I’ve been having fun lately listening to some old Styx….Such delightfully cynical songs! And really? It’s pretty hard to tell these songs are closing in on being released 30 or more years ago! (Well, stylistically maybe it is apparent…but lyrically??)

Hmm, what else is out there (or on my Ipod) that has such fabulous, sarcastic lyrics? Some Billy Joel, for sure, a bit of Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Talking Heads, The Police, Don Henley

But Styx, (Paradise Theater in particular)…almost an art form in itself…

———So whatcha doin’ tonight?
Have you heard that the world’s gone crazy?
Young Americans listen when I say there’s people puttin’ us down
I know they’re sayin’ that we’ve gone lazy
To tell you the truth we’ve all seen better days
Don’t need no fast buck lame duck profits for fun
Quick trick plans, take the money and run
We need long term, slow burn, getting it done
And some straight talking, hard working son of a gun.
Whatcha doin’ tonight, I got faith in our generation
Let’s stick together and futurize our attitudes
I ain’t lookin’ to fight, but I know with determination
We can challenge the schemers who cheat all the rules

……………You get up every morning and you go to work each day
(You go to work, you go to work, you go to work)
Been doing the same damn job for ten long years this may
(You’ve got to work, you’ve got to work, you’ve got to work)
You’ve been working and saving for your Jamaican dream
Paradise is waiting across the sea
But when your plane lands Montego turns to monsoon
You’ve got the island blues
’cause, nothing ever goes as planned
It’s a hell of a notion
Even pharaohs turn to sand
Like a drop in the ocean
You’re so together and you act so civilized
But every time that things go wrong you’re still surprised
You’ve done your duty, you’ve paid a fortune in dues
Still got those mother nature’s blues

————–Sitting on this barstool talking 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
Is it any wonder I’m not crazy? Is it any wonder I’m sane at all
Well I’m so tired of losing- I got nothing to do and all day to do it
I go out cruisin’ but I’ve no place to go and all night to get there
Is it any wonder I’m not a criminal
Is it any wonder I’m not in jail
Is it any wonder I’ve got
Too much time on my hands, it’s ticking away with my sanity
Well, I’m a jet fuel genius – I solve all the world’s problems
Without even trying
I have dozens of friends and the fun never ends
That is, as long as I’m buying
Is it any wonder I’m not the president
(He’s not the president)
Is it any wonder I’m null and void Is it any wonder I’ve got
Too much time on my hands, it’s ticking away at my sanity

—————–I know you feel these are the worst of times
I do believe it’s true. When people lock their doors and hide inside Rumor has it it’s the end of Paradise.
But I know if the world just passed us by
The headlines read:
These are the worst of times
I do believe it’s true.
I feel so helpless like a boat against the tide
I wish the summer wind could bring back Paradise
But I know If the world turned upside down

———-You see the world through your cynical eyes
You’re a troubled young man I can tell
You’ve got it all in the palm of your hand
But your hand’s wet with sweat and your head needs a rest
And you’re fooling yourself if you don’t believe it
You’re kidding yourself if you don’t believe it
Why must you be such an angry young man
When your future looks quite bright to me
How can there be such a sinister plan
That could hide such a lamb, such a caring young man

——Don’t look now, but here come the eighties!
I was so cool back in sixty-five
I had it made ’cause I understood what to do to survive
I had my car, and I made the scene
Didn’t give a damn about no gasoline
They can go to hell
My friend we never thought about the world
And its realities
The promised land was ours
We were the Great Society
I’m so confused by the things I read, I need the truth
But the truth is, I don’t know who to believe
The left say yes, and the right says no
I’m in between and the more I learn
Well, the less that I know
I got to make a show

————Half penny, two penny, gold Krugerrand
He was exceedingly rich for such a young man
Sad story, old story
Bring out the band
Another divorce just a few hundred grand
Half penny, two penny, back of the queue
Yes mister poor man this means you
Justice for money what can you say
We all know it’s the American Way
“Come here – hey Angelo… what’s happenin’?”
“Hey, Stosh, good to see ya”
“What the hell you doin’?”
“We’re tearing this old building down here”
“Oh you’re kiddin’ me. Remember when we were kids, and we used to come here every Saturday afternoon to see a cartoon?”
“Yeah, I remember”
“Well what’s she lost to?”
“Who knows- politicians, taxes…it’s a disgrace”
“I’m not surprised, they make me sick. They don’t make theaters like this any more.”
Half penny, two penny, ashes to dust
The almighty dollar says “In God we trust”
Justice for money how much more can I pay
We all know it’s the American Way

————You’re wondering who I am
(Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
Machine or mannequin
(Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
With parts made in Japan
(Secret secret, I’ve got a secret)
I am the Modren Man
I’ve got a secret
I’ve been hiding
Under my skin
My heart is human
My blood is boiling
My brain IBM
So if you see me
Acting strangely
Don’t be surprised
I’m just a man who
Needed someone
And somewhere to hide
To keep me alive
Just keep me alive

——————-I guess we used to be the lucky ones
Good fortune smiled on everyone
Stop
A voice said you best beware
Stop
Bad luck is everywhere
And sure enough the voice was right
My luck changed overnight
Stop
Please tell me what went wrong
Stop
I can’t take these ups and downs
Hard times come, hard times go
And in between you hope and pray
The scars don’t show
‘Cause life is strange and so unsure
The days you hardly make it through
You swear that there’s a curse on you
‘Cause nothing seems to fit
And things won’t go your way
You know you’ve had enough
You’ve got the right to say
Why me, why me

(all the above lyrics belong to STYX)

….there are many other fantastic songs (I just came up with 8 hours of such gems for a playlist).

… and THAT is all I have to say politically for the moment, because lately my head spins from the level of vitriol one American pitches against the other, who for whatever reason is having a tough time of it…be it that they didn’t try hard enough earlier in life, got screwed through no fault of their own, or had the bad luck to be born to poor, ignorant parents.

…it boggles my mind that we as a society are so devoted to OURSELVES (the TREE) that we don’t care about the overall effect on SOCIETY (the FOREST)