Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)

Zoo Freaks, get ready for a wild ride as the Zoo Crew spins Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) by Styx from their iconic album The Grand Illusion! This track, penned by guitarist Tommy Shaw, carries a juicy backstory. Shaw wrote it as a subtle nudge to his bandmate Dennis DeYoung, who was struggling with the grind of touring and seemed to be missing the joy of their rising fame. In a Songfacts interview, Shaw shared, "The seeds of discontent had started to take over on the road. The rest of us were all really happy at the time, but Dennis wasn’t getting quite the same joy." The song’s message urges the "angry young man" to see the bright future ahead, a vibe that resonates with its soaring synths and uplifting energy. Fun fact: at the 3:04 mark, you can hear Shaw faintly say, "C’mon, Doctor," a playful nod to DeYoung’s nickname, adding a cheeky layer to the track’s dynamic.

Another wild tidbit about Fooling Yourself comes from a darker moment in 1983, when a troubled individual named Robert Wickes, during a hostage crisis at a New York school, requested the song be played on the radio, dedicating it to his family. The incident, detailed on Songfacts, sadly ended in tragedy, but it shows how deeply the song’s themes of hope and frustration connected with listeners. On a brighter note, Styx took this prog-rock gem to new heights in a performance with Cleveland’s Contemporary Youth Orchestra, as noted on The Music Man. The 60 young musicians, aged 13 to 18, amplified the song’s bombastic arrangement, and the video racked up over five million views on Styx’s YouTube channel. Fans raved, with one commenting, “The greatest performance of this song I have seen,” capturing the infectious joy of the collaboration.

Styx’s journey to rock stardom kicked off in Chicago in the early 1960s, when twin brothers Chuck and John Panozzo teamed up with their neighbor Dennis DeYoung to form a band called The Tradewinds. As detailed on Styxtoury, the trio started playing covers for weddings and bar mitzvahs, with DeYoung on accordion. By 1964, Chuck returned from a brief stint in seminary school to take up bass, and they added guitarist Tom Nardini. The band evolved into TW4 with the addition of John Curulewski, and in 1970, James “J.Y.” Young joined, bringing a harder edge. When they signed with Wooden Nickel Records in 1972, they needed a new name, and as DeYoung recalled, they picked Styx because it was “the only one that none of us hated,” inspired by the mythical river. Their early albums, like Styx and Styx II, blended straight-ahead rock with prog flourishes, building a loyal Chicago fanbase. The arrival of Tommy Shaw in 1975, replacing Curulewski, supercharged their sound, leading to the breakthrough of The Grand Illusion in 1977, which went triple platinum.

Zoo Freaks can stay connected with Styx through their vibrant online presence. Check out their official website at styxworld.com for tour dates, news, and merch. Follow them on Facebook, where they have over 1.8 million fans, or on Instagram (@styxtheband) for behind-the-scenes snaps. Their X account (@STYXtheBand) keeps the conversation rocking with updates and throwbacks. For fan-driven fun, dive into the r/Styx subreddit or join the Styx Fan Club on Facebook to connect with fellow enthusiasts. You can also explore Styxtoury, a fan site packed with tour history and band lore, or Styx Collector for discographies and rare finds. Keep the Styx spirit alive, Zoo Freaks!