Published: November 9, 2019
How a spontaneous vocal line, unexpected chemistry, and zero ego turned a late-’80s hard rock supergroup into chart success.
In the late ’80s, when arena rock choruses still ruled the radio, Damn Yankees emerged as a hard rock supergroup with a surprisingly emotional edge. Their breakout single “High Enough” remains one of the genre’s most memorable power ballads yet its origins are refreshingly ordinary.
According to co-lead vocalist and bassist Jack Blades, the song was born in the basement of Tommy Shaw’s New York apartment:
“I was downstairs doing laundry, just singing, ‘I don’t want to hear about it anymore…’ Tommy heard it and said, ‘What’s that?’ I told him I didn’t know—just something I was messing with. He thought it sounded great. We went upstairs, started banging it out on piano, switched to guitars, and within about half an hour we had the whole song.”
In this case, the melody and lyrical idea came before anything else and that instant spark drove them to finish the track.
The Supergroup Formula
“High Enough” was the first single from Damn Yankees, a band featuring:
Jack Blades (Night Ranger)
Tommy Shaw (Styx)
Ted Nugent (The Amboy Dukes)
Michael Cartellone (future Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Each brought a distinctive background melodic AOR, hard rock attitude, progressive hooks, and technical muscle.
Ted Nugent’s Role
Known for his manic stage energy and outspoken personality, Ted Nugent could easily have become combustible in the wrong setting. Instead, Damn Yankees worked because there was no ego battle.
Blades explained:
“Ted is a blast. You don’t want to calm any of that down. There were no egos and nobody tried to outdo the other guy. We just wanted to be the best we could be.”
Letting “Ted do his Ted thing” became part of the band’s charm.
The Meaning Behind the Lyrics
Blades described “High Enough” as a song about the terrifying early stages of love when saying “I love you” can cause someone to panic and run:
“It’s about loving someone so much that you don’t want to scare them away. Everyone freaks out at first, then realizes this could be great. ‘Can you take me high enough to fly me over yesterday?’ is about leaving past pain behind.”
The bridge reflects that fear and return cycle of early relationships:
“The next thing I remember, I was running back for more.” It’s a universal emotional loop romantic anxiety and surrender.
The Music Video
Filmed on location in River Ridge, Louisiana, the video leans into dramatic storytelling. It follows a young couple committing robberies, culminating in a manhunt. The police unleash a storm of gunfire, leaving the fate of the male drifter ambiguous. His girlfriend is captured and sentenced to death, led to the execution chamber while a priest reads her last rites.
The twist?
The priest is revealed to be Ted Nugent.
Far from a simple performance clip, the video amplified the song’s tension with crime drama urgency.
Why It Endures
“High Enough” succeeded because it blended:
Stadium-size melody
Emotional vulnerability
80s/’90s songwriting craft
Lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry
It was a rare moment when heart and hard rock collided seamlessly on mainstream airwaves.
Songwriting Credits
Tommy Shaw
Jack Blades
Ted Nugent
Published by Round Hill Songs, Ranch Rock Music, Tranquility Base Songs, and partners.
More than three decades later, “High Enough” remains a reminder of a time when melody ruled, collaboration mattered, and a stray line sung over laundry could become a rock classic.
