oh oh oh oh oh
penny pitching on the walk
waiting for the bus to arrive
me and Davy playing sport
watching for the cops to go by
spider man and the human torch
they cover Barney's newsstand
morning crowds start to gather round
fast finger steals what he can
morning leaves for the afternoon
the boys show up on time
in the streets near the people's store
below the electrical sign
catch a glimpse of a passing car
raced and ready to drag
then the skirts start to tantalize
the boys how they boast and they brag
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
where has he gone?
a memory at dawn
you're just a bit of the past
[guitar solo]
oh oh oh oh
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
me and Davy gazing back
see ourselves as we were
how we laugh when we think of things
that we did yesteryear
I can see Charlie on the porch
Johnny clicking his sticks
and two boys I don't even know
rehearsing electric string tricks
ya ya ya ya ya ya
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
oh the earl of Roseland
Interpretation
Roseland is the community on the South side of Chicago where the founding members of Styx grew up. This song reminisces about their boyhood days, told from Dennis DeYoung's point of view. There are many references to those days, but the verse most important to the Styx fan is the following one:
I can see Charlie on the porch
Johnny clicking his sticks
and two boys I don't even know
rehearsing electric string tricks
"Charlie" is Chuck Panozzo, the bass player for Styx. "Johnny" is his twin brother John, the original drummer for Styx, "clicking his sticks." Dennis has told the story many times of hearing the Panozzo brothers playing as he walked past one day and asking if he could join in on his accordion, starting a lifelong collaboration and friendship. The "two boys I don't even know" are probably John Curelewski and James Young, the original guitarists for Styx, "rehearsing electric string tricks." Even though JC lived in Roseland and JY lived in a nearby neighborhood, DeYoung and the Panozzos did not meet either future bandmember until their days at Chicago State University, when the band was still called TW4.
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