When they were at the absolute height of their success, Styx could get it done in several different ways. They could bring a heavy rock vibe, as evidenced by songs like “Renegade”. Or they could deliver impressively ornate songs, such as “The Grand Illusion”, that owed a debt to prog rock.
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On top of all that, they could always fall back on the expert slow song work of Dennis DeYoung. “Don’t Let It End”, a touching song from the band’s most daring album, relied on DeYoung’s magic touch with the ballads.
A New Concept
Styx managed a fascinating balancing act during their hottest stretch of success, which included five consecutive Top 10 albums from 1977 to 1983. On the one hand, they maintained an impressive level of ambition when compared to their arena rock peers. That manifested itself in their willingness to attempt concept albums.
But even while they were doing all that, they knew how to bring things back down to a level where they were easily accessible to radio audiences. Dennis DeYoung possessed a knack for romantic slow songs that didn’t need to be tied into a larger theme to make sense.
After their 1981 album Paradise Theatre pretty much mastered this macro and micro approach with its overarching concept and two killer singles, Styx hurled themselves even further into the breach. The 1983 album Kilroy Was Here was the result.
“End” Times
Even as Styx was putting together Kilroy Was Here, a concept album with a detailed storyline that weaved in concerns about technology and the censorship of music, they kept their eyes on the prize when it came to the singles market. DeYoung ensured as much by writing “Don’t Let It End”, a ballad that works regardless of whether you know the plot of the album.
In fact, Styx intended it to be the first single of the record to ease folks into things. But then the record label heard “Mr. Roboto”, a piece of music that initially wasn’t even meant for the album. They loved it, and Styx decided to roll the dice and make it the album’s first single.
The gambit worked, as “Mr. Roboto” rose to the Top 5 in 1983. It also cleared the path for “Don’t Let It End” to do the same kind of damage. With DeYoung on lead vocal and Tommy Shaw providing a potent guitar solo, the song made it back-to-back Top 10s for Styx, peaking at No. 6.
Behind the Lyrics of “Don’t Let It End”
“Don’t Let It End” begins with the narrator bemoaning the loss of his love. “What can I do,” he wonders. “Pictures of you still make me cry.” As he notices her empty spot on the bed, he realizes how much her absence has devastated him. “I’ve nowhere to go,” DeYoung roars. “Loneliness fills me up inside.”
But he doesn’t wallow for too long, because he believes he can win her back. “Wait and see, time is all that we really need,” he insists. He assures he won’t fail with a second chance. But the song ends on a note of uncertainty, as the narrator worries that she won’t hear him out: “What will I do / If you say we’re through.”
Tensions within Styx were exacerbated by the Kilroy Was Here project, leading to a temporary breakup. That fact has since created a kind of revisionist history about an album that did just fine at the time of its release. Styx’s balancing act was in full display once again, with “Don’t Let It End” fulfilling a crucial part of the formula.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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