"Why Me" is a song written by
Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx, and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was th ...
that was first released on
Styx
In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...
's 1979 double-platinum album ''
Cornerstone
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Over time ...
''. It was also released as the second single from the album, and reached #26 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #10 on the
Canada RPM Top 100 Singles
''RPM'' ( and later ) was a Canadian music-industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. ''RP ...
chart.
Background
DeYoung wrote "Why Me" at a time that he was
depressed.
He stated that "What I was saying was, why does this keep happening to me? I'm supposed to have it made, but I feel just like you do."
[ At a concert in Chicago in 1980, DeYoung further explained the song as follows:
Eric Hegedus of ''The Morning Call'' noted that "Why Me" is one of the songs on ''Cornerstone'' reminiscent of Styx's previous style (as opposed to songs like "]Babe
Babe or babes may refer to:
* Babe, a term of endearment
* A newborn baby
* An attractive (especially female) person
People Nickname
* Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher
* Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Major L ...
," "First Time" and "Boat on the River
"Boat on the River" is a 1979 song by Styx, from their album ''Cornerstone''. It was released as a single in 1980 in various countries, but not in the band's native United States, where " Borrowed Time" was released instead.
It was popular in ...
") and found it similar to "I'm O.K." from Styx' prior album ''Pieces of Eight
The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight ( es, Real de a ocho, , , or ), is a silver coin of approximately diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content ...
''.
''Wichita Beacon'' reviewer Terre Johnson stated that "Why Me" (along with "Babe
Babe or babes may refer to:
* Babe, a term of endearment
* A newborn baby
* An attractive (especially female) person
People Nickname
* Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher
* Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Major L ...
" and "Love in the Midnight" from the same album) incorporates Styx' first use of strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
and horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
s and that those instruments "provide effective textures."
The song was an unexpected single. The original plan was for the ballad "First Time" to be released as the second single following the #1 single "Babe." In fact some radio stations in the U.S. were starting to play "First Time". However, guitarist Tommy Shaw did not want to release a second ballad right after "Babe". This disagreement resulted in DeYoung being fired briefly from the band in early 1980. DeYoung reluctantly agreed, and "Why Me" was chosen by A&M Records to be the second single.
Reception
''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' compared "Why Me" to songs by Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and Supertramp
Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending pro ...
, describing it as a "high gloss, multi layered midtempo rocker with its fresh harmonies and thoughtful lyrics" and also praised the saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
and guitar solo
A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...
. ''Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' called it "an intriguing blend of regal electronic arrangements and bubbly keyboard phrases." ''Vincennes Sun-Commercial'' critic Rick Patterson called it "a definite single pick for AM radio
AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transm ...
, a soft vocal ballad that really lays you back," also calling out its interesting use of saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
and string instruments and praising DeYoung's vocal performance.
Released as ''Cornerstone''s second single, "Why Me" reached #26 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart in February 1980. The song also reached number 10 on the Canada RPM Top 100 Singles
''RPM'' ( and later ) was a Canadian music-industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. ''RP ...
chart on the week of February 23, 1980.
Live performances
In live performances in the early 1980s, Styx would incorporate a saxophone player and four horn players just for "Why Me" and would use them to play an extended instrumental section.
Personnel
*Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx, and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was th ...
- lead vocals, keyboards
* James Young - lead guitar, backing vocals
*Tommy Shaw
Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx (band), Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups includi ...
- rhythm guitar, backing vocals
*Chuck Panozzo
Charles Salvatore Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band Styx. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Ricky Phillips. Panozzo suffers from HIV ...
- bass guitar
*John Panozzo
John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx.
Early life and career
Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with hi ...
- drums
;Additional musicians
*Steve Eisen - saxophone
"Lights"
The b-side of the "Why Me" single was "Lights," another song from ''Cornerstone'' that was written by DeYoung and Tommy Shaw
Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx (band), Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups includi ...
. "Lights was issued as a single a-side in the UK, Germany and Spain and reached #35 on the German charts. Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
critic Mike DeGagne described "Lights" as having "silky harmonies
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However, ...
and welcoming choruses." ''Edmonton Journal'' critic Nancy Arab found "Lights" to be one of the few worthwhile songs on ''Cornerstone'' ("Why Me" and "Babe" being the others) and said that the band sounds similar to Supertramp
Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending pro ...
on the song due to the keyboard and vocal performances. ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' critic David Fricke said it was "enlivened by a bouncy beat and a hint of horns, ndboasts yet another hook on which you could hang your AM radio
AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transm ...
. Hegedus of ''Morning Call'' found it to be "triumphant."[ When Styx performed "Lights" in concert in 1980, a light show involving colored lights and strobes was displayed.]
References
{{Authority control
1979 songs
Styx (band) songs
Songs written by Dennis DeYoung
1979 singles
A&M Records singles