Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Encyclopedia
"Fooling Yourself" is the second single released from Styx
's The Grand Illusion
album. On the Billboard Hot 100
pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at number 29.
The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw
. Shaw has said many times in interviews that "Fooling Yourself" was originally based on Shaw's initial perception of Styx keyboardist Dennis DeYoung
— an "angry young man" who viewed the group's successes with a wary eye and grew angry or depressed with every setback. It was only in later years, Shaw noted, that he began to see himself in the lyrics, and the song took on a more personal meaning to him.
In addition to Shaw's driving acoustic guitar tracks during the verse and chorus, DeYoung performs two intricate synthesizer solos, the first, in the middle of the song, is performed in 7/4 time, an unusual meter for a pop song. The second solo, as the song fades out, is performed in 6/8 time.
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
's The Grand Illusion
The Grand Illusion (album)
The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by Styx, released on July 7, 1977 . It became the band's first Triple Platinum album, and spawned the Top 10 hit "Come Sail Away" and the Top 30 hit "Fooling Yourself"....
album. On the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at number 29.
The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw
Tommy Shaw
Tommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
. Shaw has said many times in interviews that "Fooling Yourself" was originally based on Shaw's initial perception of Styx keyboardist Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
— an "angry young man" who viewed the group's successes with a wary eye and grew angry or depressed with every setback. It was only in later years, Shaw noted, that he began to see himself in the lyrics, and the song took on a more personal meaning to him.
In addition to Shaw's driving acoustic guitar tracks during the verse and chorus, DeYoung performs two intricate synthesizer solos, the first, in the middle of the song, is performed in 7/4 time, an unusual meter for a pop song. The second solo, as the song fades out, is performed in 6/8 time.