Pieces of Eight / Aku Aku

 

Pieces of Eight
Written by Dennis DeYoung
Lead Vocals by Dennis DeYoung

It's six o'clock
Good morning sounds are everywhere
The warmth of spring, a gentle breeze blows through my hair

I hurry through my life never stopping to see
How beautiful it was meant to be

I'm just a prisoner in a king's disguise
Broken dreams as we shuffle by

It's six o'clock it's quitting time I'm done for the day
Out on the streets I overheard a lady say
We now have everything or so people say
But now this emptiness haunts me every day
We seek the lion's share never knowing why
Come alive spread your wings and fly

Pieces of eight
The search for the money tree
Don't cash your freedoms in for gold
Pieces of eight
Can't buy you everything
Don't let it turn your heart to stone

Aku-Aku
Written by Tommy Shaw

Aku-Aku

Interpretation

Pieces of Eight

Money can't buy happiness. We live in a money-obsessed society, and too much money too fast can "turn your heart to stone" if you let it. Don't just rush through life trying to get rich, but enjoy life along the way.

Aku Aku

[Excerpted from a posting to the Styx Internet Mailing List by Bob (Aku Aku) Young]

According to the tradition of the natives of Easter Island, Chief Tuu-ko-ihu was returning home when he saw two spirits of ancesters with protruding ribs and hollow bellies. The natives call the spirits of dead ancesters Aku Aku. These two Aku Aku later appeared to the Chief in a dream and are represented in some of the wood (not the big stone Moai) carvings of the natives.

Thus, Aku Aku are the spirits of dead ancesters. This is probably why Tommy chose to whisper "Aku Aku," as if it was whisperings of spirits.