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.
Closet Chronicles
Kansas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The king is in his closet, he's hiding from today
And though he owns all fortune, this room is where he'll stay
And his world is filled with darkness, turning grey
Gazing out the window of the forty-second floor
He is separate from all others, no one knocks upon his door
And it might as well be raining, 'cause the sunlight hurts his eyes
Once proud and full of passion, he fought the cause of man
Many people loved his courage, many followed his command
He changed the old into the new and the course of things to come
And then one day they noticed he was gone
At first it didn't matter, nobody seemed to care
They all became too busy to find him anywhere
So no one knew, not even him, the problems he would find
On the day he journeyed deep into his mind
I close my eyes, I go far away
Away from the battlefield
In my dreams, well
Here I will enjoy it
Where innocence plays with all the laughing children
The kind who are crying right now
A taste of freedom from the pain
Of everything here I see
Life is sweet but I took it all for granted
And now I don't know if I could ever tell you
Just what we permit, we allow
Allow me to forget the life, I've made my own
I've held this nation in my hand and yet it's not my home
Oh, allow me just one answer and one reason why
Why this refugee of the family of man must die?
Tell me why
Daydreams filled his night-times, and night-dreams filled his days
Confusion and uncertainty, a puzzled mind of haze
You thought he was so powerful and set upon his ways
Well, he left us all to follow through this maze
I heard the king was dying, I heard the king was dead
And with him died the chronicles that no one ever read
The closet's fully empty now, it's occupied by none
I'll draw the drapes, now destiny is done
The song "Closet Chronicles" by Kansas uses metaphorical descriptions of a king's life to communicate a message about the consequences of neglecting personal growth and holding onto power. The first stanza describes the king's withdrawal from the world while he is "being swept away" and "hiding from today." Although he "owns all fortune," he chooses to stay in his dark and grey room rather than engage with the world. In the second stanza, the king is described as living in isolation, separating himself from others on the forty-second floor, with no one to knock on his door. The sunlight hurts his eyes and he cannot hear children's cries, indicating his detachment from reality.
The third stanza reveals that the king was once passionate about fighting for the cause of man, and people admired him for his courage and leadership. However, one day he disappears, and no one seems to care, indicating a loss of influence and relevance. The fourth stanza portrays the king's inner struggle with confusion and uncertainty, while his night-time dreams and daytime daydreams leave him in a state of puzzlement. The final stanza reveals that the king has died, and his chronicles are never read, meaning that his legacy is ultimately forgotten.
The song's message encourages listeners not to neglect personal growth and to avoid becoming isolated from others. It also suggests that power can be fleeting, and one's legacy may ultimately depend on how one fosters personal relationships and promotes meaningful social change.
Line by Line Meaning
Once carried through the current and being swept away
The king was once moving along with the world, but now he is being carried away.
The king is in his closet, he's hiding from today
The king is hiding from the present in his closed-off world.
And though he owns all fortune, this room is where he'll stay
Despite having everything, the king refuses to leave his dark and enclosed room.
And his world is filled with darkness, turning grey
The king's world is bleak and gloomy, and it's getting even darker.
Gazing out the window of the forty-second floor
The king is looking out on the world from a high vantage point.
He is separate from all others, no one knocks upon his door
The king is disconnected from the world and isolated from others.
And it might as well be raining, 'cause the sunlight hurts his eyes
The king is so removed from the world that even the sun is painful to him.
And his ears will never hear the children's cries
The king is deaf to the suffering of children and the world around him.
Once proud and full of passion, he fought the cause of man
The king was once passionate and fought for the good of humanity.
Many people loved his courage, many followed his command
The people respected and followed the king because of his courage.
He changed the old into the new and the course of things to come
The king brought about positive change for the future.
And then one day they noticed he was gone
The king disappeared without anyone realizing.
At first it didn't matter, nobody seemed to care
Initially, no one paid attention to the king's absence.
They all became too busy to find him anywhere
People were too wrapped up in their own lives to look for the missing king.
So no one knew, not even him, the problems he would find
The king was blind to the issues he would face in his absence.
On the day he journeyed deep into his mind
The king retreated into his own mind and disconnected himself from the world.
I close my eyes, I go far away
The king escapes reality by closing his eyes and going to a happier place in his mind.
Away from the battlefield
The king is trying to escape the pain and hardship of the real world.
In my dreams, well
In his dreams, the king finds happiness.
Here I will enjoy it
The king finds joy and solace in his dreams.
Where innocence plays with all the laughing children
In his dreams, the king is surrounded by happy children, which represents the innocence he wants to cling to.
The kind who are crying right now
The king is aware of the pain and suffering of children in reality.
A taste of freedom from the pain
The king wants to experience freedom from the pain and hardship of the world.
Of everything here I see
The king is overwhelmed by everything he sees in reality.
Life is sweet but I took it all for granted
The king realizes he took his sweet and privileged life for granted.
And now I don't know if I could ever tell you
The king is unsure if he can articulate his realization to others.
Just what we permit, we allow
The king recognizes the harm and suffering that people allow to happen in the world.
Allow me to forget the life, I've made my own
The king wishes he could forget the self-made life that brought him pain and suffering.
I've held this nation in my hand and yet it's not my home
The king held power, but he realizes that he never truly felt at home in that position of power.
Oh, allow me just one answer and one reason why
The king pleads for an explanation for why he is feeling lost in the world.
Why this refugee of the family of man must die?
The king questions why he must suffer and eventually die as part of humanity.
Daydreams filled his night-times, and night-dreams filled his days
The king was consumed by dreams both day and night as he grappled with his reality.
Confusion and uncertainty, a puzzled mind of haze
The king was confused and uncertain about how to navigate his troubled thoughts.
You thought he was so powerful and set upon his ways
People assumed the king was powerful and confident in his beliefs.
Well, he left us all to follow through this maze
However, the king withdrew and left others to deal with the chaos and confusion that he faced in his life.
I heard the king was dying, I heard the king was dead
Rumors circulated that the king's life was coming to an end.
And with him died the chronicles that no one ever read
The king's story and struggles went largely unnoticed and unacknowledged by others.
The closet's fully empty now, it's occupied by none
The once-closed closet is now empty and unoccupied.
I'll draw the drapes, now destiny is done
The end is here, and the drapes are drawn on the king's story.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kerry Livgren, Steve Walsh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@deborahp2823
Steffan Pila
I 100% agree with you, Kent Mains. Kansas should be in the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame, They definitively deserved it. A total slap in the face to the people who love Classic- Rock Music. Who agrees with me?
@NH2112
Deborah P the Hall doesn't deserve them, or Rush, Yes, etc.
@stevekanakanui7033
At least Micheal jackson made it in right???
...HAH!!!!
@pbailey232
Deborah P I have to say I agree with you 100%.
@timbraman2658
Me
@erikbartlett185
Deborah P - I absolutely do!!!!
@user-gz8bf5gc6e
just can't get enough of Kansas can you
@VersinKettorix
Such a powerful song. Notice how a lot of truly great songs have no repetition of their lyrics. This song moves through it's story beautifully. Kansas are really talented at building emotion and power into a song as it progresses.
@michaelwride7842
This is my favorite Kansas song, it's a masterpiece. Its nice to know other people are moved by it..
@mikemartin5749
Mine too, and it is very difficult to choose a favorite from this band.