Chicago

Songwriter: Robert Lamm

Producer: James William Guercio

[Emcee]
Please welcome: Chicago!

[Part I]

[Terry Kath]
Are you optimistic 'bout the way things are going?

[Peter Cetera]
No, I never ever think of it at all

[Terry Kath]
Don't you ever worry
When you see what's going down?

[Peter Cetera]
Well, I try to mind my business, when there's no business at all
Ooh yeah yeah yeah

[Terry Kath]
When it's time to function as a feeling, human being
Will your bachelor of arts help you get by?

[Peter Cetera]
I hope to study further, a few more years or so
I also hope to keep a steady high
My my my

[Terry Kath]
Will you try to change things?
Use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas?
Oh oh oh

[Peter Cetera]
What is this power you speak of and the need for things to change?
I always thought that everything was fine
Everything was fine, hey

[Terry Kath]
Don't you feel the pressure just closing in around?

[Peter Cetera]
No, the campus here is very, very free

[Terry Kath]
Don't it make you angry the way war is dragging on?

[Peter Cetera]
Well, I hope the president knows what he's into, I don't know
Yeah, I just don't know, whoa

[Terry Kath, (Peter Cetera)]
Don't you ever see the starvation in the city where you live?
All the needless hunger all the needless pain? (Woo ooh)

[Peter Cetera]
I haven't been there lately, the country is so fine
My neighbor don't seem hungry 'cause they haven't got the time
Haven't got the time

[Terry Kath (Peter Cetera)]
Thank you for the talk, you know you really eased my mind
I was worried by the shapes of things to come (Woo ooh!)

[Peter Cetera]
Well, if you had my outlook, your feelings would be numb
And you'd always think that everything was fine
Everything was fine, hey yeah

[Part II]

[All]
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
Yeah yeah yeah
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can save the children
We can save the children
We can save the children
Yeah yeah yeah
We can make it better
We can make it better
We can make it better

[Instrumental Break]

[All]
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
Yeah yeah yeah
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can change the world now

[Instrumental Outro]

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.

more tracks from the album

Live in Japan

From the album

Live in Japan (1975)

Chicago popular songs

Dialogue (Part I & II) (Live Japan)Chicago

Chicago

Live in Japan