Keeping The Faith

I think this song is about growing up and being young but also about moving on and growing up...

I like these lines: You can get just so much From a good thing You can linger too long In your dreams Say goodbye to the Oldies but goodies 'Cause the good ole days weren't Always good And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems because it's so easy to linger in the past. That's not helpful, because the past probably wasn't as good as it seemed and there's no way the change it now.

I Think Billy Joel Has So Much Talent, I listen to this song when I need advice and I look forward to another day:)

This song makes me want to have an ice cold beer in the shade...

Yum.

my gosh Billy can i shake your hand? the best song in the history of life because its ABOUT life, growing up and all that jazz

Great song. Relaxing and at the same time kinda telling everybody's life story. Awesome.

Wow, this song is all about life and it's so true. I look back on my mall bangs and pegged jeans and wonder, "What was I thinking?" I guess I was keeping the faith.

This is another Billy Joel song with many historical markers (Much like "We didn't Start the Fire) as well as references to HIS actual life. He says "I'm not ashamed to say the wild boys were my friends" in reference both to the novel/film "The Wild Boys" and as that is about a gay gang it is his real life reference that he got his New York start in the gay community! (As in his bio-theme song Piano Man is about playing in a gay piano bar!) "Til the music set me on fire" refers to the Hendrix song "come on baby Light my Fire" as is shown by the official video having in the court gallery Jimmy Hendrix as he appeared at Woodstock. (I was there!)
"Matador boots, only Flagg Brothers had them with the Cuban Heels" refers to the typical stage outfit of Sergio Mendez & Brazil 66 as well as bob Cuban and the in men and so much Cuban, Puerto Rican, and South American influence to some of the Billy Joel sound! (Also that the "upscale" shoe store for most stage wear was a store named "Flagg Brothers Shoes" in Brooklyn!) And again in the video we see a reference to "West Side Story" with a dance troupe routine from the play! The "Shark skin jacket with the velvet collar" is the reference to stage wear of Sha na na who did the referred to song "The Duke of Earl" The "Red haired girl in a Chevrolet" refers to Lucille Ball and her show "I Love Lucy" being sponsored by Chevrolet and that brought the Cuban sound to him as a child via Desi Arnez (I Love Lucy husband Ricky) The line "Learned how to dance and still look tough" refers to John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" as does the "stick ball" reference, etc. "Learned about sex, but not enough" is referring to the Aides crisis and those he lost in his life. Also the "good ole day weren't always that good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems" refers to the hit TV show "Happy Days" and it showing that teen struggles are time/era universal. As I've said, this whole song is his strolls through the events and influences throughout his live up to then and that absorbing everything thrown at you is "keeping the Faith" in the music world. The video has so very many portrayals of icons that it is a whole presentation of it's own to compliment the song! Nowhere in the song does he reference The Supremes yet he shows them in their final stage outfit of gold lame when the judge says "that's not appropriate dress for a courtroom" Watch it and see if you can spot some music icons! Scotty

It’s a song about enjoying your youth. While not condemning fun youthful behaviors as rebellious, it is saying there comes a time to move on and grow up and be more down to earth about life. It is being reminiscent about those times and taking a look back at them.

Ok... the entire album "An Innocent Man" was a collection of songs done in tribute to various 50s and 60s artists. This song closes the album and explains it. He's saying, "If you think I'm just on some sad nostalgia kick, that isn't true. This album was a fun look at the past, but it's time to start looking forward."

His next studio album was "The Bridge," which was the appropriately named, serving as the bridge between the 80s Joel and the very different direction he took in the 90s starting with "Storm Front."