"Too Much Time on My Hands" is a song by American rock band

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 ...

, released as the second single from their tenth album '' Paradise Theatre''. It was written and sung by

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 ...

, who also plays the lead guitar solo during the break in the song. It was Shaw's only top 10 single as a writer and vocalist with Styx.

Background

The inspiration for its lyrics came from Shaw's experiences in a bar in

Niles, Michigan Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana border city of South Bend. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cities ...

, U.S. The lyrics are about an unemployed man who has "given up hope for the afternoon

soaps Soap is a surfactant cleaning compound used for personal or other cleaning. Soap may also refer to: Education * Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, for medical students who were not initially matched with U.S. residencies by the Nationa ...

/ and a cold bottle of brew.

Reception

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 Eduardo Rivadavia regarded "Too Much Time on My Hands" as one of Shaw's best singles. ''Classic Rock'' critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Styx 6th greatest song, saying that it shows a " new wave aptitude" linking Styx's 1970s material with 1980s music.

Personnel

– lead vocals, lead guitar *

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 ...

– keyboards, backing vocals * James Young – 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 *

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

Charts

It reached #9 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in May 1981, No. 2 on the

Top Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in ...

chart, and No. 4 on the ''RPM'' Top Singles chart of Canada.

Weekly charts

Year-end Charts

In popular culture

*In August 1981,

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

went on the air and gave new life to the song by airing the music video in heavy rotation. The video was one of the few the network had available at the time from an American rock band. *The song enjoyed a small revival when ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'' host

Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an American comedian, television host, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the host of the late-night talk show ''The Ton ...

started talking about the music video after hearing the song on the radio in April 2016. This culminated with the episode on April 29, 2016, when Fallon showed a shot-by-shot reenactment of the video with him and guest

Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ...

on the show. In this video Fallon plays the part of Dennis DeYoung and Rudd plays Tommy Shaw, with A.D. Miles as James Young, Seth Herzog as John Panozzo, and Gerard Bradford as Chuck Panozzo. Tommy Shaw has commented positively and said he was impressed with Fallon's vocals. *The song was heard in the ''

Close Enough ''Close Enough'' is an American animated sitcom created by J. G. Quintel. Originally intended to air on TBS in 2017, the project faced various delays and setbacks before eventually premiering on HBO Max on July 9, 2020. The series has received ...

'' episode "Snailin' It".

References

External links

Songfacts

Official music video YouTube
1981 singles Styx (band) songs Songs written by Tommy Shaw A&M Records singles 1980 songs {{1980s-rock-song-stub