Crystal Ball

This is one of my fav styx songs

by far and wide the greatest styx song ever.

This song was written in 1975 by Tommy Shaw before he even joined Styx. He was sitting in his mama's kitchen in Montgomery, Alabama; 21 years old, and contemplating his life; where he had been, and where he might go. The song originally had more verses, but no chorus. He performed it with his band in AL before getting the call to join Styx. Tommy rewrote it to better fit with Styx' music, and Dennis DeYoung added the synth and had Tommy add the electric guitar at the end. Together they came up with the chorus.

[Verse 1] I used to like to walk the straight and narrow line I used to think that everything was fine Sometimes I'd sit and gaze for days Through sleepless dreams All alone and trapped in time All alone and trapped in time

[Verse 2] I wonder what tomorrow has in mind for me Or am I even in it's mind at all Perhaps, I'll get a chance To look ahead and see Soon as I find myself a crystal ball Soon as I find myself a crystal ball

[Pre-Chorus] Well, tell me, tell me where I'm going I don't know where I've been Tell me, tell me, won't you tell me And then tell me again My heart is breaking, my body's aching And I don't know where to go So tell me, tell me, won't you tell me I've just gotta know

[Chorus] Crystal ball There's so many things I need to know Crystal ball There's so many things I've gotta know Crystal ball Won't you tell me please before I go Crystal ball

[Keyboard Solo]

[Pre-Chorus] Oh, tell me, tell me where I'm going I don't know where I've been Tell me, tell me, won't you tell me And then tell me again My heart is breaking, my body's aching And I don't know where to go So tell me, tell me, won't you tell me I've just gotta know

[Chorus] Crystal ball Oh, there's so many things I need to know Crystal ball There's so many things I've gotta know Crystal ball Won't you tell me please before I go Crystal ball

[Guitar Solo]

I think it's about a guy with an ordinary life who does everything in the ordinary and boreing way but then one day he starts to wonder if his life will ever pick up or i fhe will waste his life as an ordinary joe and thus forth he wants to see what happens next so his life doesnt end up the way it seems to be heading. Love this song.

This song sounds like a revelation, of someone finally realizing that their wasting their life and not going anywhere, and wondering if that is all there is to their existence. It's one of the feelings that keeps you up at night, wondering about your own future, and mortality.

Beautiful song and one of my favorite by Styx. Lyrics seem straightforward, but I didn't know (see earlier comments) Tommy Shaw wrote this before joining Styx.

Song seems to be about young man contemplating future:

Wonder what tomorrow has in mind for me Or am I even in it's mind at all Perhaps I'll get a chance to look ahead and see

As the song progresses this curiosity becomes more frantic leading up to search for a "crystal ball" to get a glimpse of what future may be like.

I understand all about fear of an uncertain future, and it makes sense to me that a young songwriter like Tommy Shaw would be very fearful if making the right decision to dedicate his life to making music.

As a young adult, 21 years old, living through a lot of isolation with quarantine and familial issues, this song and the lyrics hold a special place for me, the first verse especially. I take the first two lines, "I used to like to walk the straight and narrow line / I used to think that everything was fine," personal because I was the kid in school who thought "as long as I get decent grades and don't do drugs my life will be fine." However, this often precluded me from experiencing life openly, having fun, and being OK with my mistakes. The thought of a good life, however, a healthy relationship, a good job, and a source of pride for my parents, was a happy dream that seemed to coincide with my straight and narrow lifestyle, as that's what I believed was best. I think every kid experiences something like this, but that feeling of "if time just passes my life will get better and eventually I'll be fine" particularly resonates within me because I am particularly passive. That was my breakdown of the first verse. The rest of the song is focused on whether he can look forward and how, desperately crying out for this to work through a supernatural medium, showing just how badly he wants to overcome this existential fear. He knows it won't work though, which is why overall I see this song as a warning: don't live life by the book, waiting for it to get better.

Oh yeah, the music is simply terrific too. The acoustic guitar starts off beautifully, as well as Tommy Shaw's voice, and then picks up in a quintessential way to the genre, but the vocal melody, backing vocals, and arrangement make it feel unique. The synth solo is pretty cool too.