Released: August 13, 1979

Songwriter: David “Hawk” Wolinski Danny Seraphine

Producer: Chicago Phil Ramone

[Verse 1]
I'll never forget those aimless years
Street sounds swirling through my mind
Trouble was often in the air
So we fought to forget our despair
Cause I'm a street player
And I'll play you a song
Cause you know, my heart & soul
Will carry, carry on
Carry on
Carry on
Carry on

[Verse 2]
City life's the only way
Street corners and billiard halls
Was our home away
Lessons learned that still help me today

[Chorus]
I'm a street player
I've seen it all
Hit men, thieves and many a brawl
But as you see I still stand tall

It was such a small space in time
I never knew that I would find
A musical path for all to see
Anxiety into ecstasy

I'm a street player
I've seen it all
Hit men, thieves and many a brawl
But as you see I still stand tall

It was such a small space in time
I never knew that I would find
A musical path for all to see
Anxiety into ecstasy

I'm a street player
I'm a street player
I'm a street player
I'm a street player

Chicago

Chicago is a rock band hailing from the Illinois city of the same name. With its multitude of certified gold and platinum hits, the band has had enough longevity to last for over fifty years.

Chicago was formed on February 15, 1967, between keyboardist/singer Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane, saxophonist Walter Parazaider, drummer Danny Seraphine, guitarist Terry Kath, and trombonist James Pankow. The group called themselves “The Big Thing,” and played Top 40 hits in nightclubs in Chicago. In 1968, the band relocated to Los Angles, and changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority. They gained massive amounts of exposure to famous musicians of the time by regularly playing at the Whiskey A Go Go nightclub. In 1969, they released a self-titled album which peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. The next year, the band shortened their name to “Chicago” to avoid a lawsuit from the actual company of the same name.

The band has released a plethora of albums, most of them titled Chicago enumerated with Roman numerals. The band changed its sound in the late 70s and 80s following the death of Terry Kath. Since then, the band has still carried on a legacy for the decades following, but has slowed the release of original music to a trickle.