Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)

"Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" is the second single released from Styx's The Grand Illusion (1977) album. On the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at #29 in April 1978. It also hit no. 20 on the Canada RPM Top Singles chart the week of May 6, 1978.

"Fooling Yourself
(The Angry Young Man)"
Cover of the 1978 Dutch single
Single by Styx
from the album The Grand Illusion
B-side"The Grand Finale"
ReleasedFebruary 1978
Recorded1977
GenreProgressive rock
Length5:29
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Tommy Shaw
Styx singles chronology
"Come Sail Away"
(1977)		 "Fooling Yourself
(The Angry Young Man)"
(1978)		 "Blue Collar Man"
(1978)

The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw. It was originally based on Shaw's initial perception of Styx keyboardist Dennis DeYoung — an "angry young man" who viewed the group's successes with a wary eye and grew angry or depressed with every setback. It was only in later years that Shaw began to see himself in the lyrics, and the song took on a more personal meaning to him.

The composition features a number of time signature changes. The intro and outro are performed in 6
8 time, led by Shaw's acoustic guitar tracks and Dennis DeYoung's synthesizer melodies. The vocal sections of the song are in 4
4. The instrumental features a synthesizer solo in 7
4 time, before returning to 4
4 for the final chorus. After a brief intro recap, there is a brief break with two measures of 5
4 time, and then a return to the 6
8 meter, with another synthesizer solo, before fading out.

Chart performance

Weekly charts
Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] 42
Canada RPM Top Singles 20
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] 29
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[3] 23

Year-end charts
Chart (1978) Rank
Canada 158

Personnel

References
  1. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 299. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  3. "Top 100 1978-04-22". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
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