Every night I say a prayer
in the hopes that there’s a heaven.
But every day I’m more confused
as the saints turn into sinners.
All the heroes and legends
I knew as a child
have fallen to idols of clay.
And I feel this empty place inside
so afraid, that I’ve lost my faith.
Show me the way.
Show me the way.
Take me tonight
to the river and wash my illusions away.
And please show me the way.
As I slowly drift to sleep
for a moment dreams are sacred.
I close my eyes and know there’s peace
in a world so filled with hatred.
Then I wake up each morning
and turn on the news
to find we have so far to go.
And I keep on hoping for a sign,
so afraid I just won’t know.
Show me the way.
Show me the way.
Bring me tonight
to the mountain and take my confusion away.
And if I see your light
should I believe?
Tell me how will I know?
And please show me the way.
by Dennis DeYoung of STYX
Lori's Lane 
Hey, Lori…
Before I even clicked on the link for your post, I knew from the title what I was going to find. (I wasn’t expecting the a capella version, though!) I’ve been a Styx fan for 35 years — my nickname, Stygian, is an homage to them — and actually had the pleasure of meeting Dennis DeYoung twice.
I’m not a Christian, so this song resonates somewhat differently with me than with most, but I still find it very moving.
Here’s a 1996 live instrumental version by Styx : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L_MipPCyyI (The info under the video gives some background on the song.)
Awesome photo, by the way. Goes perfectly with the lyrics.
Cheers!
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Oh yes, I’ve been a huge fan for as long as you. Back in the day, STYX & REO were tied as my number one favorite. The only difference is that I had a huge crush on Kevin Cronin of REO, and I got to meet him in person. I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting any of the STYX band members, but have seen them live countless times. I saw them on their last tour together in the 90’s before they split with Dennis, and they dedicated “Show me the Way” to John during that tour. I think this song can resonate with just about anyone in some way. I’m not an orthodox Christian myself. Yay STYX! Yay STYX fans! Thanks for sharing your experience too. I love to talk about them, as you can tell by this long response. 🙂
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Lovely but have never heard of him.
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Take me tonight to the river and wash my illusions away. Please. Tonight. Now. For all those who thirst, take us to the river tonight…
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Amen
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I’m with Sheao above. I would have sworn the poem was yours. It sounds like your voice. No wonder it spoke to you. It speaks to me too.
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It’s an old song, but it’s been ringing in my head since … well, Nov. 6th. It’s been how I’ve been feeling and just thought it was a good one to share as well. The a-capella video really makes it powerful. Thanks for coming over and checking it out, Robin.
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😦 the whole time I was wishing it was yours… then at the end it by someone else!
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Nope, I’m not quite as talented as Dennis DeYoung, but his words express how I’ve been feeling these days. The video is done a-capella and is quite moving. The only part that’s mine on this post is the photo. Most of my poems are under my poetry page. Thanks for stopping by.
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