LEGACIES
“Blue Collar Man”
Tommy Shaw reveals the jolly green inspiration behind Styx’s 1978 hit.
BY JOE BOSSO
Styx in 1978. (from left) John Panozzo, James Young, Tommy Shaw, Dennis DeYoung and Chuck Panozzo
MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES
SOME SONGS HAVE a way of becoming both timely and timeless, and that’s certainly true of Styx’s feisty and impassioned tribute to the dashed dreams of everyday workers, “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights).” “It’s a song that still hits home,” says its composer, guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw. “No matter who you are, even if you’re in a successful rock band, you can relate to it. I know I do. I show up, suit up, do the job, and I love it. When something like that gets taken away from somebody, it’s terrible.”