Billy Joel

Released: November 1, 1971

Songwriter: Billy Joel

Producer: Artie Ripp

[Verse 1]
Baby all the lights are turned on you
Now you're in the center of the stage
Ev'rything revolves on what you do
Ah, you are in your prime
You've come of age

[Chorus]
You can always have your way somehow
Because everybody loves you now

[Verse 2]
You can walk away from your mistakes
You can turn your back on what you do
Just a little smile is all it takes
And you can have your cake and eat it too

[Chorus]
Loneliness will get to you somehow
But everybody loves you now

[Bridge]
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

[Verse 3]
All the people want to know your name
Soon there will be lines outside your door
Feelings do not matter in your game
Because nothing's gonna touch you anymore

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

[Verse 4]
Close your eyes when you don't want to see
And 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

[Chorus]
You have lost your innocence somehow
But everybody loves you now

[Bridge]
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

[Verse 5]
See how all the people gather around
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

[Outro]
This is what you wanted, ain't you proud
Because everybody loves you now

Billy Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American pianist, singer/songwriter, producer, and composer who ranks as one of the most iconic and influential artists from the mid to late 20th century.

He is the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, wrote a total of 121 songs that achieved 33 Top 40 hits in the US, a 6-time Grammy winner out of 23 nominations, and one of the best-selling recording artists of all-time with 150 million albums sold worldwide.

Joel has since continued to tour and sells out in stadiums globally. He also delved into classical music composition, arranging an album, Fantasies and Delusions released in 2001, opened a motorcycle shop on his native Long Island, and is now regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Among his numerous accolades, he was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, bestowed with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013, and awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library of Congress in 2014.

more tracks from the album

Cold Spring Harbor

From the albums

Cold Spring Harbor (1971)
Songs in the Attic (1981)

Billy Joel popular songs

Everybody Loves You NowBilly Joel

Billy Joel

Cold Spring Harbor