Styx - A.D. 1928 Lyrics

take me down to paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty - oops - monster 2019

JY kicks ass.

this is my field show and i am proud of it

This was the 1st song I danced with my future husband after I knew that I absolutely had to have him. The dance started off as a slow song, & worked into us laughing helplessly & swinging each other around. Unfortunately, we couldn't get together then, but fun memories like that, helped cement our love once it was the right time.

Been years, haven't heard this since I was 6 under, forgot the name and got lucky to render one lyrics

うわぁー。ユニモンー。見に行きたい…笑笑

400k views? wtf people

This is my favorite styx album.

One of my favorite Styx songs of all time! Dennis DeYoung has a killer voice… As do all the other musicians on their instruments. All around GREAT BAND! 👍😎👍

I was there and I jammed!! They jammed!!! WE ALL JAMMED ALL NIGHT LONG!!!! 😎✌️💜🌹💚⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💖☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️

welchs grape jelly
boy george watches the telly
jodys snatch smelly

I will never forget seeing this concert and tour. Just amazing

Caught every tour from Grand Illusin to this. Always a great show.
Also: Who remembers the oil impression of the Paradise Theatre logo on the record?

Paradise Theater was the first laser etched album

This is music ....
The puke they listen to today should be illegal

I liove this album i remeber the first time i heared the songs from this album paradise theather album from styx i was almost 13

Marching band squad wya

2 terms of that african created trillions of debt. They are all leeches. My flag did not fly. Embarrassment is our congress leeches. Fuck em.

I miss these times too. Such a great band

Cranked this whole album in my '79 Trans Am. 4 speakers in the back, 2 in the front with a power booster. They heard me from 3 blocks away. So loved this album and all of their music.

Ah memories thank you STYX you rock!!

61 Dislikes ? WTF ? You need to be escorted out of The Paradise Theater.

"The Best of Times" was a huge hit. I can remember many times thinking I was hearing it yet again on the radio until the line "sure as dogs can fly". At that point I was psyched because I was about to hear this!
(Nothing against "The Best of Times", but it was played so much I was a bit tired of it.)

You're sure as dongs can't fly

So great

John mark saga brought me here, hahaha

THE LAST MULTI PLATINUM ALBUM BY STYX. THIS SONG WENT TO #8.

SO close...needs to have 'AD 1958' on the end to truly bookend the suite.

LP, K7 for Walkman and now CD...

One of the greatest rock albums of all time.

Those were the days....long sleeve baseball concert t-shirts...girls...parties...friends.

I remember buying the LP not long after it came out. One of the best albums out there. Still looking for the CD to have it again.

How can this possibly not be on their greatest hits CD?

It's on Vol. 2

Simply amazing this band has not been recognized as being as influential and iconic as they are. This album is one of the greatest rock albums ever made. Just a travesty given the lack of appreciation.

Sounds like something straight out of a musical. Love it

That's the Dennis DeYoung playbook. Pretty unique in rock and roll.

Tonight's the night we'll make history, as sure as dogs can fly
And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time
And stay with you here tonight
So take your seats and don't be late, we need your spirits high
To turn on these theatre lights and brighten the darkest skies
Here at the Paradise....

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.
 

So 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

Come on take pride, be wise, spottin' the fools
No more big shots, crackpots bending the rules
A fair shot here for me and for you
Knowing that we can't lose

And we'll be rockin' in Paradise
Rockin' the Paradise tonight
Rockin' in Paradise
Rockin' the Paradise tonight
Tonight, tonight...

True. Styx at their finest. Way to go.

In order for #styx to get into the hall ,..they are gonna have to somehow patch things up with dennis ,...because think about it ; how can the hall induct that new guy now ??? not possible !!!

DDY will make it in before Styx as a group. Not an insult to them at all, but he has the fan base, hes got (conservatively 75%) of the talent, and he's not the one who came out with a slam album.
Love the music of styx, but shaw and jy are such gaping dickholes I'm perfectly happy with them being absent from the hof.

WORLDS GONE CRAZY!!!!! 😂😂😂😂 Nothing has CHANGED Dennis!!!!!!!!!!!🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

Made me stand up !!

Let's FUCKING GO !!!!

Only band to EVER have 4 TRIPLE PLATINUM albums in a row.

Eat it, Beatles, Stones, Madonna, Michael Jackson, etc. etc. etc.

@kinks fan 1966 not that good? Are you shittin' me??? You must have an ear wax build up

@kinks fan 1966 What does that even mean ???

@kinks fan 1966 cause "Boat on the River" is such garbage...
C'mon man. Be serious.

someone tell the Rock & Roll HOF

Do any of you see this song as Dennis saying that Americans are lazy? To me this Dennis saying that after the bad of the 70s, we're picking ourselves up and we're going to move forward.

He said he was inspired to write this song after Reagan won the presidency...

It came out around the same time as Moving Pictures, these were my go-to albums. I miss those days.

And Long Distance Voyager- Moody Blues

I love this intro. It gives me the image of Dennis De young being my waiter at a fancy restaurant and he’s bringing me Hot dinner rolls that just came out of the oven and it’s a cold December Friday night and I’m sitting in front of a fireplace in said restaurant while dipping those rolls in some hot soup.

Tommy Shaw greatest under rated guitarist,

I really like most of Tommy's vocals too.

Not among those who follow Rock; Tommy is amazing.

No Alex Lifeson

i kill my tape , ahah , fantastique album .

Sweet nostalgia - Lovely song

The end of Styx

I love this jam. Great, great memories!

Damn nice, great band

I think this, and The Mission, are my 2 favorites (at least. they make me the happiest) but I love all Styx, from beginning to now. Love this band and every member - past present or lost. Styx Rocks!

1981, I was 14yo. First concert I ever went to was this tour at The Fabulous Forum in Inglewood Ca. Still remember it. The best of times!!

one of the coolest looking vinyl records ever!

I remember driving me 71 v.w bug from Texas to Orange County . California!! With this cassette tape playing along tirelessly

Why would people think that REO is in the same league with this band? Foreigner and Journey are not as good as Styx and REO is not as good as them. Come on is sentimentality making you stupid?

When you knocked down all of the theaters in your town, your town died. You can never get them back.

The etymology of the word 'history'? Like most things for the last 2 Millenniums, It's based on Jesus and the Bible Testaments. (His Birthday! 2018 A.D. , or with the anarchists, 2018 BCE=Before the Common Era, is all just a standard point-of-reference for the early Civilizations.) Anywhoo, It's "HIS STORY!" HISTORY!!! And the Paradise Theater has seen better days. (MAGA?)

should have been Trump's campaign song...FUCK YES..TRUMP 2020

The most Rockinest song of all the Styx catolog?

Reminds me high school... That years!!!

It's INE of my favorits

I'm still having in vinil...

just pointing this out there, this isn't their last 'so called best album' Paradise Theatre, check out their new album 'The Mission'

The first part of the song has the same melody as "The Best Of Times".

Wow I'm glad you were here to tell us that.....we would have NEVER figured that out

wanted to obtain the album, cuz. then found it had etched album cover on it. so i got another .... then played it on my realistic turn table. :P sorry, radio shack.... i love you but.. i had reservations. JK almost. ;)

21 people have never seen a flying dog.

Monteg turns to Monsoon

don't know if it was milw paradise theater but it is 70 years tomorrow

One of those songs whose intro make you want to hate it and then it kicks into gear and wins you over.

Patience is a virtue young grasshopper , thematic timing in rock opera, people use to like undressing each other before the wam bam. A little mystery a little disguised gem 💎

Styx at the height of their brilliance. How I miss this period of time in our nation.

In many ways...

add in Billy Joel...

The 80s? Big ole pile of shit. But yeah some good music.

It's a travesty that they're not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame we should Raise Hell

@mushroomking11 and many countries, my friend.

I've listened to this song like 200 times and I still get an eargasm everytime... 😂

Maquel Cox aaaayyee

The whole album is phenomenal.

ooo la la!

the 10 dislikes are communists

holy shit is it still the 1950s?

This album reminds me of a Girl I know she gave this album too me on Vinyl! I enjoy it!!

This band easily has some of the most under-rated talent to ever grace the rock and roll industry. I simply love their music, and laugh out loud anytime some Queen/Freedie fanboy talk about how "great" that band was.

Swedish American: Critics hated Queen?!? Shit. If they trashed that band, what the hell DID they like?

Queen was an awesome band!!! Always will be.😇

Lore Rixner Freddie's voice makes me nut and I'm straight 😂

Mercury indeed had a great voice, Queen wasnt that good, though. Styx had much better song writing

Rory Gallagher just threw up in his grave.
(Purely in terms of under ratedness, styx is great but they also get respect now)

7 dislikes ? wtf ? rockin the paradise hard.

some people just listen to shit and gobble it up what can i say they are trash to dislike this

Paul Gureghian oowi goowi

I still remember the group, love them in the 70's, and love them even more these days!

This song makes me want to dance my heart out holy shit so catchy!

Another great Rock band ruined when the lead singer leaves...like Journey. Styx is a river in Hades.

+DISNEYDJ MIKE .dennis did not leave.in '96 tour he became sick.they did not know what was going on.he kept trying to perform,but he would get sick.after a pile of doctor bills at different doctors,they found he was having a reaction to the intense lighting on the stage(sounds strange but there it was).so he wanted the band to postpone a new tour about 6 or 8 months to try to find a way to combat the affliction.the band did not want to wait so he was replaced.i seen dennis w/new band about 3 weeks ago in bloomington,il and it was a great show.if you get a chance check out the show.this tour was 'dennis deyoung w/the music of styx.' i seen styx minus dennis when the recorded 'arch allies'' w/REO at riverport in st louis.before that,i seen them w/dennis,the 1st show after chuck died in july '96..coming up on 20yrs.it was 'return to paradise'. almost 3 hour show and excellent.dennis made styx a class act.

Chuck didn't die in 1996, his brother John, the drummer did. Chuck still appears with the current version of the band for a few songs.

The rest of what you said is right though. All of the following comes from interviews from the Behind the Music episode and when Tommy and JY appeared on Entertainment Tonight a few years ago.

When Styx saw new life thanks to having to re-record Lady for 1995's Greatest Hits, the soaring popularity of it, they took it on the road for the Return to Paradise tour. The last half they would dedicate to John, who died while this tour was going on.

They really felt like the past tensions from Babe and Kilroy (the start and boiling points for both splits) was going to be history this time. Well the next tour was a short one as Dennis had a prior commitment to something SEPARATE FROM STYX. To stage the musical he was writing, based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

So all the while he was touring with Styx, he was circling the USA casting and trying to do Styx at the same time, wearing himself out and came down with the flu which yielded the light sensitivity. Also they were making a new album (1999's Brave New World, which, in my opinion, was a casualty of what was to come. It is a Styx album, but to me it sounds like Tommy, James Young and DDY's solo careers attempting to be brought into Styx as none of the songs have that feeling of being a Styx song, even though they are).

Dennis had asked them to continue to wait until he got over the symptoms and they did, but they grew tired of waiting and offered him to do the cities that he wanted and they would get someone to fill in for the rest but he declined and they decided to replace him with Lawrence Gowan. Who is still with them now.

This is where I have problems when deciding whether to like them or not. I may be a Dennis Styx fan, but that doesn't mean that I don't like what Lawrence has contributed to the band, in terms of new material from Cyclorama and Big Bang Theory, as well as making one of his solo songs (A Criminal Mind) a Styx song. So what I decided to do was say that the classic Styx took their final bow at the end of the Return to Paradise tour and the current version is Styx 2.0.

GOTCHA...GREAT JOB !

now my favorite band

mate I need to sing along. lyrics?

On of my top Styx songs

I knew I wasn't the only one that knows Dogs can fly.
I Just knew it !!!
whacha doin' whacha doin'

+arctictimberwolf I was just wondering what word he used, it doesn't sound like dogs, maybe dwongs?

Dogs can't fly…
And so, the Paradise Theater was doomed to fail.

(The actual theater, not the indescribably brilliant album.)

6 people with the thumbs down are retarded and vote democrat near as I can tell.

+Nott Happening And vote democrat? Lol, what makes you think they'd be that way especially toward a song that has nothing to do with any beliefs?

+The Criminal Violin Hey, some blame Bush, others Obama. Just point and laugh at 'em both.

@Teh Hoorf You either laugh at all of them, or rage.

@The Criminal Violin Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...

6 people with thumbs down are whinny little def bitches who have no place being in this page anyways...

Love that Dennis DeYoung said that Ronald Reagan was an inspiration on the lyrics of this song! Wish we had the Gipper back as president now!

kingofallwhites

!!!!

First off.... people who compare that filthy lying corrupt treasonous Anti-American left-wing pig #Trump to the great Ronald Reagan should be horsewhipped... daily.

Second, like his golfing buddy Bill Clinton, Trump is a serial adulterer and serial rapist. A pedophile and child rapist.

Trump raped and tortured a little 13 year old girl multiple times at one of Jeffery Epstein's pedophile sex parties in Manhattan.

He paid her off just before taking Office and ahead of a Federal Court date in February of 2017.

Trump has "joked" about his desire to have sex with his own daughter Ivanka.

That doesn't even cover what a vile and truly evil shitweasel he is as POTUS.

Trump is purposely destroying America at warp speed and destabilizing the Free market worldwide.

Putin and the Red Chinese couldn't be happier though.

I've been PROUDLY #NeverEVERTrump since the 1980's when that filthy left-wing pig Trump was viciously attacking President Ronald Reagan and the very policies that saved America.

Trump spent the entire 1980's viciously attacking President Reagan.

Even then, Trump was a Russian operative.

In 1987, day's after Reagan's powerful and iconic "Tear Down This Wall" speech.... Trump landed in Red Square with Ivanna.

Several days later, Comrade Trump took out full page ads in major newspapers nationwide viciously attacking Reagan's hard line stance against the Soviet Union.

We used to hang traitors. If we put that on pay-for-view we could retire a big slice of our national debt!

@Jonathan Gwynne-- Seriously?! Reagan did a masterful job of leading the Soviet Union down the final years of outspending what their economy could produce. Reagan deserves much of the credit for the Berlin Wall coming down in 1990, and the end of the bad old days of the Cold War. He was a very decent man, and never took himself too seriously. Listen to some of the compilations of his jokes in speeches sometime if you don't believe me!

Easy to see who is demon possessed, hypnotized, and been brainwashed by "the boob-toob"

@Ragoldiesfan: A lot of people who weren't even conservative voted for Reagan simply because he promised a renewal for the country. I remember, I was there.

Yeah, cause the gipper was a symbol of the bourgeoisie class.
This song ain't exactly praise... lol
Republicans can't ever seem to figure out when they're being insulted...lmao

3:36 hot potato!!

the last great album from Styx....

Horseshit.

Listen to their newest one. That will forever change your mind about this comment!

Mr Robot killed Tommy Shaw HAHAHAAHAAH

Mr Roboto killed Tommy Shaw HAHAHAAHAAH

i have lonely people, too much time on my hands, best of times and blue collar man on my mp3 player, as a matter of fact i was just listening to lonely people

Spring, 1981, Heyday of honest, straight-ahead, hardworking American mid west classic rock, when Paradise Theater and REO's Hi Infidelity ruled the airwaves.

How I miss those days.

20 years old and loving it. 😎.

cranking it through 6 X 9 Pioneer's in my 77 Cutlass.. the best of times in St. Louis Mo 1981

I was in the 6th grade back in the spring of 81 & 13 yrs old @ the time! 👍much better times back then vs today !

Absolutely miss those days I would stay in that year till the end of time if I could

Your post brings tears to my eyes! Old Daze! Lol

I love the combo of the 2 songs together. When Dennis hits that Paradise!!!!!!!!!! note, I always crank the volume up as if the band is taking the stage lol.

Turn me on and play me LOUD!

Yes. I like this song and it's clear.

proudlyrushian3 years ago
 
"At about 3:36, someone yells "Go Sparky go!" Who's Sparky?"

==============================================

Dennis yells that line (the beginning of the song are the lyrics "Tonight's the night, we'll make history. AS SURE AS DOGS CAN FLY...")

"Sparky" is a "flying dog" that was part of an act at the "Paradise Theatre" evidently, right before the Theatre closed in 1958.

On the back cover of the album, on the lower right, you will see an advertisement for "Sparky the Flying Dog", which describes how the Theatre had gone from fancy shows in 1928 when it opened to "Flying Dog" shows over 30 years...

http://www.vinylrecords.ch/S/ST/Styx/Paradise/styx-paradise-26.jpg

========================== 

Haha i was reading that comment right when he yelled that ! :)

There were flying dogs at the Paradise Theater, right? You know...."tonight's the night we'll make history as sure as dogs can fly....", well, Sparky is a dog. And Dennis yells "go Sparky go!". And there is your explanation.

If you look at the album back cover, the poster for the movie is "Sparky the Flying Dog"

this just straight up rocks! but does every song on Paradise Theater have that same intro, just different lyrics... "The Best Of Times" has that same intro just different lyrics

very apropro lyrics for today...

I bought this album when it first came out. Was a Styx fan in the late 70's and this was the last album of theirs that I bought.

This song sounds ALOT like "best of times" by Styx in the beginning, does anyone else notice that?

Tabitha Sorgatz that was intentional, it was part of the theme of the album, it also appears a third time at the end of the album.

Yes I noticed that when I bought the album in 1982.

That's what I love

@mimosf Have you heard the world's gone crazy!

@kingbuggie It's a good band, right up there withe best! Sooo whatcha ya doing tonight..... big shot crack pot.... knowing that we can't lose..... rocking the paradise!