Early life & music career
Tommy Shaw was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1953 and played with many local bands in his early years. He left Montgomery after high school to join MS Funk, a Chicago-managed outfit that he played with for 3 years, which gave him a chance to be noticed by the band Styx during a 2-week club gig in Chicago. After MS Funk disbanded, he went back to Montgomery to join a local group with his childhood friends called Harvest, which performed at a club in a bowling alley called "Keglar's Kove". Following Styx's move to A&M, guitarist and vocalist John Curulewski suddenly left the band shortly before they were to embark on a nationwide tour, and a frantic search to find a last-minute replacement was launched. While playing at the bowling alley bar, as a result of his previous experience with MS Funk in Chicago, Shaw got the call to audition for Styx and was quickly hired.
Styx — 1970s
The first album with Shaw, "Crystal Ball" (1976), was titled after his own composition and also includes his songs "Mademoiselle" and "Shooz". Its follow-up, The Grand Illusion (1977) became the group's breakthrough album, which went platinum and also featured a radio hit by Shaw, "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)".
Styx's 8th album, appropriately entitled Pieces Of Eight, was the breakout album for Shaw's songwriting talent with his rock-oriented contributions "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man", which became `70's rock radio staples and perennial Styx concert favorites, reaching #16 and #21 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.It also featured a minor radio hit Shaw's tune "Sing For The Day".
[edit] 1980s — 1990s
Though the `80's brought the downfall of Styx, it began with Styx riding a wave of commercial success with the #1 pop ballad "Babe" from the 9th Styx album, Cornerstone in 1979, which was written by keyboardist Dennis DeYoung. However, tension mounted within the band as Shaw and other band members expressed dissatisfaction with DeYoung's desire to pull the band into a pop radio & theatrical direction, while other members preferred the rock direction of the songs written by Shaw and guitarist James "JY" Young. For this reason, unbeknownst to the public-at-large, Dennis DeYoung was fired from the group in early 1980 for a brief unpublicized moment and quickly rehired, but this conflict would arise again. Shaw's ascerbation was furthered with his disatisfaction of the theatrical-themed album Paradise Theater and brought to a boil with the tour for the next album Kilroy Was Here, which featured a progressive stage show combined with an 11-minute movie intro and theatrical performances by the band. Shortly after the tour ended, Shaw left Styx in 1983 to pursue his solo career.
Shaw released 3 solo albums in the 1980s: Girls with Guns (1984), What If (1985), and Ambition (1987), scoring a Top 40 hit with the title track from the 1st album.
1990s — present
In the early 1990s, Shaw, Ted Nugent, Jack Blades, and drummer Michael Cartellone formed the band Damn Yankees. Their biggest hit, "High Enough", was co-written by Shaw. The band had a strong concert following; however, even though the 2nd album went platinum, the band separated.
Shaw returned to a reunited Styx in 1995 and embarked on a subsequent tour with them in 1996. Tommy would later record a fourth solo record in 1998: "7 Deadly Zens". Shaw has also worked with other artists on a "Pink Floyd's The Wall" tribute album. He also worked on a KISS tribute album, "Spin The Bottle: An All-Star Tribute to KISS", on which he sang "Love Gun".
Tommy teamed up with Night Ranger's Jack Blades in a duo appropriately called Shaw Blades and released an album entitled "Hallucination" in 1995. A second collaboration entitled "Influence" was released in early March 2007 and the duo appeared live on VH1 Classic backed up by famed Nashville songwriter Gary Burr. Shaw Blades did a short tour in Spring 2007 that was well-received. The tour included songs from Night Ranger, Styx, Shaw's solo albums and Damn Yankees. The duo also recorded the classic Christmas song "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" which was released in 2002 on the album "A Classic Rock Christmas", a compilation of classic Christmas songs recorded by various Classic Rock artists.
As of 2007, Shaw leads Styx along with James "JY" Young. Shaw & Young are the only remaining members from Styx's heyday.
Hall of Fame
Tommy Shaw will be inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in February, 2008 at their awards banquet to be held in Tommy's hometown of Montgomery, AL..
Ambition
Tommy Shaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She left her home
No note no warning
She just ran off alone
She'd met a stranger
The night before
She sensed the danger
He had a proposition
She had the skills
He told her with a passion that kills
All you need is
Ambition
Nobody's gonna hold you back you got
Ambition
Ooh yeah
Ambition
The moment's here it's time to react with your
Ambition
She took his number
Gold business card
Stares from the window
Out over the park
Her skills come easy
She knows what's right
The perfect lover
She's his for the night
He calls her baby
She blocks him out
Romance isn't what it's about
It's about...
The die is cast
It's withing her grasp
But was it worth all the
Trouble and pain
Such a different world
For a small town girl
She'll never go back again
No, no, no
It's a scary business
You can lose your soul
But if you want to maintain control
You gotta have...
The lyrics to Tommy Shaw's song Ambition tell the story of a girl who leaves her home one cold grey morning to chase after her ambitions. She meets a stranger who offers her a proposition that she can't resist. Craving for more, she takes his number and knows what she needs to do to be successful - utilize her skills. The stranger tells her that all she needs is ambition and that nobody can hold her back. Despite sensing the danger, she makes the choice to pursue her ambitions and takes a chance on this unknown path. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the stranger's proposition wasn't just about business but also involved a sexual exchange. However, due to her ambition, the girl blocks him out and maintains control of her path.
The song reflects on the themes of taking risks, chasing dreams, and making the most of opportunities. The girl takes a chance on a stranger, and although it leads her to success, it also comes with trouble and pain. The lyrics convey the message that while ambition is essential for success, it brings with it the risk of loss, compromising one's values, and getting caught up in a world that can change someone.
Line by Line Meaning
One cold grey morning
The story begins with a woman's departure from home underneath a bleak and colorless sky.
She left her home
The woman left her house, without alerting anyone of her departure.
No note no warning
She left without leaving any message or indication that she was leaving.
She just ran off alone
She left by herself, without any companionship or support.
She'd met a stranger
The woman had encountered a person whom she had not known before.
The night before
This encounter took place on the previous night.
She sensed the danger
She was aware of the possible harm or trouble stemming from the situation.
Still she wanted more
Despite her worries, she was desiring more of what the stranger represented.
He had a proposition
The stranger suggested an idea or proposal to her.
She had the skills
She possessed abilities, talents or expertise that would be useful for the proposition.
He told her with a passion that kills
The stranger spoke with an intense enthusiasm that made an impact.
All you need is
The stranger presented a simple means of attaining something.
Ambition
The attitude or desire of aiming for a goal or achievement, despite obstacles or difficulties.
Nobody's gonna hold you back you got
If someone possesses ambition, there would be no outside force that could prevent them from achieving their goals.
Ambition
Emphasis is placed once again on the importance of ambition.
Ooh yeah
An interjection used to continue or emphasize an idea.
Ambition
The message of ambition is reinforced.
The moment's here it's time to react with your
The opportunity is now available, and one must take action using their...
Ambition
Ambition
She took his number
The woman collected the means of contacting the stranger for future interaction.
Gold business card
The card provided is extravagant and of high value.
Stares from the window
She gazes blankly from the window, with her thoughts elsewhere.
Out over the park
Her vision focuses on the park present beyond the windowpane.
Her skills come easy
She finds her abilities readily and easily accessible.
She knows what's right
She is certain and confident about doing the right thing.
The perfect lover
The stranger represents the archetypal concept of an ideal lover or mate.
She's his for the night
The woman desires and agrees to spend the night with the stranger.
He calls her baby
The stranger uses the term of endearment - baby.
She blocks him out
She isolates herself from the stranger's emotional attachment.
Romance isn't what it's about
The relationship is not based on love or romance, but rather it serves a different purpose.
It's about...
The narrative transitions to a new focus, as indicated by the ellipsis.
The die is cast
The tone shifts to a melancholic reflection on the choices made and destiny determined.
It's within her grasp
The target of ambition is now achievable and waiting to be taken.
But was it worth all the
The previous events raise the question of whether the effort or sacrifices made were worth it.
Trouble and pain
The struggles, suffering, and difficulties encountered in the pursuit of ambition.
Such a different world
The woman's life changed dramatically after leaving home and meeting the stranger.
For a small town girl
The woman originates from a humble, conservative background.
She'll never go back again
The woman decides that she will never return to her previous life.
No, no, no
The repetition of 'no' emphasizes the firm decision to not turn back.
It's a scary business
The pursuit of ambition and control over one's life comes with uncertainty and fear.
You can lose your soul
It is possible to lose one's morality or sense of self in the pursuit of ambition.
But if you want to maintain control
Despite the dangers, if one wishes to maintain power over their own life...
You gotta have...
The conclusion of the song presents a direct answer to the question of how to maintain control and achieve one's aims.
Ambition
It is essential to possess the desire and drive to pursue one's goals with enthusiasm and determination.
Contributed by Anthony J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.