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Come Sail Away

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For the compilation on 2 CDs, see Come Sail Away – The Styx Anthology.
"Come Sail Away"
US and Dutch vinyl picture sleeve
Single by Styx
from the album The Grand Illusion
B-side"Put Me On"
ReleasedAugust 1977 (US)[1]
Recorded1977
Genre
Length3:10 (Single Version)
6:07 (Album Version)
4:30 (w/o instrumental)[4]
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Dennis DeYoung
Producer(s)Styx
Styx singles chronology
"Crystal Ball"
(1977) 		"Come Sail Away"
(1977) 		"Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)"
(1978)
Alternate cover

"Come Sail Away" is a song by American rock group Styx, written and sung by singer and songwriter Dennis DeYoung and featured on the band's seventh album The Grand Illusion (1977). Upon its release as the lead single from the album, "Come Sail Away" peaked at #8 in January 1978 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum sales in 1978. It is one of the biggest hits of Styx's career.

Background

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DeYoung revealed on In the Studio with Redbeard (which devoted an entire episode to the making of The Grand Illusion), that he was depressed when he wrote the track after Styx's first two A&M offerings, Equinox and Crystal Ball, sold fewer units than expected after the success of the single "Lady".[5]

Writing

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Lyrically, the song uses sailing as a metaphor to achieve one's dreams. The lyrics touch on nostalgia of "childhood friends," escapism, and a religious thematic symbolized by "a gathering of angels" singing "a song of hope." The ending lyrics explain a transition from a sailing ship into a starship, by narrating that "they climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies".

Musically, "Come Sail Away" combines a plaintive, ballad-like opening section (including piano and synthesizer interludes) with a bombastic, guitar-heavy second half. In the middle of the second half of the album version is a minute-long synthesizer-heavy instrumental break.

"Come Sail Away" is in the key of C major.

Personnel

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Reception

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Cash Box said that "a solitary voice introduces the melody to light piano accompaniment" and that then "the pure fury of the drum, guitar and vocal explosion that follows will pleasantly startle expectations."[6] Record World said that "The melody here is most appealing; the message of escape seems just right for the spirit of the seventies."[7]

Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated "Come Sail Away" as Styx's 7th greatest song, calling it "one of the all time great power ballads."[8]

In the United States, "Come Sail Away" reached #8 on Billboard and spent two weeks at #9 on Cash Box. The song also peaked at #9 in Canada. On superstation WLS-AM in their home city of Chicago, the song spent two weeks at #3[9] and was ranked at #26 for the year.[10]

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "Styx singles". Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 27, 2019). "The Number Ones: Player's "Baby Come Back"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2023. Styx's majestic, melodramatic, utterly preposterous prog-pop opus "Come Sail Away" peaked at #8 behind "Baby Come Back".
  3. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (July 17, 2000). "Artificial Heart: Corporate Rock". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-312-19821-3.
  4. ^ "Styx - Come Sail Away (Official Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  5. ^ DeYoung, Dennis. "Styx- Grand Illusion- Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Dennis DeYoung, Lawrence Gowan". In the Studio with Redbeard. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 10, 1977. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 17, 1977. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  8. ^ Dome, Malcolm (February 18, 2022). "The 10 best Styx songs". Classic Rock. Louder Music. Archived from the original on 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  9. ^ "wls123177". Oldiesloon.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  10. ^ "wls89of77". Oldiesloon.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5513a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  12. ^ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  13. ^ "Styx Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5502a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  15. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
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