Many rock bands throughout the years have made a point of glamorizing their circumstances in song. There are numerous tracks emphasizing the perks of the gig: the fame, the money, and all the other thrilling accoutrements.
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Styx took a different tack on their 1977 “The Grand Illusion.” Written by Dennis DeYoung, the song insists that being rich and famous isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. As a matter of fact, the lyrics poke holes in several societal facades along the way.
Going “Grand”
Styx had teetered on the precipice of a colossal breakthrough for quite a while when they entered the studio to make their seventh album. The delayed success of the song “Lady,” which became a Top-10 hit two years after it was released, gave the Chicago quintet a nationwide foothold. Albums like Equinox and Crystal Ball sneaked into the album charts in the mid-’70s, all while the band earned a reputation as stalwart performers.
Still, The Grand Illusion represented a major step forward in every possible way when it was released in 1977. Dennis DeYoung, the band’s keyboardist and chief songwriter, thought Styx should try to write an album loosely tied together by a theme. Guitarists and fellow songwriters Tommy Shaw and James Young chipped in material that fit the idea.
What was that theme? Well, most of the songs played into the idea that everyday life felt like a letdown, but only because people compared it to the unreal ideal presented by outside sources, such as television and radio. DeYoung explained to Songfacts how the title track captured that overall vibe:
“‘The Grand Illusion’ was about, ‘Look at us up here on this stage in these good lights. You kids there in the audience in the 14th row, you think we know stuff? We may know a little bit, but deep inside, we’re all the same. And what we’re doing and what people that advertise to you on the radio, TV, and magazines, by creating illusions and images about how your life should be, those are just their fantasies, because nobody’s life is like it.’”
Behind the Lyrics to “The Grand Illusion”
DeYoung borrowed the title from a film by the French auteur Jean Renoir. That phrase sums up so much of what the lyrics go on to detail. Everything presented to the unsuspecting audience member seems fantastic and wonderful. But it is after all a show, one that’s meant to remove someone from reality for a while, not to accurately depict it.
“The Grand Illusion” is addressed to that random fan watching the show. The narrator understands the allure of what he and his cohorts are presenting: The stage is set, the band starts playing / Suddenly your heart is pounding / Wishing you were secretly a star.
But he immediately moves away from the spectacle to get to the brass facts: They show you photographs of how your life should be /But they’re just someone else’s fantasy. It’s easy to get caught up in the materialistic race: So if you think your life is complete confusion / Because your neighbor’s got it made.
Instead, the wise move is to look beyond the glitz and glamour to see the similarities between star and audience: Just remember that it’s a grand illusion / And deep inside we’re all the same. America spells competition, he warns. Those who prove triumphant can wade through the nonsense and find the truth: Someday we’ll stop to ponder what on Earth’s this spell we’re under / We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are.
“The Grand Illusion” wasn’t released as a single, but the song nonetheless stands out as one of Styx’s finest recorded moments. Even as the band was achieving professional success beyond their wildest dreams, they were savvy enough to send a message to their fans that personal satisfaction is achievable for anyone who can focus on the abundance of what they have, rather than the unattainable and unrealistic elements they lack.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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