submissions
| Billy Joel – Zanzibar Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
Except for "We didn't start the Fire", BJ always starts with the musci first and adds the lyrics. I think this is one of the songs where he just threw in some lyrics, and even though they suck, he left them in to get the song on the album (it really fits into the jazzy feel of 52nd Street).
BTW, I heard him do this live in the 2006 tour and it was probbaly the best live performance of a song I have ever heard. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – Until The Night Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
I absolutely love this song. A man discussing how after meany years of marriage he is still madly in love with his wife and can't wait to get home to her. They either see the rest of their friends breaking up or have made it through hard times (So many broken hearts, so many lonely faces So many lovers come and gone). In any event, they are still together.
I know this sounds gay, but the last evrse is abosulte magic: A perfect crescendo of the protaganist rushing home to his lover, finally exploding in that great sax solo (I've said it before, noone rights for sax like BJ).
Although he missed the target a bit on "Say Goodbye to Hollywood", this is a prefect tribute to the Phil Spectre Wall of Sound, as well as to the Righteous Bros. Blue Eyed Soul.
By far my favorite BJ song (I just wish I could hear him do it live). |
submissions
| Billy Joel – The Stranger Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
I thik the song is about cheating on your significant other. The 1st half of the song is about someone who cheated and didn't realize they had it in them and are disgusted by themselves. The 2nd half is about someone who comes home to catch their SO in the act.
OR it could be about alcholism, sobriety and falling off the wagon. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – The Night Is Still Young Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
I heard an interview where BJ said the lyrics are sung by him in two tracks - a high voice (representing a young man) and a low voice (representing an old man)....but I still don't get it. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – The Entertainer Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
Just a general statement by BJ on what he thinks of the music biz - that its great for everyone but the talent. That they use up the artist and work him hard until he is done, and then move onto the next victim:
I am the entertainer, I bring to you my songs
"I'd like to spend a day or two but I can't stay that long
I got to meet expenses, I got to stay in line
Got to get those fees to the agencies
And I'd love to stay but there's bills to pay.
So I just don't have the time
I love how there is no bride in this song, and every verse just adds in another instrument until you hear the whole band at the end. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – She's Right On Time Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
I love this line in conjunction with the title (musicians will get it):
Everytime I lost the meter
There she was when I would need her |
submissions
| Billy Joel – She's Always A Woman Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
I'm not sure where everyone gets the idea that the protagonist in the song likes or is in love with the girl. This is one of the biggest mysoginitic songs in the history of songs. He basically is defining what a woman is to him: a lying, immature, theiving, un-supportive, distrusting, selfish, stubborn, heartless, cruel, diabolocal bitch. Because the melody is so beautiful, everyone thinks its a romantic love song. Uh Uh - he is saying woman suck and are the devil incarnate (wonder how his new wives reacted to this message). |
submissions
| Billy Joel – Oyster Bay Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
This song, along with "Entertainer", "Worse Comes to Worst" (originally "New Mexico") and "Everybody LOves You Now" pretty much sums up his attitude towards the music business and being a star (they boht pretty much suck). |
submissions
| Billy Joel – New York State Of Mind Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
Billy wrote this song literally days after returning to NY from California. Next time you listen to the song, picture him on a Greyhound bus, looking out the window, as it drives along the Hudson River towards his new house - and thinking the lyrics to himself (because that is basically how the song came about). |
submissions
| Billy Joel – Big Shot Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
If you enjoy horns, listen to the saxphone harmonies on the chorus. Nobody writes for the sax better than Billy! |
submissions
| Billy Joel – It's Still Rock And Roll To Me Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
The Glass Houses album (on which this appears) was supposed to be a harder rocking album based for Billy to answer his critics that he leaned too far towards "soft rock" - especially after Just the Way You Are on the previous album The Stranger - and wasn't really playing Rock 'n Roll. What is so ironic about this song, is the irony of what it is saying juxtaposed against the intent of the album: He basically says that whether a song is in the 50's and 60's style music (complete with sax solos), or whether he plays the new "punk rock", its still all rock n' roll. In the late 80's in high school, not only did I listen to Billy Joel, but alot of Motown, R&B, Rap and Elvis Presely. As an answer to the criticism of my peers who were listening only to U2, Cure, etc I had the followng line as my yearbook quote "Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk, It's still rock and roll to me." |
submissions
| Billy Joel – For The Longest Time Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
Seriously, its pretty much a love song to Christie B. About how he hasn't felt this way for so long, he forgot how wonderful it feels, and even if it doesn't last he will cherish the feeling now. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – Big Shot Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
Unless he is a cross dresser (they were all impressed with your Halston dress), its not about him. He did say he wanted to write a hang-over song, but this does seem to be directed at a date with a woman (I'll give you on ehint honey) who acted like a jerk (I also heard it was Jagger around this time when his 1st marriage was in the toilet ). |
submissions
| Billy Joel – A Minor Variation Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
Seems to be that Mr. Joel is coming to terms with his life long battle with depression and understanding how to deal with it (although the foreshadowing of his self-medication (pass the wine) is creepy. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – All For Leyna Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
Great song about a lonely guy who has a one night stand (She gave me a night, that's all it was) and can't let the girl go, even though she wants nothing to do with him. Together with "Sleeping with the Television on" and "Don't Want to Be Alone Anymore", creates a great trio of songs regarding the troubles with dating and loneliness. |
submissions
| Billy Joel – Christie Lee Lyrics
| 20 years ago
|
|
It seems to be a commentary on musicians shacking up with groupies and having it go sour on them ("Even the band must face the music"). In this case, the sax player fell for CL, but she only slept with him because he was a musician. |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.
