In 1972 six young guys from Chicago formed the American rock band Styx. Five years later they released their hugely successful album, The Grand Illusion. This first of four straight multi-platinum albums features the eponymous song, and its lyrics are legendary. Every time I listen to this epic rock ballad, two things happen: First, I crank up the volume. Second, I think about the message of the song as it relates to the journey of life.
Welcome to the grand illusion.
Come on in and see what’s happening.
Pay the price, get your tickets for the show.
But don’t be fooled by the radio,
the TV or the magazines—
they show you photographs of how your life should be.
But they’re just someone else’s fantasy.
These lyrics are soon to be fifty years old, yet they are perfect for our modern age of constant connectivity to phone, laptop, social media, and 24/7 news. The cumulative noise of the information carried by these devices can be overwhelming.
So, if you think your life is complete confusion
because you never win the game,
just remember that it’s a grand illusion,
and deep inside we’re all the same.
The words to this song carry a deep understanding of what both the Sioux and scientists know: Everything that exists is related and interconnected. Separateness, as we perceive it, is a grand illusion.
Someday soon we’ll stop to ponder
what on earth’s this spell we’re under.
We made the grade and still we wonder,
who the hell we are.
As Styx knew, you are amazing exactly as you are! Stay true to yourself, and don’t let your unique journey and voice get derailed by the grand illusion.
