Ok, how many songs about outlaws do we really need, Styx? And do we really need this one?

I would say “no”, overall. It’s not the cheesiest song about an outlaw ever (for that, listen to Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” – way worse – I guess I really have it in for Bon Jovi). But “Renegade” is not that good, either. A number of forced near-rhymes, a couple of lines that are sort of hard to spit out. Not bad, but not amazing.

Still, I get the shivers every time that part comes around. You know the one – it’s the repeat of the first verse that comes right after the screaming guitar solo. All the instruments drop out and it’s just near-shrieking vocals. So cliche. But it’s giving me goosebumps just thinking about it.

Edited to say, this song does have one other thing going for it: it was used (to great and hilarious effect) in an episode of my favorite TV show of all time, Freaks & Geeks.