OK, this one's a little on the nose.
Kansas, the band, is right from the state capitol of Topeka, founded in 1854 (that's the order, guys. Order of founding of the state capitol. Now you know). 119 years later, a band called White Clover - which would become Kansas - formed there.
This song, from their fourth album - 1976's Leftoverture - would serve as the lead single and the band's first top 40 hit, peaking at #11. Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, who wrote a LOT of the band's earlier music, it was the last song recorded for the album. Livgren described the song as autobiographical and as being "beamed down to him" - foreshadowing a preachier sound that would follow his being born again in 1979.
Anyway, this is one of the greatest classic rock songs ever written. Fight me.
AND THE WORD "MY" DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE TITLE!!!!!
Fifty years on, Kansas persists.
This performance from 2009 features original vocalist Steve Walsh, who still has it (he did NOT when I saw him a few years later, but from what I could tell, it was an off night). He would retire from performing in 2014, but he gave it everything he had until the end.
Kansas has had a few vocalists since Walsh left, (although Ronnie Platt since 2014) but still, they tour. And they sound really good.
They even sounded good in 1982, after Steve Walsh left the first time - and John Elefante (chosen because he didn't take issue with Kerry Livgren's turn to Christian music) took over as vocalist.
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