Styx Lyrics Archive
 

Edge Of The Century
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Written by Glen Burtnik, Bob Burger
Lead Vocals by Glen Burtnik

Living on the edge of the century

See the world in revolution
Spinning faster all the time
We're heading for the end of something
Just about to step across that line
Oh, can't you see?
We're staring in the face of reality
Oh, you and me
We're living on the edge of the century

Feel the way the earth is shaking
Hear the rumble miles away
Say goodby to Checkpoint Charlie
Walls are falling every day
Oh, can't you see?
Every step we take we're making history
Oh, you and me
We're living on the edge of the century

[alternate 2nd verse from the 1999 tour]
Feel the way the earth is shaking
Fires and floods and hurricanes
A voice cries out in revelation
"Say hello to Y2K!"
Oh, can't you see?
We're jumpin on the ledge of uncertainty
Oh, you and me
We're living on the edge of the century

Can't turn off the information
Can't sit back in your easy chair
Can't ignore a generation
Better get ready cause we're almost there

We're moving at the speed of life
Into a brave new world where the strong will survive
The dawn's gonna break and I'll meet you
On the other side

Can't stand still while the earth is turning
Can't take cover til the coast is clear
Can't play guitar while Rome is burning
Look our now cause the future's here

And we're moving at the speed of life
Living on the edge
On the edge of the century

           
Discography
           
Edge of the Century 1990 A&M Studio LP, Casette, CD
Arch Allies 2000 CMC Live CD
           
Notes

The Following appeared in a "Dear Glen" after he reunited with Dennis DeYoung on April 24, 2006 where he once again changed the lyrics.

This isn't really an answer to a specific Dear Glen letter. I just thought I’d hijack the purpose of ever-faithful mirageboy’s post from the “live shows” section (http://www.glenburtnik.com/bored/viewtopic.php?t=1033) for my own selfish purpose, so as to convey a little story of mine I'm compelled to share with all you lovely folks…

Once upon a bygone era, in a galaxy far far away, around 1988 or so, it dawned on me that the date was only a little more than a decade away from a historic milestone, namely the turn of a century. It was something I recall dreaming about it as a kid. “How old will I be in the year 2000?’, I wondered. So, during my late 80’s skinny singer/songwriter phase it occurred to me that no one seemed to be talking about the coming event…at least not yet.

In my constant quest for reasons, titles, excuses and topics to write songs about, I began building a tune around the idea of life at the end of a century. I brought what I had to my frequent co-conspirator to help me finish it. Maybe it was due to a mispronunciation, maybe it came from inspiration, but at some point the word “end” was replaced with “edge” and soon thereafter a healthy 9lbs 11oz baby song was born to proud parents Bob Burger and Glen Burtnick (as they used to call me back then), which we christened 'Edge Of A Century'.


EDGE OF A CENTURY – original lyric 1989
See the world in revolution spinning like the hands of time
We’re heading for the end of something
Just about to step across that line
Oh, can’t you see? We’re living on the edge of a century
Oh, you and me we’re living on the edge of a century

Up and down on a roller coaster
Once around is all they say
Traffic jam on the devil’s highway
Just a half a mile from judgment day
Oh, can’t you see? Every step we take we’re making history
Oh, you and me we’re living on the edge of a century

Can’t stand still while the earth turning
Can’t sit back in your easy chair
Can’t play guitars while rome is burning
Better get ready ‘cuz we’re almost there
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life.
Oh into the beat of the clock, the stroke of the night
Dawn’s gonna break and I’ll meet you on the other side
Oh, we’re living on the edge of a century

Even though Bob’s opinion was the title should be Edge Of THE Century, I stubbornly disagreed. In any case, I thought overall it wasn’t a half bad tune. “A bonafide toe-tapper!” I believe I heard someone cry at the time.

I schlepped the riff, chords, melody and lyrics in an imaginary box to Plinky’s studio at the time (Trax East) and we cut an exciting little demo, featuring members of my band at the time (Mike Baran and Steve Schuffert on guitars, Jimmy Clark on drums and Bobby Gordon on keys, with Buddy Alan on bass). We went on to perform the song in my quasi-legendary live rock shows during the late 80s. It seemed to go well with my large hair.

A little while later, give or take a year or so, my phone rang. “Ring! Ring! Ring!” it said. It turns out I was getting a phone call from a guy named Dennis who was lead singer/keyboardist/predominant songwriter in a Midwestern multi-platinum arena rock band called Styx, about joining his band as a replacement for a guy named Tommy. To make the long story less yawn-inducing, let’s just say I took him up on the offer, and found myself working on some new lyrics for Edge Of The Century, seeing as how Dennis wanted the song longer and a bit more topical, since it was to be the title track off the next Styx major release which he was producing. Bob Burger pitched in, and Dennis himself contributed a line about the news at the time of the historic dismantling of “Checkpoint Charlie” in Berlin, Germany. Before you could say “Jerry VanDyke” I was standing before a big-assed microphone in an expensive Chicago recording studio, on the other side of a wall of glass from a couple of Italians and some Nordic-like dude, singing the brand new lyrics to my old song with an altered title.


EDGE OF THE CENTURY – Styx studio album version 1990
See the world in revolution spinning faster all the time
We’re heading for the end of something
Just about to step across that line
Oh, can’t you see? We’re staring in the face of reality
Oh, you and me we’re living on the edge of the century

Feel the way the earth is shaking
Hear the rumble miles away
Say goodbye to Checkpoint Charlie
Walls are falling everyday

Oh, can’t you see? Every step we take we’re making history
Baby you and me we’re living on the edge of the century

Can’t turn off the information
Can’t sit back in your easy chair
Can’t ignore a generation
Better get ready ‘cuz we’re almost there
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life.
Oh, into a brave new world where the strong will survive.
Dawn’s gonna break and I’ll meet you on the other side

Can’t stand still while earth turning
Can’t take cover till the coast is clear
Can’t play guitar while Rome is burning
Look out now the future’s here
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life, living on the edge of the century


What felt like a lifetime later, 1999, after quietly sneaking out of the band, contentedly writing songs for others for a number of years, the phone rang again. “Brrreep! Brrreep! Brrreep!” said the phone. I was being asked to rejoin that Styx band, though this time, depending on which side of the divorce you’re on, Dennis would no longer be performing with the group (they kicked him out – and I named the congregation “Styx 5.1”). “But how much will you pay me?” I inquired.

While preparing to tour, the band began rehearsing my by now aging song. I felt a bit self-conscious about the tune – I thought of it as ancient and O-V-E-R: just the title track from an album that didn’t quite live up to everyone’s big fat stupid expectations. Not only that, but it seemed a worthwhile lyric only for the following few months. In my mind a song about life during the turn of the century had a shelf life that was about to expire on January 1, 2000. To me, the idea of singing about such a topic beyond that cut-off point seemed as contemporary as singing a song about The Twist or The Hustle.

Since Edge Of The Century was the only song I sang lead on that the band actually knew how to play throughout our international concerts, I didn’t want it dropped from the set – although it felt old-fashioned to me.

‘Why not tweak the lyrics around a little?’ I wondered, ‘You know, really screw the song up royally, so as to alienate the very last bastard who was left interested in my contribution to Styx’. This was a fairly unheard of concept in rock music. The rule goes like this: once a record comes out and people buy it, freeze-dry the thing and don’t dare ever change it, lest you betray fans of their beloved version and personal life soundtrack emotional touchstone (you also risk being arrested by the Rock Police, who, according to my sources, are bad go-getters who ride mean motor-scooters and sleep in subterranean bunkers somewhere outside of Toledo, Ohio). The backlash of such an action, so says word on the street, could be more costly than that of replacing a popular member of a successful line up.

Nevertheless, not being the most rule-observant type, generally lacking reverence for my own music, with a most heightened case of Adult A.D.D., I figured what the hay. “What the hay?” said I. Since the song had never been a hit, I felt free to break any damned rule I wanted. “After all, it’s MY song!” I seem to recall yelling one 3am, waking myself from an otherwise perfectly comatose sleep. So, after comparing notes, tallying votes and generally playing Songwriter Scrabble with Bob Burger, I embarked on my mission of singing a revised version (or two) of the song, one of which was recorded and released on a live Styx album (or three).


EDGE OF THE CENTURY Styx (version 5.1) live 1999
See the world in revolution spinning faster all the time
We’re shooting past the end of something
Just about to step across that line
Oh, can’t you see? We’re tripping on the ledge of uncertainty
Oh, you and me we’re living on the edge of the century

Feel the way the earth is shaking
Fires and floods and hurricanes
A voice cries out in revelation “Say hello to Y2K!”
Oh, can’t you see? Every step we take we’re making history
You and me we’re living on the edge of the century

Can’t turn off the information
Can’t sit back in your easy chair
Can’t ignore a generation
Better get ready ‘cuz we’re right there
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life.
Oh, into a brave new world where the strong will survive.
The world’s reborn gonna catch up on the other side

Can’t stand still while earth turning
Can’t take cover till the coast is clear
Can’t play guitar while Rome is burning
Look out!
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life, living on the edge of the century


After a few thousand performances or so I finally persuaded the band to let me sing another song. I figured at last I could put this antique to bed, especially once I’d quit the group again in 2003 (they hired a handsome Prince named Ricky, became Styx version 5.2 and lived happily ever-after under orders from blonde women). Little did I know that within a few years I’d be asked to dust off the old work horse and take her out for another trot around the track…

In 2006, a year that sounds positively sci-fi to me as I type it, though it will most likely seem ancient to you by the time I’m finished writing this endless blabathon, that dude Dennis called again, this time on my cell phone “Zip! Zip! Buzzzz” it went. This time he was inviting me to appear at a show or two of his own. Nice guy. “But what will I play?!” I exclaimed, though I already knew his answer before asking.

Traveling north on Route 287, in a little red car, on my way to Dennis’s show in Morristown, New Jersey, I found myself toying with the lyrics, once again looking for a way to make the song fresh somehow, if at the very least for ME. Sure enough, after a few near-collisions, I had come up with some new revisions.


EDGE OF THE CENTURY – Apr 2006
See the world in revolution spinning faster all the time
We just blew past the end of something
We just stepped across a line
Oh, can’t you see? Every step we take we’re making history
Oh, you and me we’re living on the edge of the century

Every day’s a brand new chapter
How’d we ever get this far?
Make way for the new disaster: midnight we collide with Mars
Oh, can’t you see? We’re tripping on the ledge of uncertainty
Oh, you and me we’re living on the edge of the century

Can’t stand still while earth turning
Can’t take cover from the coming the crash
Can’t play guitar while Rome is burning
Look out now future’s past
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life.
Oh, into a brave new world where the strong will survive.
Dawn’s gonna break and I’ll meet you on the other side

Don’t look up cuz the sky is falling
Don’t look back there’s a hurricane
Don’t look down the flood is rising
Look out!
Oh, and we’re moving at the speed of life, living on the edge of the century


By now the song’s wordplay is a bit of a hobby of mine, not unlike my very own personal schizophrenic crossword puzzle. The song is 15 years old at this point, but it’s become a living, changing, breathing (and barfing) thing – a work in progress that will apparently never be absolutely finished, at least as long as those guys don’t quit calling. The lyrical morphing might annoy the musicians I’ve performed the song with, perhaps even those of you in the audience, but it’s my party and I’ll change it if I want to. So, if you ever hear me counting off this song again, you might want to pay close attention to whatever comes flying out of my mouth…

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Yours truly,

The guy whose spelled his name at least 3 different ways

           
Adapted from the Styx Lyrics Archive formerly hosted at Styxnet.com
       
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