"Tonight's the night we'll make history..."

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (opening lines)

In the days of vinyl LP's, before the advent of the compact disc reduced album art to an eye-straining experience, listening to an album was a visual experience. In the early 1980's, I went on a trip to a local "hardware and variety store" and was browsing the album racks (yes, they sold LP's there) when an album cover caught my eye. As an eleven year old, I was already a fan of two of the songs on this album that had received significant radio play, as well as some of the band's previous work, so I plunked down the eight dollars and change and left with something new to spin on my turntable as I read the lyrics and pored over the stunning artowrk on the front and back covers. Little did I know that when I removed the disc from the sleeve, I would be greeted with an embossed disc bearing a holographic image that was a detail from the cover art. It was a stunning, multisensory experience.

As I listened to the album, with the sides labeled as "Act 1 and Act 2", I learned that the songs formed a loosely-connected theme. The story followed the fictionalized rise and fall of a real theater in Chicago, called...

Paradise Theater.

When I set the needle down onto the album, I was treated to the promise of hope in the album's opening lyrics and Dennis DeYoung's solitary voice on A.D. 1928.

"Tonight's the night we'll make history
As sure as dogs can fly
And I'll take any risk to tie back
The hands of time
And stay with you here tonight
So take your seats and don't be late
We need your spirits high
To turn on these theatre lights
And brighten the darkest skies
Here at the Paradise"
- A.D. 1928

Then, I was stunned by the abrupt segue into Rockin' the Paradise.

"So whatcha doin' tonight?
Have you heard that the world's gone crazy?
Young Americans listen when I say there's people puttin' us down
I know they're sayin' that we've gone lazy
To tell you the truth we've all seen better days."
- Rockin' the Paradise

This is one of the greatest rock songs of its time. In the early 1980's, it did seem like the world had gone crazy. We were just a short time removed from the oil shortages of the 1970's and the Iran hostage crisis. It looked like we were headed for something better.

"Well, I'm a jet fuel genius - I can solve the world's problems
Without even tryingI have dozens of friends and the fun never ends
That is, as long as I'm buying
Is it any wonder I'm not the president?"
- Too Much Time On My Hands

The next song, Tommy Shaw's Too Much Time On My Hands, seemed to say that any of us could do anything we wanted to... if only we really wanted to. This has always been one of my favorite songs on this great album. It is a catchy song, with that awesome whisper and alarm clock ending.

"You get up every morning and you go to work each day
Been doing the same damn job for ten long years this May
You've been working and saving for your Jamaican dream
Paradise is waiting across the sea
But when your plane lands Montego turns to Monsoon
You've got the Island Blues

'Cause, nothing ever goes as planned
It's a hell of a notion
Even Pharaohs turn to sand
Like a drop in the ocean
You're so together and you act so civilized
But every time that things go wrong you're still surprised
You've done your duty, you've paid a fortune in dues
Still got those Mother Nature's Blues."

- Nothing Ever Goes As Planned

Dennis DeYoung asks us once again what we're doing tonight in Nothing Ever Goes As Planned, an indication, mixed metaphors and all, that this dream of a grand future may not turn out exactly as we hoped. My father was always as blue collar as they come. He worked multiple jobs day in and day out to give our family the best life he could, yet my brother's illness and a multitude of other things always seemed to throw a huge monkey wrench into his plans of retiring at the beach and spending his days fishing. We had all paid a fortune in dues.

"Tonight's the night we'll make history, honey, you and I
And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time
And stay with you here tonight
I know you feel these are the worst of times
I do believe it's true
When people lock their doors and hide inside
Rumor has it it's the end of Paradise
But I know, if the world just passed us by
Baby I know, you wouldn't have to cry

The best of times are when I'm alone with you
Some rain some shine, we'll make this a world for two
Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime
We'll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we'll find these are the best of times
These are the best of times

The headlines read 'these are the worst of times'
I do believe it's true
I feel so helpless like a boat against the tide
I wish the summer winds could bring back Paradise
But I know, if the world turned upside down
Baby, I know you'd always be around

The best of times are when I'm alone with you
Some rain some shine, we'll make this a world for two
Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime
We'll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we'll find these are the best of times
These are the best of times

And so my friends we'll say goodnight For time has claimed it's prize
But tonight will always last
As long as we keep alive memories of Paradise..."

- The Best of Times

The final song on "Act 1", also the most commercially successful song on the album, seems to echo the words of Dickens, which I was familiar with, even at 11 (I have always been a prolific reader). DeYoung's The Best of Times was a statement masquerading as a simple love song pretending to make a statement (makes sense to me). This song links the opening and closing of this album. We know that Paradise is doomed, but we can also hold onto it through our memories of the greatest moments of our lives, even in the worst of times.


(The real Paradise Theater actually was built in 1928 on what is now Pulaski Road in Chicago's West Side. It failed due to poor acoustics blamed on its domed ceiling once "talkies" arrived and never recovered. The Paradise was closed in 1956 and what was supposed to be a six month demolition was completed in 1958.)

"The rain was hot, the streets were empty
As downtown closed her eyes
The movie house stood in silence as I said my last good-byes
Her silver screen was stained with memories
As Cagney shot them down
And as I watched I was that hero
In dreamlands lost and found."
- Lonely People

"Act 2" opens with the heckling of nearby residents trying to get the noisy kids out of their neighborhood. The Paradise is closed and all we have left are the memories. As an adult, this song reminds me that all those people that have been so hurtful to me, and to others, over the last few years, and throughout my life, and even history, are just scared, hurting, lonely people. They hurt others because they feel so much pain, fear, and loneliness. Loneliness is a disease from which we can all suffer.

"I worked hard to be the greatest lover
I wanted to be sure that I was her only one
That's how I thought it was done
But I went too far, assumed too much
The need to feel a younger one's touch
Seemed important then
Oh what a fool I've been

And still she treats me like a human
She says she'll still be there
I don't quite understand it, she's been too fair
'Cause somehow she cares

I guess that's the way it goes, the way that it goes
And nobody knows what compels her
She's seen my highs and lows and never let go."

- She Cares

The album continues with Tommy Shaw's love song, She Cares. I can definitely identify with the narrator, who is loved and cared for by another, even though he feels he doesn't deserve it.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall
The face you've shown me scares me so
I thought that I could call your bluff
But now the lines are clear enough
Life's not pretty even though
I've tried so hard to make it so
Mornings are such cold distress
How did I ever get into this mess?"
- Snowblind

James Young's Snowblind caused quite a controversy when the album was first released, with rumors of backwards Satanic messages being hidden in the song. Young has been making fun of these rumors in concert for years, with his evil sounding introduction and red lights.

This is a song about the devil within, particularly the devil of cocaine addiction. The narrator isn't even sure how he descended into this particular hell. He too is lonely and suffering. He sees his weakness and is unsure how to escape.

"Half penny, two penny, ashes to dust
The almighty dollar says 'In God we trust.'
Justice for money, how much more can I pay?
We all know it's the American Way."
- Half Penny, Two Penny

James Young's second song in a row on the album is a portrait of decadence and corruption. We see through this jaded view of our country, and of humanity, that hope is something for the wealthy and prestigious.

Finally, the album closes with the melancholy reprise of the opening melody, the familiar hook that brought us in with hope of a better future. This time, DeYoung is singing a requiem to Paradise. It is over. Memories are all we have left, but they are sweet as A.D. 1958 segues into State Street Sadie and brings us back to the jazz age that surrounded the opening of the Paradise and held such promise and hope for happiness. Just as the jazz age collapsed into the great depression, we are left with only this echo of a better time... perhaps even the best of times. As Dickens tells us, a time much like our own.

"And so, my friends, we'll say goodnight,
for time has claimed his prize,but tonight can always last,
as long as we keep alive, the memories of Paradise."
- A.D. 1958