"Come Sail Away"
Single by Styx
from the album The Grand Illusion
B-side(s)	Put Me On
Released	1977
Format	vinyl record 7"
Recorded	1977
Genre	Progressive rock, Arena rock
Length	3:10 (single) 6:07 (album)
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Dennis DeYoung
Producer(s)	Styx
Peak chart positions
#8 (USA)
Styx singles chronology
"Crystal Ball" (1977) "Come Sail Away" (1977) "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" (1978)

"Come Sail Away" is a song by Styx from their album The Grand Illusion. One of the band's biggest hits, it was released in 1977 (see 1977 in music), rising to number 8 on the Pop Singles chart and helping The Grand Illusion reach multi-platinum sales. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Not to be confused with Grand Illusion (album), by Nocturnal Rites. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... — Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure which lasted from 1962 to 1999. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Crystal Ball is the second single released from Styxs Crystal Ball album. ... Fooling Yourself is the second single released from Styxs The Grand Illusion album. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Not to be confused with Grand Illusion (album), by Nocturnal Rites. ... See also: 1970s in music. ...

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 is a psychedelic minute-long synthesizer instrumental. The lyrics use the metaphor of a voyage of discovery and make reference to angels and spaceships. The song is typical of the music the band played in the 1970s — pop meets progressive rock. For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... This article is about metaphor in literature and rhetoric. ... The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni wears a late Roman military outfit in this 17th century depiction An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ...

Styx member Dennis 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". — Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure which lasted from 1962 to 1999. ... In the Studio with Redbeard is a North American radio program, produced and hosted by Dallas, Texas based rock and roll disc jockey Redbeard. ... A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ... Equinox is the fifth album by Styx, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ... Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music). ... Lady is a popular song written and performed by the rock band Styx. ...

The track would be the regular closing track during the band's live set before the encore. DeYoung now closes nearly all of his live concert performances with a rendition of "Come Sail Away". As he approaches the end of each verse, he stops singing and queues the audience to finish the verse for him, which they do heartily. The audience can be heard very clearly singing along with DeYoung and his band during the chorus of "Come Sail Away" on DeYoung's comeback live album, The Music of Styx--Live with Symphony Orchestra.

Popular usage

• "Come Sail Away" is referenced repeatedly in South Park. A running joke in the series is that every time Cartman hears the beginning of the song he feels compelled to finish it (which he can do in 27 seconds flat under pressure). Cartman sings a full-length version of the song on Chef Aid: The South Park Album, with a notable part near the end where he gets overexcited and descends into rhythmic gibberish. His over-the-top rendition helped make the song an icon of prog-rock kitsch in the late 90s.
• The song is used as the theme of the upcoming 3rd season on Deadliest Catch.
• The song was covered by punk rock band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their album Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah.
• The song was featured in a school-dance scene at the end of the 1999 pilot episode of Freaks and Geeks, which is set in 1980 In the scene, Sam Weir (who had been hoping for a slow dance) gets Cindy onto the dance floor just in time for the mid-song tempo change.
• Phil Hendrie ended the 16-year run of The Phil Hendrie Show with one of his characters singing the song.
• In the 7th season ER episode "Sailing Away", Mark Greene is blasting this song at high volume in his workshop - so loud, in fact, that he can't hear his wife tell him that she's in labor. (The title of the episode is also taken from the song.)
• In a fourth season episode of the NBC show Ed, the character Phil uses the song as part of his tribute to the recently-deceased bowler, Mr. Fish.
• In the 20th episode of season three of Family Guy, entitled "Road to Europe," Peter and Lois are watching a show on TV called The Kiss Forum when Dennis DeYoung (a member of Styx and the writer of "Come Sail Away") calls into the show insulting Kiss; the host replies, "How 'bout I crank a little 'Detroit Rock City' and play 'Come Sail Away' and we can see how they stack up side by side?"
• In July of 2004 the comedy improv group Improv Everywhere performed a synchronized swimming routine in a New York City fountain set to "Come Sail Away".
  "Come Sail Away" was covered by Winter Solstice Records recording artists Bermuda Triangle Band on the 1984 "Bermudas II" album and on the 2007 album "The Missing Tapes".
• Some people seem to think that the song is linked to alien abductions and leaving this world hence "Come Sail Away, also the lyrics "The Gathering of Angels" is thought to be a reference to aliens gathering around the abductee.
• Some people think it is a reference to the band Boston

This article is about the TV series. ... For the band, see Cartman (band). ... Kitsch is a term of German origin that has been used to categorize art that is considered an inferior copy of an existing style. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Deadliest Catch is a documentary-style television series that documents the events aboard fishing boats in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and Opilio crab fishing seasons. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock cover band that formed in 1995. ... Ruin Jonnys Bar Mitzvah is a live album by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, released on October 19, 2004 on Fat Wreck Chords. ... This article is about the year. ... Freaks and Geeks was an American television series, created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 TV season. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Phil Hendrie Philip Stephen Hendrie (September 1, 1952, Arcadia, California) was best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that was syndicated throughout North America on Premiere Radio Networks and on XM Satellite Radio. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the drama series. ... Dr. Mark Greene was a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER. He was portrayed by Anthony Edwards. ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Ed was an NBC television program produced by David Lettermans Worldwide Pants Incorporated from 2000-2004. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... “Road to Europe” (originally called “European Road Show”) is an episode of Family Guy guest-starring Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS and Andy Dick as themselves. ... Peter Löwenbräu Griffin is the protagonist in the American animated television series Family Guy. ... Lois Griffin (née Pewterschmidt) is a cartoon character on the TV show Family Guy by Seth MacFarlane. ... — Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure which lasted from 1962 to 1999. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. ... Detroit Rock City is a song by the [[United States|American]rock group Kiss featured on their 1976 album, Destroyer. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Improv Everywhere is an unorthodox comedy group based in New York City, formed in 2001 by one Charlie Todd. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Bermuda Triangle Bands wild psychedelic or delicately nuanced electric autoharp and transcendental vocals[1] grew out of the late 60s Folk Rock scene. ...

External links

• Lyrics at STYXworld.com
• Song Review at All Music Guide