The band's classic lineup consisted of Steve Walsh (lead vocals and keyboards), Richard Williams (lead guitar), Kerry Livgren (keyboards and guitar), Robby Steinhardt (violin, lead and backing vocals), Dave Hope (bass) and Phil Ehart (drums). The band currently consists of Ehart and Williams alongside Ronnie Platt (lead vocals and keyboards), David Ragsdale (violin), Billy Greer (bass and vocals), and David Manion (keyboards and vocals).
The debut album, 'Kansas', was released in March 1974, nearly a year after it was recorded in New York. It defined the band's signature sound, being comprised of a mix of American-style boogie rock with complex, symphonic arrangements featuring changing time signatures similar to British art rockers. Steinhardt's violin was a distinctive element of the group's sound, which set them apart from other progressive rock groups of the era. The band slowly developed a cult following, due to promotion by pop/rock impresario Don Kirshner and extensive touring for their debut album. Two follow-ups, 'Song for America' and 'Masque', both came out in 1975 and brought them additional acclaim, the releases showing the band's philosophical-based lyricism in songs such as the myth-inspired "Icarus (Born On Wings Of Steel)".
Kansas released its fourth album, 'Leftoverture', in November 1976, which produced a massive hit single in "Carry On Wayward Son" and brought comparisons to other records such as Yes' 'Fragile'. The aforementioned tune has became a kind of 'signature song' for the band and been a staple of rock radio for years, also appearing in various TV shows and video games. Kansas' follow-up, 'Point of Know Return', was released in October 1977. Featuring the title track and "Dust in the Wind", both hit singles, it received critical praise from many reviewers.
'Leftoverture' and 'Point of Know Return' each have sold over four million copies in the U.S. Both "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind" have also been RIAA certified as gold singles, selling over one million units each. In particular,"Dust in the Wind" was certified gold as a digital download in 2005, almost 30 years after its first run, having sold over one million copies as a single. Forming somewhat of a career high point, 'Leftoverture' was certified five times platinum by the RIAA in 2001.
During this period, Kansas became a major headlining act and sold out the largest venues available to rock bands at the time, including New York's Madison Square Garden. The band documented this era in 1978 with 'Two for the Show', a double live album of recordings from various performances from its 1977 and 1978 tours. The band gained a solid reputation for faithful live reproduction of their studio recordings. In 1978, the band was named UNICEF Deputy Ambassadors of Goodwill as well.
The follow-up studio album to Point of Know Return was Monolith (1979), which, like the live album, was self-produced. While the album produced a Top 40 single in "People of the South Wind"--the title refers to the meaning of the Kanza word 'Kansas'--it failed to garner the sales and radio airplay of its two predecessors. Nevertheless, the album went platinum. Kerry Livgren's platinum award for the album is on display at the Kansas History Museum.
Kansas' band members began to drift apart in the early 1980s. Livgren became a born-again Christian, and this was reflected in his lyrics on the next three albums, beginning with Audio-Visions. "Hold On," a Top 40 single from that album, displayed his newfound faith in a pop setting. Hope soon converted to Christianity as well. Walsh left in October 1981 to form a new band, Streets. In early 1982, Walsh was replaced by vocalist/keyboardist John Elefante. Initially unbeknownst to the other members of Kansas, Elefante was also a born-again Christian. Elefante was chosen over other applicants including Sammy Hagar and Doug Pinnick. John and brother Dino Elefante were later successful producers for contemporary Christian artists, including Sweet Comfort Band, Petra, Bride, Rick Cua, and Guardian.
Kansas' first album with Elefante, Vinyl Confessions, released in June 1982, was their most successful studio release since Point of Know Return. The record renewed interest in the group and generated the band's first Top 20 hit in several years, "Play the Game Tonight." The album's overtly Christian lyrics attracted an entirely new audience. Still, sales of the album fell short of gold status, and the album has yet to be certified gold.
Drastic Measures followed in 1983. Because Livgren was holding back some Christian-oriented songs for another solo album, he contributed only three songs to the album. The rest were penned by the Elefante brothers, and without the violin of Steinhardt (who left the group before the recording sessions), the result was a more mainstream pop-rock album. The single, "Fight Fire with Fire," did not crack the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 but reached #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, making it the highest chart position of any Kansas release on any chart.
During the band's time with Elefante as lead vocalist, Livgren became increasingly uncomfortable with Kansas representing his Christian worldview. After a final New Year's Eve performance on December 31, 1983, Livgren and Hope left to form AD with former Bloodrock member Warren Ham, who had toured as a sideman with Kansas in 1982, and Michael Gleason, who had done the same in 1983. They were joined by drummer Dennis Holt. Elefante, Ehart, and Williams sought to continue as Kansas, and recorded one more song, "Perfect Lover," which appeared on the retrospective The Best of Kansas (1984). That was to be the final Kansas recording with Elefante, and the group disbanded after its release. Since leaving Kansas, Elefante has become a popular contemporary Christian music artist but has never again performed with the group.
n 1985 Ehart and Williams reformed the band with Walsh, but without Livgren, Hope or Steinhardt. The new line-up included bassist Billy Greer (of Streets) and guitarist Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs). The re-formed band released Power in November 1986. The first single, "All I Wanted," became the last Kansas single to hit the Billboard Top 40 chart, peaking at #19. Two more singles, the title track and "Can't Cry Anymore," were less successful. The new lineup released a second album, In the Spirit of Things, in 1988, but it was met with weak sales and Morse left the band at the end of the tour in 1989.
In 1990, a German promoter arranged to reunite all the original members of Kansas III (except for Steinhardt) for a European tour. Greer joined them, along with keyboardist Greg Robert, who had first joined Kansas on tour in 1986. At the end of the tour, Hope left again, but Livgren remained on into 1991. That year, violinist David Ragsdale joined the group and the return of the violin allowed Kansas to perform earlier material in arrangements closer to the originals. Livgren left during the 1991 tour, to be replaced temporarily by Steve Morse again. After the tour, Morse left and Ragsdale took over the extra guitar parts, leaving Williams as the primary guitar player. The resulting lineup of Ehart, Greer, Ragsdale, Robert, Walsh, and Williams lasted from 1991 to 1997. This period saw one live album and accompanying video, Live at the Whisky (1992) and one studio album Freaks of Nature (1995). On July 28, 1996, Kansas was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood.
In early 1997, Robert and Ragsdale left the band and Steinhardt returned. The following year Kansas released Always Never the Same, which featured Larry Baird conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The album was a mix of older Kansas material (with new arrangements by Baird), several new songs, and a cover of "Eleanor Rigby". Somewhere to Elsewhere, released in July 2000, featured all the original members of Kansas, plus Greer, with all songs written by Livgren.
In 2000 Kansas was the opening act for Yes during their "Masterworks" tour. In 2002, Kansas II (the lineup prior to the recording and release of Kansas' first album) released an album under the group name Proto-Kaw, featuring demos and live material recorded from 1971 to 1973. This led to a new studio album, Before Became After (2004), with most of the Kansas II members participating. Proto-Kaw released a third album, The Wait of Glory, in 2006.
Kansas has continued to tour every year. The 2006 tour was delayed for a few weeks due to Steinhardt's second departure, and Ragsdale subsequently returned to the lineup. In 2008, the Kansas website announced that four of the five current members (Ehart, Ragsdale, Williams and Greer) had formed a recording group called Native Window, and they released their self-titled debut album in June 2009.
In February 2009, Kansas recorded a concert in Topeka, Kansas featuring a full symphony orchestra, with Larry Baird conducting. Morse and Livgren appeared as special guests on several songs. The performance was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray and the DVD hit #5 on Billboard's Music Video Chart the week after its release.
As of July 13, 2010, Kansas had recently completed a 30-day "United We Rock" tour with fellow classic rock legends Styx and Foreigner.
Kansas will be touring September 2010 to January 2011. They will be performing with Symphonies of various colleges around the U.S. in an effort to raise money for the individual schools' music programs. The final show of the series, on January 28, 2011, is to be performed at McCain Auditorium on the campus of Kansas State University to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the state of Kansas being granted statehood. The concert will be filmed by PBS to be used in a future broadcast special in the region. Kansas will perform live on stage at the Glasgow, Kentucky Kentucky Plaza Theater on Friday May 13, 2011.
Cheyenne Anthem
Kansas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life has only just begun
We wed this land and pledged our souls to meet its end
Life has only just begun
Here my people roam the earth
In the kingdom of our birth
Where the dust of all our horses hides the sun
You have come to move me, take me from my ancient home
Land of my fathers, I can't leave you now
We will share it with you, no man owns this earth we're on
Now the wheels are rolling, hear the howling winds of war
It's my destiny to fight and die
But is there no solution?
Can we find no other way? Lord let me stay
Under the endless sky and the earth below
Here I was born to live, and I will never go, oh no
But we cannot endure like the earth and the mountains
Life is not ours to keep, for a new sun is rising
Soon these days shall pass away
For our freedom we must pay
All our words and deeds are carried on the wind
In the ground our bodies lay
Here we'll stay
The lyrics of Kansas's song "Cheyenne Anthem" speak of the deep connection between people and their land. From the very beginning, life has only just begun, and the people have wedded themselves to their land and pledged to be united even till their end. They are mighty on earth, and they roam their kingdom of birth, where the dust of their horses hides the sun. Despite this, they are aware that life is not static and that the sun is rising every day, changing and reshaping their lives. The people are very aware that they cannot stop this change.
The singer speaks of his attachment to his ancient home, land of his fathers, and how it is difficult to leave. But they will share it with outsiders as no man owns the earth they are on. The singer also sings of the howling winds of war and how it is believed to be his destiny to fight and die. The song is deeply spiritual, and the singer asks the Lord to let him stay under the endless sky and the earth below.
The lyrics to "Cheyenne Anthem" are a reflection of the struggles that human beings have faced throughout history. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of our attachment to the earth and of the cost and sacrifice that freedom requires. The song tells a story of hope and perseverance in the face of inevitable change.
Line by Line Meaning
From the mountains to the sun, life has only just begun
Life is a journey that is just getting started, from the highest peaks to the warmth of the sun.
We wed this land and pledge our souls to meet its end
We have a deep connection to the land that we call home, and will remain committed to protecting it for as long as we live.
Here my people roam the earth, in the kingdom of our birth
Our tribe has lived on this land for as long as we can remember, and it is our right to continue to call it our home.
Where the dust of all our horses hides the sun
Our horses are a vital part of our tribe's culture and are so numerous that their dust can obscure the sun.
We are mighty on the earth, on the earth
As a tribe, we are strong and powerful, and we will do whatever we can to protect our land and our way of life.
You have come to move me, take me from my ancient home
The arrival of outsiders threatens to uproot our tribe and force us to leave the land that is our ancestral home.
Land of my fathers I can't leave you now
The land is so deeply embedded in our culture and history that we cannot bear to abandon it, no matter the cost.
We will share it with you, no man owns this earth we're on
We are open to sharing our land with outsiders, as long as it is done on fair and just terms, recognizing that no one truly owns the earth.
Now the wheels are rolling, hear the howling winds of war
The arrival of outsiders brings with it the threat of violence, and the potential for conflict is growing stronger.
It's my destiny to fight and die
As a member of this tribe, I am willing to fight and die to protect our land and our way of life.
Is there no solution, can we find no other way, Lord let me stay
We are willing to explore any other possible solutions to this situation, and pray for the strength to stand our ground and stay on our land.
Under the endless sky and the earth below
We are deeply connected to the land and the sky, and we find peace and solace in the natural world around us.
Here I was born to live and I will never go, oh no
This land is our birthplace and our home, and we will refuse to leave or give it up, no matter the cost.
But we cannot endure like the earth and the mountains
Despite our deep attachment to the land, we recognize that we are not invincible, and are vulnerable to the forces of time and change.
Life is not ours to keep, for a new sun is rising
As time passes and the world changes, we must recognize that our way of life may not endure, and that new possibilities and ways of being are always emerging.
Soon these days shall pass away, for our freedom we must pay
We are realistic about the limitations of our power, and know that we may have to sacrifice our freedom or our lives to protect our land.
All our words and deeds are carried on the wind
The memory of our tribe and the things we have accomplished will endure, even if we are forced to leave or pass from this world.
In the ground our bodies lay, here we lay
No matter what happens, this land will always be associated with our tribe, and our bodies and spirits will be a part of it forever.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kerry Livgren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Falconlibrary
From the mountains to the sun, Life has only just begun.
We wed this land and pledge our souls to meet it's end,
Life has only just begun
Here my people roam the earth, in the kingdom of our birth,
Where the dust of all our horses hides the sun
We are mighty on the earth, on the earth
You have come to move me, take me from my ancient home,
Land of my fathers I can't leave you now
We will share it with you, no man owns this earth we're on
Now the wheels are rolling hear the howling winds of war
It's my destiny to fight and die
Is there no solution, can we find no other way, Lord let me stay
Under the endless sky and the earth below
Here I was born to live and I will never go, oh no
But we cannot endure like the earth and the mountains
Life is not ours to keep, for a new sun is rising
Soon these days shall pass away, for our freedom we must pay
All our words and deeds are carried on the wind,
In the ground our bodies lay, here we'll stay.
@dixiedream1n
Wow. Deep. And so sadly historically true, the vast difference in mindsets about the owenership/right to land itself. This part especially:
You have come to move me
Take me from my ancient home
Land of my fathers I can't leave you now
We will share it with you
No man owns this earth we're on
Now the wheels are rolling hear the howling winds of war
It's my destiny to fight and die
Is there no solution
Can we find no other way, Lord let me stay
@davidjohnson3095
This is my favorite Kansas song. Can you imagine when I found out that Kerry Livgren who wrote this song is in my bible study. I get to see him every week. What a great man. He does current events in relation to bible prophecy for our class.
@johnchoiniere7859
Oh my gosh!!! Thank him for me!!!
@gohuskies583
Wow. That would have blown my mind! Thanks for the share!
@davidjohnson3095
Just to let everyone know. Kerry is doing pretty well after suffering a stroke two or three years ago. He’s able to pick up his guitar and play again. He is going to be working again on his contata.
@markmcguire4630
Prayers for Kerry and all of us during this time of pandemic
@duanewelsh5611
Please tell Kerry how much the great songs he has written and played on have meant to me all these years. Definitely a musical genius. How lucky you are to get to meet & know him!
@charlesfcopeland9756
This entire album has to be evaluated as one of the greatest musical achievements of all time.
@johnrose7984
This entire album ? A masterpiece !
@charlesgolembiewski297
Agreed
@scientificdevil4672
As good as it gets