Why Me (1979)

Performer: Styx                                                       Writer: Dennis DeYoung
Highest US Chart Position: #26                              Label: A&M Records
Musicians: Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James Young and Chuck & John Panozzo

One of the final hit singles of the decade--actually peaking in January of 1980--“Why Me” is one of my favorite songs because of it’s distinctive guitar and saxophone duet. It’s such a great sound that I’m astonished I haven’t heard it on more records, but the only other song I can think of that it's used on is an instrumental track by Seals and Crofts called “Wisdom” off of their Diamond Girl album. The song came off of Styx’ ninth album, Cornerstone, which signaled something of a softening of the band’s musical image. While there was one rocker on the album in Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung’s “Borrowed Time,” most of the tunes were much more mellow, a trend epitomized by their only number one hit, “Babe,” from the same album. It was a rift between Shaw and DeYoung that would continue to acerbate over the course of their next two albums and result in Shaw’s departure after the dismal reception of 1983’s Kilroy Was Here. Though I’m convinced he only made it to that album because of the huge success of Paradise Theater two years earlier.

The tune begins with Dennis DeYoung pounding eighth notes on the Fender Rhodes piano, using a slight flange effect, which may have still been a Leslie speaker at that time. Then the band comes in full on descending half notes preceded by Tommy Shaw’s guitar. This is alternated with just the piano when DeYoung yells out “stop” in the lyrics, and finally the band settles into the verse together. The song has a fascinating structure, with lengthy verse and bridge sections. The chorus, if you can call it that, is really just the title repeated a couple of times and followed by an instrumental section that features DeYoung’s distinctive keyboard sounds. Again, the group stops at the end of this section and DeYoung sets up a rhythm on the electric piano of bass notes on the downbeats and chording on the upbeats. This leads into the terrific sax solo by Chicago studio veteran Steve Eisen. He alternates every two bars with Shaw on guitar, who echoes his part before the two of them join in unison on a nicely written part where they harmonize at the end. The structure of that section is similar to the final guitar and strings solo section on “Brother Louie” by The Stories. Another verse and bridge are followed by a lengthy instrumental fade with a horn section, and DeYoung’s keyboards alternating with more of Eisen’s sax.

The lyrics are one of Dennis DeYoung’s--as well as the group’s--specialties, a blue collar, working class lament that tries to say that these rock stars know what it’s like to have bills to pay and the anxiety of living in an uncertain world. Sure, at one time they might have felt that way, but by the time Cornerstone came out they were mega-star purveyors of that most pejorative of all seventies musical categories: corporate rock. Nevertheless, it’s a formula that works. I’ve never paid all that much attention to lyrics anyway, and it’s the melodic nature of the song itself that really appeals to me. The electric piano on the album is a rather welcome change to DeYoung’s soupy synthesizer and adds an interesting dimension to all of the songs. “Why Me” topped out at the number twenty-six position on January 19, 1980, and is backed with a terrific B-side in Tommy Shaw’s “Lights.” It’s a great single and one of my favorite Styx tunes of all time.