Carry on Wayward Son - Wikipedia Carry on Wayward Son `` Carry On Wayward Son '' Single by Kansas from the album Leftoverture B - side `` Questions of My Childhood '' Released November 19, 1976 Recorded December 1975 Genre Progressive rock, hard rock Length 5 : 26 ( album version ), 3 : 26 ( single edit ) Label Kirshner Songwriter ( s ) Kerry Livgren Producer ( s ) Jeff Glixman, Kansas Kansas singles chronology `` It Takes a Woman 's Love ( To Make a Man ) '' ( 1976 ) `` Carry On Wayward Son '' ( 1976 ) `` What 's on My Mind '' ( 1976 ) `` It Takes a Woman 's Love ( To Make a Man ) '' ( 1976 ) `` Carry On Wayward Son '' ( 1976 ) `` What 's on My Mind '' ( 1976 ) `` Carry On Wayward Son '' is a single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1976 album Leftoverture. In 1977, the song peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first top 20 entry in the nation. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on December 18, 1990. Contents 1 Overview 2 Chart performance 3 References 4 External links Overview The 7 - inch single has been certified gold by the RIAA. This version was a much shorter version of the song, edited down to 3 : 26, a version that was also the band 's only single to chart in the UK, reaching No. 51 there. All initial releases of the single had a B - side of `` Questions of My Childhood ''. The song was later re-released on all Kansas compilation albums ( except for Works in Progress ) and all Kansas live albums. This song is 96th on VH1 's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. Chart performance Chart ( 1976 - 77 ) Peak position Canadian RPM Top Singles 5 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 51 US Billboard Hot 100 11 References Jump up ^ `` Top Of The Progs : Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son ''. TeamRock.com. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Jump up ^ Winistorfer, Andrew ( 5 January 2009 ). `` VH1 's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs list only slightly less annoying than their hip - hop list ''. VH1. Prefix Magazine. Retrieved 1 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` Kansas -- Chart history ''. Billboard Hot 100 for Kansas. Retrieved 26 November 2016. Jump up ^ `` American Single certifications -- Kansas -- Carry On Wayward Son ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select ', then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Kansas : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Kansas Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Kansas Phil Ehart Rich Williams Billy Greer David Ragsdale David Manion Ronnie Platt Zak Rizvi Kerry Livgren Dave Hope Robby Steinhardt Steve Walsh John Elefante Steve Morse Greg Robert Studio albums Kansas Song for America Masque Leftoverture Point of Know Return Monolith Audio - Visions Vinyl Confessions Drastic Measures Power In the Spirit of Things Freaks of Nature Always Never the Same Somewhere to Elsewhere The Prelude Implicit Live albums Two for the Show Live at the Whisky King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kansas Dust in the Wind Device -- Voice -- Drum There 's Know Place Like Home Compilations The Best of Kansas Carry On The Kansas Boxed Set The Ultimate Kansas Sail On : The 30th Anniversary Collection On the Other Side Works in Progress Playlist : The Very Best of Kansas Singles `` Song for America '' `` Carry On Wayward Son '' `` Point of Know Return '' `` Dust in the Wind '' `` Portrait ( He Knew ) '' `` People of the South Wind '' `` Hold On '' `` Play the Game Tonight '' `` Fight Fire With Fire '' `` All I Wanted '' Tours 2011 Collegiate Symphony Tour Fall 2012 Tour Related topics Discography Native Window This 1970s rock song - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carry_On_Wayward_Son&oldid=826251464 '' Categories : 1976 singles Gwar songs Kansas ( band ) songs Song recordings produced by Jeff Glixman Songs written by Kerry Livgren 1975 songs 1970s rock song stubs Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from July 2015 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 All stub articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Ελληνικά Español Français Հայերեն Italiano Nederlands Português Русский Suomi Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 18 February 2018, at 02 : 47. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the song carry on my wayward son
Answer: Kerry Livgren