Styx: Killing the Thing That You Love Meaning

Killing the Thing That You Love Lyrics

Brick by brick you built a mansion
Piece by piece it seems
You’re tearing it down

Once you walked so tall and handsome
Now nobody even wants you around
Now you’re just some kind of
Leftover clown
Now you’re like Quasi Modo crying

As...

1. HowCouldYou

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   Jun 23rd 2009 !⃝

   Tribute to John, no
   Tribute to what John tried to accomplish, yes
   about trying to build something beautiful only to find that what was built was built for the sake of a few and not all
   public people, masses, not allowed, must be protected from the masses, freedom of speech hidden, words erased, how else can the world
   exist unless things are protected with walls of sound and debris and mass killings keeping the pirates at bay
   and we look in the picture box and say looky, another day gone by and another and another
   amazing our world, so amazing, so much to take for granted, my aunt had a set back and called me frantic saying she was
   disappointed with my decision to send her 'help' and I declined saying it was for her to share with the world and always was
   I guess somehow she forgot or just needed to remind herself in a professional way and to plead with me for my number saying
   every moment we could die and just think, I would have no way to contact you, and the reply sent is what does it matter I won't answer
   was told not to even consider interpretting this song unless I know what VDM was, and I admit that I do not, perhaps a painting so awe inspiring
   that you want to reach out and grab ahold and let the fantazy take you over but in reality you know it wont
   instead you spend you time and energy on how to push away those that you feel want to control you
   that you know will anhialate you if you let them too close, like in a movie where the man so in love dies after making love to the woman he has been waiting for all his life
   would the foia allow us a look into the archives of our lives the way the goverment sees us
   tear it down, I am not worth the effort, you have created something sick and I do not want a part of it, looking for a way to repent
   sorrowful, looking back at what we did to get to this 'crossroad' and wondering if the other know or even care what was required
   and knowing they could care less, cackling at the sounds of a gentelman, we are lost according to the genius folks saying the clock ticks closer
   there is a way to prevent a nuclear war with Iran, there is a way to prevent a nuclear war with North Korea, there is a way to prevent an 'altercation' with China
   open the archives and save the world, stop blocking the words you want to hear for yourself, let us decide if they are the enemy
   we are alike, but there are limitted resources and who will have the power to control it, can the power be shared, can the power be free, of course
   open up the grids, unprotect them all, let the grids go down, mr gorbi please tear down that wall
   was the war over, most say now not at all, and they see the pain, so many hurting and not wanting to admit the pain while going to parties to be happy
   in another movie, rand shows a woman destroying a beautiful sculpture and the lady cries, saying the thing was too pretty and that it had to be destroyed
   and there was an earthquake that destroyed them all, and a volcano that blew, and a tornado that we knew would hit the city, and a bridge that fell and
   killed a man, and what did I do, I remembered what they do to people like me, they destroy them, they anhialate them, they study them for the sake of study with no basis
   for said study and yet, there are spirits of the law to protect the innocent, today I was pulled aside and was asked look what they did, they killed this lady and her
   father whose face you can not see is there with his back to the lens, and the reply was she was a spy, what are you going to do, but they killed her for no reason was told again
   and now she is a symbol, a symbol of what, a movement, yes there are those that will break our backs along the way, whip us to our cruel ends, crucify us, let them if they must
   this world was not what I imagined when I was so bright eyed and eager to learn to love, but the spirit is still in me, my shell, my shed and I look for ways to share without getting axed or shot in the head
   because I have so much to be greedy about still and will fight to the end if I have to you greedy bastrds taking a man's name, his legacy, as your own as if you think you could ever achieve even the slightest semblence
   from death finding joy, from loss finding, and guilty are we of such an atrocity, killing the only man that wanted us to live in peace, like get real, one man wanted peace, one man wanted us to live in harmony
   is that so hard to believe, that the feeling vibrates around the world in every language and yet one man's name was used, that is a tribute, a tribute the Russia now known as the People's RebubliK of the Soviet Union
   of course he was killed, and they do it as a way to communicate with each other without words, because you won't have to say it, because I will already know
   and no, I do not recall having a dream about a plane other than the plane my dad died in and the one I almost killed myself and the instructor and some others by simply following instructions, scriptions, scorpions, I will obey you
   and then you may kill me, kill me fast, and IF I twitch, say I just jumped to another galaxy, sure you can find me, sure, I dare you, and I must warn you, that lump on your head must hurt
   you walked in there, the building fell on you at the doorway, you stayed left something behind, you think you have come to terms, but the lump, be careful, I dare you
   I dare you
2. StyxFanAlex

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   Mar 22nd 2006 !⃝

   I have a song interpretation for you and would like to know what you think. Dennis DeYoung was dropped from Styx when he became ill in the late 90's. Tommy Shaw replaced him and there was some bitter fights over the Styx name and the music Shaw and DeYoung wrote. Styx currently tours with Shaw at the helm and DeYound has found a solo carrer works very well for him. Feb. 18th, 2003 Shaw's Styx released there first studio album without DeYoung called Cyclorama. It included the song "Killing the thing that you Love". I believe that this song, which is written by Shaw, is a dig on DeYoung. Here is my interpretation...
   
   Brick by brick you built a mansion
   Piece by piece it seems
   You’re tearing it down
   
   (DeYoung and the Panozzo brothers started of as "The Tradewinds" and later brought in James Young and John Curulewski to form TW4. When they signed with Wooden Nickle Records they became Styx. According to Wikipedia.com, Styx is the first musical act to ever have four consecutive triple platinum albums. All these triple platinum albums were arranged by DeYoung. After 2000 when the coart battles started, both DeYoung and Styx were never the same again. Shaw is placing blame on DeYoung for ruining what he built.)
   
   Once you walked so tall and handsome
   
   (DeYoung really is the star of the show. If you ever have seen the "Return to the Paradice" show (it is on DVD), DeYounds stage performance is incredible. The others sometimes melt into the background.)
   
   Now nobody even wants you around
   
   (DeYoung is out of the band and has never toured with Styx again. Chuck Panozzo has also retired from Styx but can be seen from time to time playing with them at didfferent tour dates.)
   
   Now you’re just some kind of
   Leftover clown
   
   (DeYoung didn't start touring again until recently.)
   
   Now you’re like Quasi Modo crying
   
   (Dennis wrote the musical "The Hunchback of Notre Dame")
   
   As you look in the mirror
   At what you’ve become
   Killing the thing that you love
   Like Lennon’s assassin
   Lennon’s assassin
   
   (John Lennon's assassin was obsessed with the former Beatle and was outraged at his betrayel of the ideals of the generation. Once again Shaw is placing blame on DeYoung for trying to take the Styx name in court.)
   
   Reaching for Venus De Milo
   But she’s never gonna hold you tight
   
   (Venus De Milo the famous greek statue with no arms believed to be Aphrodite the greek goddess of love. DeYoung often writes songs for his wife of 35 years, Suzanne DeYoung. For example: Lady and Babe)
   
   You plant plutonium silos
   Then you blister from the sun that’s too bright
   Like a vampire stepping into the light
   
   (DeYoung has a rare illness where he is illurgic to light. Mostly florescent lights. This is the reason that he couldn't tour in the late 90's.)
   
   Just a victim of your own greed as you
   
   (Asking for the rights to the music he wrote and performed while in Styx and asking that the band not play them in there shows.)
   
   As you look in the mirror
   At what you’ve become
   Killing the thing that you love
   Like Lennon’s assassin
   Lennon’s assassin
   
   The genius of a generation
   Blown away just like a leaf on the wind
   And now you’re looking for salvation
   But you can’t forget the places you’ve been
   And you can’t erase a lifetime of sin
   And you can’t escape the answers as you
   
   (I'm a little lost on this part. I can speculate that Shaw is trying to say that Styx has been touring for a few years now without him and with Lawrance Gowan taking his place he isn't needed. Looking for salvation could be that DeYoung was looking for a new project in that time. I'm at a loss for the last two lines.)
   
   As you look in the mirror
   At what you’ve become
   Killing the thing that you love
   Like Lennon’s assassin
   Lennon’s assassin
   (End)
   
   I find that listening to this song now is a little comical. DeYoung has a current tour where he performs his classic Styx songs with a symphony. He still has one of the best stage performances I have ever seen.
   
   Styx just came out with a new studio album. It is a cover album and it didn't get the best reviews ever. I have always believed that covers should be saved for live shows unless it is one at a time and you are taking the song in a new direction. This new album is completly covers where they even cover a Styx song. I guess that really wouldn't be a cover but they re-worked it.
   
   I am sad to see Styx take a step backwards. Cyclorama really was a good album and they have a good stage show. I have enjoyed the times I have seen Styx live... but if I had to choose... I would go with DeYoung.
   
   Alexander Knox

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