MY STAR CAR TUNES 'RENEGADE' STYX

Charted: Spring 1979
‘Renegade’ was one of those oddball car songs which captured that mood of uneasiness you get behind the wheel when a police car pulls in behind you. You don’t have to be a poster boy for ‘America’s Most Wanted’ in these circumstances to feel insecure.

The mere presence of a cop car tight in your rear view mirror is a little unnerving for even the cream of the law-abiding majority.

Add an old collector car into the mix and doubts about whether all the tail and signal lights work and you have yourself one super-sized anxiety attack. ‘Renegade’ starts with a sense of dread ( ‘Oh Mama I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law’) as a real outlaw runs out of escape routes in the song.

The slow and ominous start to this song perfectly embodies the moments before the red and blue lights go on behind you.

The song suddenly shifts into a giant explosion of vocals and guitars when ‘the jig is up they finally found me’ and the police lights come on in your rear view mirror. Yeah, maybe not everything is working properly on your classic ride, but at least Styx captured the moment and proper mood with ‘Renegade’.