Styx · 1978 · Behind the Songs
“Renegade” is Styx with the gloves off.
“Renegade” is Styx with the gloves off. It is dark, driving, and relentless, a song about a man on the run who knows the law is closing in and keeps running anyway. From its a cappella opening to its pounding chorus, it is one of the most exciting rock songs the band ever recorded.
First released on the album Pieces of Eight in 1978 and as a single in 1979, the song was written by Tommy Shaw. It became a major hit and a concert favorite, and it remains a staple of classic rock radio. Shaw’s vocal is urgent and defiant, and the band plays with a hardness that contrasts beautifully with their ballads.
The song’s story is simple and cinematic: a renegade, a manhunt, and a final reckoning. But its real power comes from its energy. The harmonies in the opening, sung without instruments, create a tension that the band then releases with guitars and drums. It is a masterclass in dynamics, and it shows why Shaw became such an important voice in Styx.
Turn it up loud. “Renegade” was made for volume, for driving fast, and for singing along at the top of your lungs. It still delivers on all three.