Big Shot Lyrics

Lyric discussion by beeman33 

Cover art for Big Shot lyrics by Billy Joel

Hey New Generation, guess what? This was a song about a date with Bianca Jagger gone bad. It was relased on the 52nd Street album by Columbia in 1978. He wouldn't have even met Christie Brinkley let alone be married to her at that time. But good guess.

@beeman33 I heard Mick could be a prick at parties. He'd mimic his friends and wife, often in front of them, utterly oblivious to any pain caused by his atrocious renditions.

The song is a parody of Mick (Jagger) mocking his associates. Joel sends up Mick when he performs the song. Apparently the sight of Mick mocking his own wife at a dinner party was too much for others to bear watching, and Joel decided to rip-off Mick ripping off everyone else.

When asked, Joel couldn't bring himself to mention Mick's name (he probably didn't think Mick deserved any more...

@beeman33

The line "...you had to open up your mouth" gives it away. Mick's mouth was legendary, and (to those who suffered his "friendship") so were his mouthy imitations of peers. The big shot wasn't Bianca, it was Mick who hypocritical parodied a high-society lady at dinner. It's a mimicry of Mick mimicking a "friend".