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“Carry On Wayward Son” is a song by American rock band Kansas, released on their 1976 studio album, Leftoverture. Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band’s first top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977.

The song has since remained a classic rock radio staple and a signature song for the band.

While Kansas’ previous three albums had split songwriting duties between lead vocalist Steve Walsh and band member Kerry Livgren, the latter essentially provided all the material for the band’s fourth album release, Leftoverture. According to Livgren, “On the very first day of rehearsals, Steve…said that he had nothing – not a single song. I don’t relish that kind of pressure, but with hindsight it really brought out the best in me.” Although based in Atlanta, Georgia, Kansas had returned to its Topeka, Kansas, home town to work up material for what would be the Leftoverture album, the band rehearsing in a vacant store in a strip mall the material Livgren was working up on a Lowrey organ at his parents’ home where he was staying. “Carry On Wayward Son” was written after the band had completed rehearsals. Livgren, who perceived the song as being “beamed down” to him in full, in 2004 stated: “It’s an autobiographical song. Parallel to my musical career I’ve always been on a spiritual sojourn, looking for truth and meaning. It was a song of self-encouragement. I was telling myself to keep on looking and I would find what I sought.”