“Dust in the Wind” by Kansas

As songs from the late 1970s go, Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind” is a distinct departure from the norm. Released in 1977, the song debuted on the pop charts in April 1978, a year when disco heavily dominated the airwaves. Nonetheless, it was the top-performing song from the group’s album “Point of No Return” and their only single to reach the Billboard Top 10.

Kansas’ guitarist Ken Livgren wrote the melody for “Dust in the Wind” as a guitar playing exercise, adding lyrics later on the urging of his wife. One of Kansas’ few acoustic recordings, the haunting melody is performed on two guitars, a viola and a violin. Band member Steve Walsh sings lead vocals, beginning with the lines:

I close my eyes,

Only for a moment,

And the moment’s gone.

All my dreams

Pass before my eyes,

A curiosity,

Dust in the wind

All they are is dust in the wind.

The metaphor is simple and clear: Nothing lasts forever. And someday everything we think of as substantial and permanent will be gone.

Kansas in the 1970s
Credit: flashbak.com

“Dust in the Wind” was a departure from Kansas’ signature style, and Livgren leaned on a number of Biblical references to make his point. Yet there’s nothing overtly religious about the song. Rather, it simply and quite beautifully reminds us that life is precious and brief. Listening to Walsh sing the final lines, it’s hard not to reflect on that reality, and to make a commitment to cherish what we love and participate fully in the time we have left.

Now, don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky

It slips away

And all your money won’t another minute buy

Dust in the wind

All we are is dust in the wind.

“Dust in the Wind” would be a beautiful accompaniment to a funeral or memorial service for someone you love. To hear it in its entirety, watch the video below.