Ok. There's another reason to hate BJ. Holy crap I hate that song. When it first came out I immediately thought it was a lame rip-off of REM's "End of The Word". <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jR-A4QFHZBA&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jR-A4QFHZBA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cGqroT1FZ5Y&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cGqroT1FZ5Y&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Escape Club? and i didn't realize just how many billy joel songs i liked until i started thinking about it in this thread. We Didn't Start the Fire is still my favorite (sang it for some stupid 4th grade project in music and i still like it and know the words), and then there have been about 10 or 11 others already mentioned in this thread. pretty much any song that was a hit. and i'll add Downeaster Alexa, since i haven't seen it listed yet.
No, REM's song is stream of consciousness stuff that only really means anything to Michael Stipe. Like the line "Lenny Bruce is not afraid" you would think would be talking about Lenny Bruce doing is controversial stand up act but it's just a reference to a Lenny Bruce picture that was in their studio with the word "Unafraid" on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_didn't_start_the_fire
Yep, that's it, I just youtubed them and that is one weird video. One last Billy Joel song. I don't know if it was that they played this video on Disney Channel or if it was on a lot of Disney VHS's, but I remember seeing this video a lot as a kid. Why Should I Worry from Oliver & Company <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DbHZZbDY8-M&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DbHZZbDY8-M&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
It's the style of the song, not really the meaning. People like to sing along to both. Most don't know what either song is about even though BJ's is pretty obvious. However one came out first, is superior, yet got no airplay at the time making it easy to copy. At the time WDSTH was a pretty distinct song from the rest of popular radio. (crazy minstrel rapping) It was obvious if you heard REM first.
I like that cartoon - it's cute. I watch it when I'm in a "kid mood". By the way, to add to the meaning of "We Didn't Start the Fire" that we already know about, the lyrics are organized into one phrase for each year of Billy Joel's life growing up. The last two decades, however, are all lumped together and "time" starts passing much faster. It's like when you grow up and everything starts blending together, moving too fast for you, and it's all just more of the same. I liked the idea of recalling each year of things he grew up hearing about.
Billy Joel blows a big one. Same as Duran Duran. What's next? What's your fav B-52 song? It's harmless bland music for harmless bland yuppies. Definitely NOT music that changed everything.
Since I was really young my parents instilled a love for Billy Joel in me. I know most songs by heart. It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I have a true love for "Big Shot" (singing it in the car with my mom) and Vienna (always listened to it when I was going through the *teen angst* phase). Of course Piano Man is great. My Top 10 in no order are: Piano Man Big Shot Vienna You May Be Right Captain Jack Movin' Out Only The Good Die Young Scenes From an Italian Restaurant Just The Way You Are Baby Grand As you can see, I really love "The Stranger." Really such a great album from beginning to end. Billy Joel's music just has a way of always lifting my spirits.
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale But here you are in the ninth Two men out and three men on Nowhere to look but inside Where we all respond to PRESSURE
Early B-52's were pretty punk rock and kicked some ass. They don't belong in that group. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1EPP3gkh_00&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1EPP3gkh_00&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
My favorite might be the final track on the River of Dreams album: Famous Last Words. Seemed like a fitting conclusion to more or less cap his career. Other ones I liked: Piano Man Captain Jack Entertainer Moving Out Only the Good Die Young My Life You May be Right - Which I still remember from Dave's world. Uptown Girl - Which was the first Billy Joel song I remember. We didn't start the fire - Just a catchy song. River of Dreams No Man's Land - Which is a pretty underrated song of his River of Dreams Album.
Actually, you're right, B-52's were innovative in their own right, just like rap . It's just that everytime I think of them, I have that "LoveShack" song in my head and want to stab my eyes with scissors. Rock Lobster was weird enough that it grew on me.
OK, slightly related to the topic at hand... I haved lived in Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, and gone to school for the past 6 years in Arkansas. I recently went to visit a buddy of mine that is going to law school @ Harvard. We went out to some irish pub and it was karaoke night. Growing up mostly in the south or areas that would be culturally similar to the south, when I think of songs that would really get a crowd fired up at a karaoke bar, I think of stuff like "Sweet Home Alabama" or "Family Tradition"...in general redneck songs that everyone knows. Well, a few people decided to do "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. Never, ever, ever in my life have I heard/seen a reaction to a song at a karaoke bar like I saw that night. It was bizarre how ridiculously pumped up the crowd at this karaoke bar got for Billy Joel. I honestly thought for a second that the crowd might get out of control they were so pumped up for this song. Everyone in that place knew every word, were jumping up and down, locking arms, swaying back and forth.....I mean just WEIRD that a group of people, even a bunch of Harvard kids could get that excited for any karaoke song, especially Billy Joel. I told my dad this story and he asked me if my friend took me to a "gay bar."
