselle Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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I love this song. What most people don't know is that it is taken from a song Tommy wrote with a band he played in for three years before joining Styx. The band was MS Funk; the original song was called "Bitter Suite." It is interesting to listen to MS Funk's music and see how much they influenced the Styx sound on the Crystal Ball album. Tommy was more of an influence on what developed as the Styx sound of the 70s than most people think. |
submissions
| Styx – Lights Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Eh, no. Not a song about reefer. Merely about the joys of performing onstage under the lights. Sheesh. |
submissions
| Styx – Babe Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Yes, "Babe" was written by Dennis for his wife, Suzanne. He originally intended it to be a birthday gift just for her, but it got added to the album Cornerstone. A very divisive tune, as other members disliked it and knew they would be alienating a lot of their audience at the time. Thus began the shift of Styx from rock to pop and Broadway; "Babe" is regarded by most everyone as the song that began the long, slow death of a great band. |
submissions
| Styx – Sing For The Day Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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Tommy Shaw wrote this in 1978 as an ode to his young fans at the time. He was emerging as a "teen idol" (and I was one of the many who had his face hanging on my bedroom wall), and "Hannah" is the generic name he came up with to represent all those fans. Later, in 1987, he gave his daughter this name. |
submissions
| Styx – Man In The Wilderness Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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"Man in the Wilderness" was written in 1977 by Tommy Shaw, and he has cited three main influences for it: His sudden rise to fame and fortune, and its corresponding loneliness; the return of his older brother from Vietnam; and the music of Kansas' "Leftoverture" album. |
submissions
| Styx – Crystal Ball Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This song was written in 1975 by Tommy Shaw before he even joined Styx. He was sitting in his mama's kitchen in Montgomery, Alabama; 21 years old, and contemplating his life; where he had been, and where he might go. The song originally had more verses, but no chorus. He performed it with his band in AL before getting the call to join Styx. Tommy rewrote it to better fit with Styx' music, and Dennis DeYoung added the synth and had Tommy add the electric guitar at the end. Together they came up with the chorus. |
submissions
| Styx – Snowblind Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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"Snowblind" was written in 1980 by Dennis DeYoung and James Young as an anti-cocaine song. They were having trouble with the lyrics, and asked Tommy Shaw to contribute some, which he did: from the addict's point of view. The verses he sang are the ones he wrote.
As for drummer John Panozzo being an addict, he did like to party (and did often with Tommy), but alcohol was his weakness, culminating in his death in 1996. Tommy was addicted to cocaine and alcohol, but got clean by the late 80s, and has been sober ever since. |
submissions
| Styx – Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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"Blue Collar Man" was written in 1978 by Tommy Shaw. At the time, he was living in Michigan and had friends who worked for the auto industry in Detroit. This song is the unemployed worker's lament and a vow to keep his dignity despite the stigma of unemployment.
Song about being a male escort? It is to laugh. I nearly did a spit-take when I read that. |
submissions
| Styx – Renegade Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This song was written in 1978, by Tommy Shaw. He has stated in interviews that was a song that just came to him one day, fully formed. Originally he wrote it on piano, and it was very different than how it came to be recorded. The a capella opening was originally three-part harmony, and the song itself was a lot slower, more dirge-like. James "JY" Young originally hated the song. However, as the band re-worked it, he came to love it so much that he asked Tommy if he could play the lead guitar solo. As far as troubles with the law, Tommy has stated that he never has had any issues with the law; the song just came to him as fictional storytelling. Since 2002, "Renegade" has been the rallying anthem of the Pittsburg Steelers. |
submissions
| Styx – Boat On The River Lyrics
| 13 years ago
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This song is about none of the above. Tommy Shaw wrote this in 1979 and there are several influences behind it. The music is inspired by a trip to France; the lyrics refer to the need to get away from it all. Tranquility Base was the name of the 125 acre farm he lived on in Niles, Michigan. At that time, Styx was one of the top bands in the U.S. after a relatively quick rise to superstardom; "Boat on the River" was Tommy expressing his need to be able to get home and get away from all the pressures and craziness.
PS to the above comment: "Lights" is not a drug song, just the joys of being onstage in the glare of spotlights. "Snowblind" is an anti-drug song, written from the point of view of a user (which Tommy was at the time, pretty heavily). |
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