Can I Get a Little Relevance Here?

Doug: A couple of weeks ago Karen and I were discussing potential blog posts when the topic of socially relevant songs came up. We bandied about several titles, and who knows? Perhaps we have a "Top 10" or a "5 to Love" sort of post in your future.

But what got me thinking about it again was this little ditty from Styx (it was only a short while ago that I profiled them as one of Illinois' famous Bronze Age bands) that came over the iPod while I was cutting the grass yesterday.

It made me think how it could very well have been written in reaction to our political climate in the States today. You have the line about gasoline prices, the selfishness of youth -- undefeatable, living in the moment... Then you get to the line about the Great Society -- is that pride in the reforms of the Lyndon Johnson administration, or is it entitlement? And how about the distrust and misinformation propagated by the left against the right, and vice versa?

So see what you think -- the lyrics are below, and if you click here you can catch a sound clip of the introduction.

Borrowed Time

Written by Dennis DeYoung and Tommy ShawLead Vocals by Dennis DeYoung
From the album Cornerstone, released in October 1979

Yeah yeah!

Don't look now, but here come the '80's!

I was so cool back in '65

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 says 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

Livin' high, living fine

Livin' high on borrowed time

Yes! No!

Yes! No!

No! Yes!

No! Yes!

Faith be with me now

I'm just a dreamer in a dreamland

Faith be with me now

I'm just a dreamer in a dreamland

'Cause we're

Livin' high

Livin' fine (You know I'm livin' fine)

Livin' high (Yes I'm livin' high)

On borrowed time (On borrowed time)

Livin' high (Whoohoo!)

Livin' fine (Ahhh!)

Livin' high

On Lake Shore Drive (Midnight ride)

Livin' high (We're livin' high)

On Leslie Lane (Let's go back and play it again!)

Livin' high (We're livin' high)

On Red Bud Trail (On Red Bud, Red Bud Trail!)

Livin' high

On Central Drive (He's on Central Drive!)

Livin' high (We're livin', livin' high)

On Prestwick Drive (Catch me on Prestwick Drive!...)

Livin' high (...gettin' in and drivin' my Mercedes...)

Livin' fine (...up and down and up and down -- sh*t! I don't....)