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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Some of the lyrics are in Japanese. The first few lines translate to "Thank you very much Mr. Roboto, until we meet again, thank you very much Mr. Roboto, I want to know your secret."

"Kilroy" is the main character of the album. He is a famous Rock Star who is sent to prison by a group called The Majority For Musical Morality. In jail, workers have been replaced by robots, and Kilroy escapes inside a robot costume (thus, Mr. Roboto). This song is about his escape from jail, and makes a statement about the dehumanizing of the working class. (thanks, Mike - Winnipeg, Canada)

The album title, Kilroy Was Here, is a phrase that was graffitied all over the place in the 1940s. It went along with a drawing of a creature with a big nose peering over a wall. No one is sure what the phrase means or where it originated, but it was seen in most of Europe and even in Japan during World War II. This slogan was painted in areas that the Allies occupied during the defeat of Germany and Japan. (thanks, Patrick - Conyers, GA)

This was featured in a Volkswagen commercial where a man is singing along to this in his car, but because the Volkswagen is soundproof, we do not hear him until he opens the door. The ad was for the 1999 Volkswagen Golf.

Kilroy Was Here is a concept album. It is a commentary on censorship.

Their 1983 tour was a stage production based on the album. The band members wore costumes and had dialogue.

Pinnochio performs this song in the movie Shrek 2. (thanks, Andy - Apex, NC)

Comments:

This song is amazing and I love the story it tells. Not only is the music and the lyrics catchy but this song has a lot of memories tied to it. Did any other hots come from this album?
- Luna, San Diego, CA

ACTUALLY, Chase of Miami, FL, Queen DID use synthisizers, but not until their album "The Game." You are right in the respect that they created a bunch of synth-like sounds from their debut "Queen" to their seventh album "Jazz." In fact, on their first seven records every one of them included in the liner notes a phrase saying "No Synthisizers!" in one variation or another. On "The Game" album, they used an Oberheim. From that album on, every one of them featured a synth in one way or another. But HEY.......who's looking at techincalities, right?? :)
- Chace, colby, KS

Actually Ryan Eaton Queen did not use synthesisers, they relied on the amazing guitar tecknique of Brian May to do all synth like sounds wich apparently influents Tom Morrello.
- Chase, Miami, FL

I like how this one starts out sounding peaceful & celestial and then eases into the '80s style. Someone mentioned dancing the "Robot" to this one. Yeah, that would easily fit in! The end which states the name Kilroy reminds me of Toy Story II in which Zerg speaks a robotic chant command "Kill Buzz Lightyear." "Kilroy" sounds like "Kill Roy". Is that a little bit of slick humor? I like it!
- Drew, B'ham, AL

To comment on Randy from Colerain Township, Ohio: John Panozzo did have a speaking part in the "Kilroy was Here" movie. Just before the riot in the lunch room, a prisoner [Panozzo] notes to a Roboto, "Hey, Roboto! You're mudder was a Toyota!" The prisoner starts to dance a mocking of Travolta, "Ain't got no rythmn! Ain't got no rythmn!"
- Eric, Mentor, OH

Jim Carrey performs the movements to "Mr. Roboto" in the 2005 movie "Fun with Dick and Jane."
- Eric, Mentor, OH

I love this song! I wish I had the chance to see them perform.It's about Robots taking over the world after WW2.
- Jennifer Harris, Grand Blanc, MI

I agree with Jami from Redding, CA. My girlfriend at the time Diane (Wilson) Peterson took me to see the 1983 stage show of Mr. Roboto by Styx at the old Market Square Arena in Indianapolis for a graduation present from college and it was great!
- Stormy, Kokomo, IN

I saw Styx do this show at the Cottonbowl in Dallas Tx June 18th 1983, my 23rd b-day. I was surprised by the movie video but it was pretty cool. Styx put on one hell of a show that night. Thanks for a great birthday memory guys.
- Jami, Redding, CA

Oh yeah I forgot to add that this nice roadie guy invited me to go backstage to meet the band. I was married at the time so I had to go home. Bummer
- Jami, Redding, CA

Someone below said that their sister told them the lead singer (or someone in the band) got AIDS and died... There's a common confusion among casual fans between Styx and Queen songs....I don't know why, as they really sound nothing alike (no massive guitar harmonies in Styx, no massive synth in Queen); Queen would be the band where the lead singer died of AIDS-related pnuemonia. HOWEVER--Chuck Panozzo (former bass player) does currently have AIDS, however, he still joins the band for the occasional show if he's feeling up to it. John Panozzo (his brother; original drummer) died, but of cirrhosis of the liver, NOT AIDS.
- Ryan, Eaton, IN

Actually Joe's Garage came after 2112 and Kilroy is a rip-off of both.
- G, Potomac, MD

This song is really wierd but awesome.
- Jake, Columbia City, IN

Another classic "early 80's" song with a video that tells a story. Hearing it takes me right back to high school!
- Michael, San Diego, CA

I personally love this song, and wish I had the album. It really makes me want to dance like a robot. I wish this song went on for a little bit longer, though.
- Ryan, Farmer City, IL

This album is, sadly, where Styx jumped the shark.
- Tim, Denver, CO

This song is about 15 years ahead of it's time.
- Jeffrey, Dowagiac, MI

Not a killer song, but a kill me now! song
- Jeff, Greenville , NC

OMGS!! I LOVE THIS SONG!! I'm playin it for Marching Band and it's awesome!!! haha...sry about that....my sister told me that this was like a comin out song cuz I think she said that the lead singer was gay and died of AIDS...well maybe not the lead singer but someone in that band was....so yeah
- chelsey, patton, PA

Up until a few days ago I thought this song was performed by Queen, Did Queen make a remake of it or something?
- Linda, Ranger, GA

I always thought Dennis DeYoung wrote "Mr. Roboto" about a hairstylist by the name of "Mr. Roberto" that he knew & apphreciated and it got distorted as part of an inside joke, hence n forth i.e. "Mr. Roboto". If u look at Dennis DeYoung's hair, its flawless.lmao. Anyways,*kudos* & props to the great greatttt voice of Mr. Dennis DeYoung & my condolences to Phil Bonanno.
- MiiND GaMeZz, Brooklyn, NY

I personally thought that the 'Kilroy Was Here' concert was awsome. The first 11 minutes of the show had shown the story on a large video screen on stage of how Robert Orin Charles Kilroy, (Dennis) and his band (STYX) was performing at the Paradise Theatre when the MMM, lead by Dr. Everett Righteous (JY), stormed the stage and arrested the band. In the process, a fan was killed by a MMM member, but Kilroy was accused and sentenced for the crime and sent to prison. Kilroy and the other prisoners were forced to watch video of Dr. Righteous in their prison cells, as well as being served 'Dr. Righteous Fried Chicken', which was at the time a facsimile to KFC. Meanwhile, Johnathan Chance, (played by Tommy), had broken into Dr. Righteous's cable station and jammmed the airwaves with concert footages of Kilroy's band. Kilroy was able to break out of prison by overpowering a 'Roboto', which were used as prison guards, and meet Johnathan at the old Paradise Theatre. After Johnathan encounters wax figures of Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix at Dr. Righteous' Museum of Rock Pathology, he approaches the display of Kilroy's band which shows the violent death of the MMM protester. And this is where Kilroy, dressed as a Roboto, appears. As Kilroy removes his mask to Johnathan, the video screen and curtain on stage lifts up to expose Dennis and Tommy on stage as their characters in the movie, and Dennis begins to perform 'Mr. Roboto'. I thought at the time the whole show was excellent. But unfortunately, most people weren't accustomed to STYX performing in this manner. Sadly, this is what broke the classic STYX lineup. Despite what people say about Dennis, I think STYX just isn't the same without him. I think 'Cyclerama' is a piece of garbage. And coincidently, I thought 'Brave New World' was about as good as 'Pieces of Eight', which may be one of STYX's best albums. And for those of you who thinks that Tommy is the driving force behind STYX, 'Edge of the Century' was an excellent album, without him. Glen Burtnik did the right thing by leaving the band.
- Randy, Colerain Twp., OH

Although Chuck and John Panozzo played Lt. Vanish and Col. Hyde, respectfully, in 'Kilroy Was Here' neither one had a speaking role in the movie.
- Randy, Colerain Twp., OH

I'm a die hard Styx fan and have to admit, I HATE this song and album. I own every Styx ablum but this one. I'm with the rest of the group, Dennis should have done this as a solo and not shoved this album down the rest of the bands, and fans, throats.
- Sharon, Ottawa, Canada

this song is about techno being outlawed in the future...check the booklet of their first greatest hits
- Aaron, Des Moines, IA

my brother got me listening to rock'n'roll music. and i like this song. and i dont know why i like this song. and i usually dont like rock'n'roll music i like popular music like michael jackson.
- sarah floyd, bloomingdale, IL

Great album, though it seems to be a ripoff from Rush's 2112.
- Dean, Pune, India

I've heard numerous stories over the years about who Kilroy is and such, but does it really matter? I've always liked this tune. If nothing else it's fun. I saw Styx some years ago with Kansas. They both put on killer shows, but they didn't perform Mr. Roboto. Dennis was even with them at this time. They hit every other major song they had but no Mr. Roboto. I was looking forward to that too. Oh well........
- Dee, Indianapolis, IN

I'm not sure, but I heard that this song is about the lead singers cleaning-man, a mexican named Mr. Roberto. Supposedly, Roberto helped him out of some tough emotional situations and did jobs no one else wanted to do, thus the part in the middle of the song.
- Daniel, Bellingham, WA

I think it was a GREAT concept LP. I mean, they talked about censorship in music before Tipper Gore even started her "crusade" against "devil music"
- Christopher, Greenfield Center, NY

Turns out that Kilroy was actually a *supervisor* at an East Coast port during WWII. He supervised a guy whose job it was to count the rivets that each worker had riveted when building ships, as the men got paid by the rivet. Kilroy found out that his subordinate was over-counting the number of rivets riveted, and then sharing the extra money made with the workers. Kilroy nipped this in the bud by doing the rivet counts personally, and then writing "Kilroy Was Here" over the areas he'd checked, to keep everyone honest. His writing on the ships' hulls survived after the ships' departures, as it was written on the inside of the hulls, and thus the legend. I also read that Kilroy had a LOT of children, as in at least eight; I don't remember the exact number.
- Jameson, Lexington, KY

Legend has it that Kilroy was a shipping supervisor at a port on the East Coast (probably NY) during WWII who would chalk his name on items he had checked to show that they were ready for shipment. Someone added "was here" and the caricature of someone peering over the edge. GIs started using the image and words to mark their passage across Europe, some who shipped over to the Pacific Theatre continued the practice, and a pop culture icon was born.
- Shell, Riverdale, GA

"Mr Roboto" es la expresiÃ?n artÃ?stica que expresa magistralmente, utilizando el gÃ?nero del ROCK, tanto la incertidumbre por un futuro tan cercano, como la crÃ?tica a un modelo social desligado de lo verdaderamente valioso, lo que no compra el dinero ni se puede obtener ni de la llamada "tecnologÃ?a" ni de la supuesta "modernidad".
- Dimitri, Lima, Peru

Probably the most popular song to mention the IBM Corporation, with the line "My Brain IBM".
- Horace, western, MD

The song is great, but was the beginning of the band's downfall. Dennis DeYoung crippled the band's spirits after taking their following tour into a scripted stage rock opera.
- Robert, Chicago, IL

Styx tried to create a "Rock Opera" like The Who's "Tommy." However, it flopped big time, because the audience members wanted to hear Styx singing, not a bunch of talking dialogue that made no sense.
- Patrick, Conyers, GA