1980 · Behind the Songs
Your choice, your song.
“Any Way You Want It” (1980), from Departure, is a bright, direct rock song that gives the listener the choice: any way you want it, that is how it will be. The guitar is driving, the vocal is confident, and the chorus is built for singing along. It is Journey at their most straightforward — no complicated story, no slow build, just a song that invites the listener in and keeps moving.
The song also marks the band’s shift toward radio rock. After years of progressive music, Journey found a sound that was direct without being simple, and “Any Way You Want It” is a clear example. It is fun, it is fast, and it still works as an opening song, whether on a record, on the radio or on a stage.