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Too Much Time on My Hands
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Wikipedia article
"'Too Much Time on My Hands'" is a song by American rock band Styx, released as the second single from their tenth album 'Paradise Theatre'. It was written and sung by Tommy Shaw, who also plays the lead guitar solo during the break in the song. It was Shaws only top 10 single as a writer and vocalist with Styx.
Background
The inspiration for its lyrics came from Shaw's experiences in a bar in Niles, Michigan, U.S. The lyrics are about an unemployed man who has "given up hope for the afternoon soaps / and a cold bottle of brew.
Reception
Allmusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia regarded "Too Much Time on My Hands" as one of Shaw's best singles. 'Classic Rock' critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Styx 6th greatest song, saying that it shows a "new wave aptitude" linking Styx's 1970s material with 1980s music.
Personnel
* Tommy Shaw lead vocals, lead guitar
* Dennis DeYoung keyboards, backing vocals
* James Young rhythm guitar, backing vocals
* Chuck Panozzo bass
* John Panozzo drums
Charts
It reached #9 on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 in May 1981, No. 2 on the Top Rock Tracks chart, and No. 4 on the 'RPM' Top Singles chart of Canada.
Weekly charts
Year-end Charts
In popular culture
*In August 1981, MTV went on the air and gave new life to the song by airing the music video in heavy rotation. The video was one of the few the network had available at the time from an American rock band.
*The song enjoyed a small revival when 'The Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon started talking about the music video after hearing the song on the radio in April 2016. This culminated with the episode on April 29, 2016 when Fallon showed a shot-by-shot reenactment of the video with him and guest Paul Rudd on the show. In this video Fallon plays the part of Dennis DeYoung and Rudd plays Tommy Shaw, with A.D. Miles as James Young, Seth Herzog as John Panozzo, and Gerard Bradford as Chuck Panozzo. Tommy Shaw has commented positively and said he was impressed with Fallon's vocals.
*The song was heard in the 'Close Enough' episode "Snailin' It".
References
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