Billy Joel Album

There's a place in the world for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend he refuses to crawl
And he's always at home with his back to the wall
And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost
And struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross
And likes to be known as the angry young man

Give a moment or two to the angry young man
With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand
He's been stabbed in the back he's been misunderstood
It's a comfort to know his intentions are good
And he sits in his room with a lock on the door
With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor
And he likes to be known as the angry young man

I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage
I found that just surviving was a noble fight
I once believed in causes too
I had my pointless point of view
And life went on no matter who was wrong or right

And there's always a place for the angry young man
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand
And he's never been able to learn from mistakes
So he can't understand why his heart always breaks
And his honor is pure and his courage is well
And he's fair and he's true and he's boring as hell
And he'll go to the grave as an angry old man

Yes there's always a place for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend he refuses to crawl
And he's always at home with his back to the wall
And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost
And struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross
And likes to be known as the angry young man

Got a call from an old friend we used to be real close
said he couldn't go on the American way
closed the shop sold a house bought a ticket to the west coast
now he gives them a stand-up routine in LA

I don't need you to worry for me cos im alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore this is my life
go ahead with your own life leave me alone

I never said you had to offer me a second chance
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
I still belong, don't get me wrong
you can speak your mind but not on my time

They will tell you, you can't sleep alone in a strange place
then they'll tell you you cant sleep with somebody else
oh but sooner or later you'll sleep in your own space
either way its ok you wake up with yourself

I don't need you to worry for me cos im alright
I don't want you to tell me its time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore this is my life
go ahead with your own life leave me alone

I never said you had to offer me a second chance
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
I still belong, don't get me wrong
you can speak your mind but not on my time

I don't care what you say anymore this is my life
go ahead with your own life leave me alone

Baby all the lights are turned on you
Now you're in the center of the stage
Everything revolves on what you do
Ah, you are in your prime; you've come of age

And you can always have your way somehow
But everybody loves you now

You can walk away from your mistakes
You can turn your back on what you do
Just a little smile is all it takes
Yeah, you can have your cake and eat it too

Loneliness will get to you somehow
But everybody loves you now

Ah, they all want your white body
And they await your reply
Ah, but between you and me and the Staten Island ferry
So do I

All the people want to know your name
Soon there will be lines outside your door
Feelings do not matter in your game
Yeah, 'cause nothing's gonna touch you anymore

So your life is only living anyhow
And everybody loves you now

Close your eyes when you don't want to see
Stay at home when you don't want to go
Only speak to those who will agree
Yeah, and close your mind when you don't want to know

You have lost you innocence somehow
But everybody loves you now

Ah, you know that nothing lasts forever
And it's all been done before
Ah, but you ain't got the time to go to Cold Spring Harbor
No more

See how all the people gather 'round
Hey, isn't it a thrill to see them crawl?
Keep your eyes ahead and don't look down
Yeah, and lock yourself inside your sacred wall

This is what you wanted; ain't you proud?
'Cause everybody loves you now

From a town known as Wheeling, West Virginia
Rode a boy with a six-gun in his hand
And his daring life of crime
Made him a legend in his time
East and West of the Rio Grande

Well he started with a bank in Colorado
In the pocket of his vest a Colt he hid
And his age and his size
Took the teller by surprise
And the word spread of Billy the Kid

Well he never travelled heavy
Yes, he always rode alone
And he soon put many older guns to shame
Well he never had a sweetheart
And he never had a home
But the cowboys and the ranchers knew his name

Well he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma
And the law just could not seem to track him down
And it served his legend well
For the folks they love to tell
'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town

One cold day a posse captured Billy
And the judge said, "String 'im up for what he did."
And the cowboys and their kin
Like the sea came pourin' in
To watch the hangin' of Billy the Kid

Well he never travelled heavy
Yes, he always rode alone
And he soon put many older guns to shame
Well he never had a sweetheart
Tho' he finally found a home
Underneath the Boot Hill grave that bears his name

From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island
Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand
And his daring life of crime
Made him a legend in his time
East and West of the Rio Grande

I am the entertainer, and I know just where I stand,
Another serenader and another long-haired band
Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts
But I know the game you'll forget my name
And I won't be here in another year
If I don't stay on the charts

I am the entertainer and I've had to pay my price,
The things I did not know at first I learned by doing twice
But still they come to haunt me,
Still they want their say,

So I've learned to dance with a hand in my pants
I let 'em rub my neck and I write 'em a check
And they go their merry way

I am the entertainer, been all around the world,
I've played all kinds of palaces and laid all kinds of girls
I can't remember faces, I don't remember names,
But what the hell, you know it's just as well
'Cause after a while and a thousand miles
It all becomes the same

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 am the entertainer, I've come to do my show,
You've heard my latest record, it's been on the radio
It took me years to write it, they were the best years of my life,
It was a beautiful song, but it ran too long
If you're gonna have a hit you gotta make it fit
So they cut it down to 3:05

I am the entertainer, the idol of my age,
I make all kinds of money when I go on the stage
You see me in the papers, I've been in the magazines,
But if I go cold, I won't get sold,
I get put in the back in a discount rack
Like another can of beans

I am the entertainer and I know just where I stand,
Another serenader and another long-haired band
Today I am your champion, I may have won your hearts,
But I know the game, you'll forget my name,
I won't be here in another year If I don't stay on the charts

Slow down, you crazy child
you're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?


Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out
You've got so much to do and
Only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told..
That you can get what you want or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight...
Too bad but it's the life you lead
you're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong, you know
You can't always see when you're right. You're right

You've got your passion, you've got your pride
but don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child
and take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
it's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

And you know that when the truth is told
that you can get what you want or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
Why don't you realize, Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But I'm taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind

I've seen all the movie stars
In their fancy cars and their limousines
Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens
But I know what I'm needing
And I don't want to waste more time
I'm in a New York state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The New York Times, The Daily News

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside
I don't have any reasons
I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The New York Times, The Daily News

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside
I don't have any reasons
I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind

I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line
'Cause I'm in a New York state of mind

I'm young enough to see the passionate boy that I used to be
But I'm old enough to say I got a good look at the other side
I know we got to work real hard, maybe even for the rest of our lives
But right now I just want to take what I can get tonight

While the night is still young
I want to keep making love to you
While the night is still young

I'd like to settle down, get married
And maybe have a child someday
I can see a time coming when
I'm gonna throw my suitcase out
No more separations
Where you have to say goodnight to a telephone
Baby I've decided that ain't what this life is all about

While the night is still young
There'll never be a lovely view

While the night is still young
I want to try to make the world brand new
While the night is still young

Rock and Roll music was the only thing I ever gave a damn about
There was something that was missing but I never used to wonder why
Now I know you're the one I need to make things right again
And I may lose the battle but you're giving me the will to try

While the night is still young
There'll never be a long lovely view

Because the night is still young
I've got a lot of catching up I've got to do
While the night is still young
While the night is still young

While the night is still young
I want to try to make the world brand new

While the night is still young
I want to keep making love to you
While the night is still young
While the night is still young
The night is still young
While the night is still young
I've got a lot of catching up to do
While the night is still young
Hold on, hold on, hold on
While the night is still young

Ali dances and the audience applauds
Though he's beathed in sweat he hasn't lost his style
Ali don't you go downtown
You gave away another round for free

Me, I'm just another face at Zanzibar
But the waitress always serves a secret smile
She's waiting out in Shantytown
She's gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me

CHORUS
I've got the old man's car,
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be

Rose, he knows he's such a credit to the game
But the Yankees grab the headlines every time
Melodrama's so much fun
In black and white for everyone to see
Me, I'm trying just to get to second base
And I'd steal it if she only gave the sign
She's gonna give the go ahead
The inning isn't over yet for me

CHORUS

Tell the waitress I'll come back to Zanzibar
I'll be hiding inthe darkness with my beer.
She's waiting out in Shantytown
She's gonna pull the curtaains down for me, for me

CHORUS

I seen the lights go out on Broadway.
I saw the Empire State laid low.
And life went on beyond the Palisades.
They all bought Cadillacs and left there long ago.
They held a concert out in Brooklyn
To watch the island bridges blow.
They turned our power down,
And drove us underground,
But we went right on with the show.
Oooh. Oh Oh Ooh.

I seen the lights go out on Broadway.
I saw the ruins at my feet.
You know we almost didn't notice it.
We'd see it all the time on 42nd Street.
They burned the churches up in Harlem,
Like in that Spanish Civil War.
The flames were everywhere,
But no one really cared:
It always burned up there before.
Ooh. Oh Oh Ooh.

I seen the lights go out on Broadway.
I watched the mighty skyline fall.
The boats were waiting at the Battery.
The union went on strike:
They never sailed at all.
They sent the carrier out from Norfolk,
And picked the Yankees up for free.
They said that Queens could stay.
They blew the Bronx away,
And sank Manhattan out at sea.

You know those lights were bright on Broadway,
But that was so many years ago:
Before we all lived here in Florida,
Before the Mafia took over Mexico.
There are not many who remember;
They say a handful still survive
To tell the world about
The way the lights went out,
And keep the memory alive.

Advice is cheap you can take it from me
It's yours to keep 'cause opinions are free
Nobody knows about the trouble I've seen
Nobody's perfect, mister, nobody's clean
It cost too much and takes too long to find out too late
Some words are not heard 'til after they're spoken
Your role was protective, your soul was too defective
Some people just don't have a heart to be broken

We could have gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
If you'd only had a little more faith in me
In lieu of diamonds, gold and platinum reminders will still shine bright
All the king's men and all the king's horses
Can't put you together the way you used to be
We could have been standing on the Great Wall of China

You take a piece of whatever you touch
Too many pieces means you're touching too much
You never win if you can't play it straight
You only beat me if you get me to hate
It must be so lonely to think that you have only
Somebody else's life to live if they let you
I ain't too selective, but it don't take no detective
To find out how fast your friends will forget you

We could have gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
Now all you're going to be is history
Help yourself, it's all you can eat at the Empire Diner tonight
You coulda had class, you coulda have been a contender
Charlie, you shoulda looked out for me
You could have been standing, standing on the Great Wall of China

This was not your calling, just look how far you've fallen
I heard your story, man, you've got to be joking
Keep things in perspective, this is my true objective
Why tear this heart out if it's only been broken?
We could have gone all the way to the Great Wall of China
If you'd only had a little more faith in me
In lieu of diamonds, gold and platinum reminders will still shine bright
All the king's men and all the king's horses
Can't put you together the way you used to be
We could have been standing, standing on the Great Wall of China

Well, we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they’re killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line

Well, our fathers fought the second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow

And we’re living here in Allentown
But the restlessness was handed down
And it’s getting very hard to stay

Well we’re waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved

So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron and coke(not coal)
Chromium Steel

And we’re waiting here in Allentown
But they’ve taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled away

Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got
But something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our face

Well, I’m living here in Allentown
And it’s hard to keep a good man down
But I won’t be getting up today

And it’s getting very hard to stay
And we’re living here in Allentown

Turn on all the Christmas lights
Cause baby's coming home tonight
I can hear her footsteps in the street
Turn the choral music higher
Pile more wood upon the fire
That should make the atmosphere complete
I've had to wait forever
But better late than never

She's just in time for me
She's right on time
She's right where she should be
She's right on time

I'm a man with so much tension
Far too many sins to mention
She don't have to take it anymore
But since she said she's coming home
I've torn out all my telephones
Soon she will be walking through that door
I may be going nowhere
But I don't mind if she's there

She's just in time for me
She's right on time
She's right where she should be
She's right on time

Left to my own device
I can always make believe
That there's nothing wrong
Still I will chose to live
In the complicated world
That we shared for so long
Good or bad
Right or wrong

And it occured to me
While I set up my Christmas tree
She never missed a cue
Or lost a beat
Everytime I lost the meter
There she was when I would need her
Greeting me with footsteps in the street
I guess I should have known it
She'd find the perfect moment

She's just in time for me
She's right on time
She's right where she should be
She's right on time

Turn the choral music higher
Pile more wood upon the fire
That will make the atmosphere complete
I've had to wait forever
But better late than never

She's just in time for me
She's right on time
She's right where she should be
She's right on time
She's right on time
She's right on time

All the waiters in your grand cafe
Leave their tables when you blink, oohh
Every dog must have his every day
Every drunk must have his drink

Don't wait for answers, just take your chances
Don't ask me why

All your life you've had to stand in line
Still you're standing on your feet, oooh
All your choices make you change your mind
Now your calendars complete

Don't wait for answers, just take your chances
Don't ask me why

MMm You can say the human heart is only make believe
But I am only fighting fire with fire
You are still the victim of the accidents you leave
Sure as I'm a victim of desire

All the servants in your new hotel
Throw their roses at your feet, whoaa
Fool them all but baby I can tell
You're no stranger to the street

Don't ask for favors, don't talk to strangers,
Don't ask me why

Yesterday you were an only child
Now your ghosts have gone away, oooh
You can kill them in the classic style
Now you parlez vous francais

Don't look for answers, you took your chances,
Don't ask me why
Don't ask me why

Laura
Calls me
In the middle of the night
Passes on her
Painful information

Then these careless fingers
They get caught in her vice
Til they're bleeding
On my coffee table
Living alone isn't all that
It's cracked up to be

I'm on her side
Why does she push the poison on me?
Laura
Has a very hard time
All her life has
Been one long disaster

Then she tells me
She suddenly believes she's seen
A very good sign
She'll be taking
Some aggressive action

I fight her wars
While she's slamming her doors
In my face
Failure to break
Was the only mistake
That she made

Here I am
feeling like a fucking fool
Do I react the way exactly
She intends me to?

Everytime I think I'm off the hook
She makes me lose my cool
I'm her machine
And she can punch all the keys
She can push any button I was programmed through

Laura
Calls me
When she needs a good fix
All her questions
Will get sympathetic answers

I should
Be so
Immunized
To all of her tricks
She's surviving
On her second chances

Sometimes I feel like this
Godfather deal is all wrong
How can she hold an umbilical chord
For so long?

I've done everything I can
What else am I supposed to do
I'm her machine
And she can punch all the keys
She can push any button I was programmed through

Laura
Loves me
Even if I don't care
That's my problem
That's her sacred absolution

If she had to
She would put herself in my chair
Even though I
Faced electrocution
She always says
I'm the best friend that
She's ever had

How do you
Hang up on someone
Who needs you that bad?

We met as soul mates
On Parris Island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives

We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight

We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy
They gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might

We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we'd write

And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didn't matter in the thick of the fight

We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On Parris Island
We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of the motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive

And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

Oo Hoo, oh oh...

Anthony works in the grocery store
Saving his pennies for someday.
Momma Leoni left a note on the door.
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country.
Aw, but working too hard can give you a heart attack, ack, ack, ack, ack, ack;
You oughtta know by now.
Who need a house out in Hackensack?
Is that all you get for your money?
And it seems such a waste of time.
If that's what it's all about...
Momma, if that's moving up, than I'm moving out.

Mmm I'm movin out
mm hmm, Oo Hoo...

Seargeant O'Leary is walking the beat.
At night he becomes a bartender.
He works at Mr. Cacciatorre's down on Sullivant Street,
Across from the medical center,
And he's trading in his Chevy for a Cadillac, lac, lac, lac lac,lac;
You oughtta know by now,
If he can't drive with a broken back,
At least he can polish the fenders.
And it seems such a waste of time,
If that's what it's all about...
Momma, if that's moving up, than I'm moving out.

Oo I'm movin out, Oh oh, Oo hoo...

You should never argue with a crazy, ma, ma, ma, ma man;
You oughtta know by now.
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?
And if thats what you have in mind
yeah if thats what you're all about..
Good luck moving up, cause I'm moving out.

Oo I'm movin out
mmhmm Oo hoo uh-huh mmhmm...

I'm movin' out!

Some people stay far away from the door
If there's a chance of it opening up
They hear a voice in the hall outside
And hope that it just passes by
Some people live with the fear of a touch
And the anger of having been a fool
They will not listen to anyone
So nobody tells them a lie

I know you're only protecting yourself
I know you're thinking of somebody else
Someone who hurt you
But I'm not above making up all the love
You've been denying you can ever feel
I'm not above doing anything
To restore your faith, if I can

Some people see through the eyes of the old
Before they ever get a look at the young
I'm only willing to hear you cry
Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am

Some people say they will never believe
Another promise they hear in the dark
Because they only remember too well
They heard somebody tell them before
Some people sleep all alone every night
Instead of taking a lover to bed
Some people find that's easier
To hate than to wait anymore

I know you don't wanna hear what I say
I know you're gonna keep turning away
But I've been there and if I can survive
I can keep you alive
I'm not above going through it again
I'm not above being cool for a while
If you're cruel to me, I'll understand

Some people run from a possible fight
Some people figure they can never win
And although this is a fight I can lose
The accused is an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am an innocent man

You know you'll only hurt yourself out of spite
I guess you'd rather be a martyr tonight
That's your decision
But I'm not below anybody I know
If there's a chance of resurrecting a love
I'm not above going back to the start
To find out where the heartache began

Some people hope for a miracle cure
Some people just accept the world as it is
I'm not willing to lay down and die
Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am an innocent man
Ohhhhooh

Ohhhhooh

Well I'm on the Downeaster Alexa
And I'm cruising through Block Island Sound
I have chartered a course to the Vineyard
But tonight I am Nantucket bound

We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday
And left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay
Like all the locals here I've had to sell my home
Too proud to leave I worked my fingers to the bone

So I could own my Downeaster Alexa
And I could go where the ocean is deep
There are giants out there in the canyons
And a good captain can't fall asleep

I've got bills to pay and children who need clothes
I know there's fish out there but where God only knows
They say these waters aren't what they used to be
But Ive got people back on land who count on me

So if you see my Downeaster Alexa
And if you work with the rod and the reel
Tell my wife i am trolling Atlantis
And i still have my hands on the wheel

Now I drive my Downeaster Alexa
More and more miles from shore every year
Since they told me I can't sell no stripers
And there's no luck in swordfishing here

I was a bayman like my father was before
Can't make a living as a bayman anymore
There ain't much future for a man who works the sea
But there ain't no island left for islanders like me

She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child
But she's always a woman to me

She can lead you to love
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she'll never believe
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free
Yeah, she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me

Oh, she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

And she'll promise you more
Than the Garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you
And laugh while you're bleedin'
But she'll bring out the best
And the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself
Cause she's always a woman to me

Oh, she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

She is frequently kind
And she's suddenly cruel
But she can do as she pleases
She's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted
She's earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me

If it seems like I've been lost
In let's remember
If you think I'm feeling older
And missing my younger days
Oh, then you should have known
Me much better
'Cause my past is somethin that never
Got in my way
Oh no

Still I would not be here now
If i never had the hunger
And I'm not ashamed to say
The wild boys were my friends
Oh
'Cause I never felt the desire
'Till their music set me on fire
And then I was saved, yeah
That's why I'm keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith

We wore old matador boots
Only Flagg Brothers had them with a Cuban heel
Iridescent socks with the same color shirt
And a tight pair of chinos
Oh
I put on my shark skin jacket
You know the kind with the velvet collar
And ditty-bop shades
Oh yeah
I took a fresh pack of Luckies
And a mint called Sen-Sen
My old man's Trojans
And his Old Spice aftershave
Oh
Combed my hair in a pompadour
Like the rest of the Romeos wore
A permanent wave
Yeah

We were keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith

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

Learned stickball as a formal education
Lost a lot of fights
But it taught me how to lose OK
Oh
I heard about sex
But not enough
I found you could dance
And still look tough anyway
Oh yes I did
I found out a man ain't just being macho
Ate an awful lot of late night drive-in food
Drank a lot of take home pay
I thought I was the Duke Of Earl
When I made it with a red-haired girl
In a Chevrolet
Oh yeah
We were keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith

You know the good ole days weren't always good
And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems

I told you my reasons
For the whole revival
Now I'm going outside to have
An ice cold beer in the shade
Oh
I'm going to listen to my 45's
Ain't it wonderful to be alive
When the rock 'n roll plays
Yeah
When the memory stays
Yeah
I'm keeping the faith
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Keeping the faith
I'm keeping the faith
Yes I am

In the middle of the night(middle of the night)
I go walking in my sleep(i go walking in my sleep)
From the mountains of faith(moutains of faith)
To the river so deep(river so deep)
I must be looking for something(looking for something)
Something sacred I lost(sacred i lo-o-ost)
But the river is wide(river is wide)
And it's too hard to cross(too hard to cross)

Even though I know the river is wide
I walk down every evening and I stand on the shore
I try to cross to the opposite side
So I can finally find out what I've been looking for

In the middle of the night(middle of the night)
I go walking in my sleep(i go walking in my sleep)
Through the valley of fear(valley of fear)
To a river so deep(river so deep)
I've been searching for something(searching for something)
Taken out of my soul(taken out of my so-o-oul)
Something I'd never lose(never lose)
Something somebody stole(something somebody stole)

I don't know why I go walking at night
But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore
I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is that I've been looking for

In the middle of the night(middle of the night)
I go walking in my sleep(I go walking in my sleep)
Through the jungle of doubt(jungle of doubt)
To the river so deep(river so deep)
I know I'm searching for something(searching for something)
Something so undefined(so undefined)
That it can only be seen(only be seen)
By the eyes of the blind
In the middle of the night

I'm not sure about a life after this
God knows I've never been a spiritual man
Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river
That is running to the promise land

In the middle of the night(middle of the night)
I go walking in my sleep(i go walking in my sleep)
Through the desert of truth(desert of truth)
To the river so deep(river so deep)
We all end in the ocean(end in the ocean)
We all start in the streams(start in the streams)
We're all carried along(carried along)
By the river of dreams(river of dreams)
In the middle of the night

(repeat: I go walking in the middle of the...)
Sam and Ree

Some love is just a lie of the heart,
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start.
And they may not want it to end,
But it will, it's just a question of when.
I've lived long enough to have learned,
The closer you get to the fire, the more you get burned
But that won't happen to us,
Because it's always been a matter of trust.

I know you're an emotional girl.
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world.
I can't offer you proof,
But you're going to face a moment of truth.
It's hard when you're always afraid,
You just recover when another belief is betrayed.
So break my heart of you must......
It's a matter of trust.

You can't go the distance,
With too much resistance.
I know you have doubts,
But for God's sake don't shut me out.

This time you've got nothing to lose.
You can take it, you can leave it,
Whatever you choose....
I won't hold back anything,
And I'll walk a way a fool or a king.
Some love is just a lie of the mind.
It's make believe until its only a matter of time.
And some might have learned to adjust,
But then it never was a matter of trust.

I'm sure you're aware love,
We've both had our share of,
Believing too long,
When the whole situation was wrong.

Some love is just a lie of the soul.
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control.
After you've heard lie upon lie,
There can hardly be a question of why.
Some love is just a lie of the heart.
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start.
But that can't happen to us.....
Because it's always been a matter of trust.

It's a matter of trust ....
It's always been a matter of trust ....
It's a matter of trust ....
It's always been a matter of trust ....
It's a matter of trust .......................

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio

Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe

Rosenberg’s, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, "The King and I" and "The Catcher in the Rye"

Eisenhower, Vaccine, England's got a new queen
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana Goodbye

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc

Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron
Dien Bien Phu Falls, Rock Around the Clock

Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland

Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Khrushchev
Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, Bridge on the River Kwai

Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California Baseball
Starkweather Homicide, Children of Thalidomide

Buddy Holly, Ben Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a No-Go

U-2, Synghman Rhee, Payola and Kennedy
Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the Congo

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs Invasion

Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston Beats Patterson

Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician Sex
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, Punk-Rock

Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan

Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, Heavy Metal, Suicide
Foreign Debts, Homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz

Hypodermics on the shore, China's under martial law
Rock and Roller Cola Wars, I can't take it anymore

We didn't start the fire,
It was always burnin',
Since the world's been turnin'
We didn't start the fire,
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on...

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't...

Well, you went uptown riding in your limousine
With your fine Park Avenue clothes.
You had the Dom Perignon in your hand
And a spoon up your nose.
When you wake up in the morning with you head on fire
And your eyes too bloody to see,
Go on and cry in your coffee,
But don't come bitching to me.

Because you had to be a big shot, didn't you?
You had to open up your mouth.
You had to be a big shot, didn't you?
All your friends were so knocked out.
You had to have the last word last night.
You know what everything's about.
You had to have the white hot spot light.
You had to be a big shot last night.

They were all impressed with your Halston dress
And the people that you knew at Elaine's.
And the story of your latest success,
Kept them so entertained.
But now you just don't remember all the things you said
And you're not sure that you wanna know.
I'll give you one hint, honey,
You sure did put on a show.

Yes, yes, you had to be a big shot, didn't you?
You had to prove it to the crowd.
You had to be a big shot, didn't you?
All your friends were so knocked out.
You had to have the last word last night,
You're so much fun to be around.
You had to have the front page, bold type.
You had to be a big shot last night.

Well, it's no big sin to stick your two cents in
If you know when to leave it alone.
But you went over the line,
You couldn't see it was time to go home.

No, no, no, no, you had to be a big shot, didn't you?
You had to open up your mouth.
You had to be a big shot, didn't you?
All your friends were so knocked out.
You had to have the last word last night.
You're so much fun to be around.
You had to have the white hot spot light.
You had to be a big shot last night.

Friday night I crashed your party
Saturday I said I'm sorry
Sunday came and trashed me out again
I was only having fun
Wasn't hurting anyone
And we all enjoyed the weekend for a change

I've been stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Sty alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rain
And you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I'm insane

You may be right
I may be crazy
Oh, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

Well remember how I found you there
Alone in your electric chair
I told you dirty jokes until you smiled
You were lonely for a man
I said take me as I am
Cuz you might enjoy some madness for a while

Now think of all the years you've tried to
Find someone to satisfy you
I might be as crazy as you say
If I'm crazy then it's true
That it's all because of you
And you wouldn't want me any other way

You may be right
I may be crazy
Oh, but it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
It's too late to fight
It's too late to change me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

(sax solo)

You may be right
I may be crazy
But It just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
You may be right

You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
(repeat till end)

Come out, Virginia. Don't let me wait.
You Catholic girls start much too late,
Oh, but sooner or later, it comes down to fate.
I might as well be the one.

Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray.
They built you a temple and locked you away,
Oh, but they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done.
Only the good die young.
That's what I said
Only the good, die young
Only the good die young

You might've heard I run with a dangerous crowd.
We ain't too pretty. We ain't too proud.
We might be laughing a bit too loud,
Oh, but that never hurt no one.

So come on, Virginia, show me a sign,
Send up a signal. I'll throw you a line.
The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind
Never lets in the sun,
Darlin' only the good die young
Whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo
I tell ya, only the good die young
Only the good die young

You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation.
You got a brand new soul
Mmmmm, and a cross of gold,

But, Virginia, they didn't give you quite enough information.
You didn't count on me
When you were counting on your rosary.
Oh oh ooh

They say there's a heaven for those who will wait.
Some say it's better but I say it ain't.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.
The sinners are much more fun,
Ya know that only the good die young
Ho ho ho baby
I tell ya, only the good die young
Only the good die young

You say your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation.
Ohh,she never cared for me,
Did she ever say a prayer for me?
Oh oh ohh

Come out, come out, come out Virginia Don't let me wait.
You Catholic girls start much too late,
But sooner or later, it comes down to fate.
I might as well be the one
Ya know that only the good die young
Tell ya baby
Ya know that only the good die young
Only the good die young
Only the good
Only the good die young
Whoo whoo whoo whoo whooo....

[Instrumental]

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

La la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da

CHORUS:
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
As a smile ran away from his face
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

Oh, la la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone

CHORUS

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for awhile
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"

Oh, la la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da

CHORUS

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows