Billy Joel Quotes (1949-)

Writer, Singer, Artist

About Billy Joel

William Martin "Billy" Joel (born May 9, 1949, in the Bronx, New York) is a pianist, singer and songwriter. A six-time Grammy award winner, he is one of the best selling artists in music history.

Best Billy Joel Quotes

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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Billy Joel quotes.

“Don't take any shit from anybody!”
“Streetlife serenaders
Have no obligations
Hold no grand illusions
Need no stimulation.”
“I'm so romantic
I'm such a passionate man
Sometimes I panic
What if nobody finds out who I am?”
“It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.”
“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.”
“She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around.”
“Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you.”
“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.”
“It's nine o' clock on a Saturday
Regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin.”
“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 feeling alright.”
Billy Joel
“It's just a fantasy
It's not the real thing
It's just a fantasy
It's not the real thing.
But sometimes a fantasy
Is all you need.”
“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.”
Billy Joel
“Some people hope for a miracle cure
Some people just accept the world as it is.
But I'm not willing to lay down and die
Because I am an innocent man.”
“Seen the lights go out Broadway
I saw the Empire State laid low
And life went on beyond the Palisades
They all bought Cadillacs
And left there long ago.”
“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.”
“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 drinking alone.”
“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.”
Billy Joel
“Now we are forced to recognize our inhumanity
Our reason coexists with our insanity
And though we choose between reality and madness
It's either sadness or euphoria.”
“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.”
“If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write.
What else could I do?
I'm so inspired by you.
That hasn't happened for the longest time.”
“I don't care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things.
I want you so bad.
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for
The longest time.”
“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.
And you can speak your mind
But not on my time.”
Billy Joel
“I can always find someone
To say they sympathize
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve.
But I don't want some pretty face
To tell me pretty lies.
All I want is someone to believe.”
“They say that no one's gonna play this on the radio
They said the melancholy blues were dead and gone
But only songs like these
Played in minor keys
Keep those memories holding on.”
Billy Joel
“Late at night
When it's dark and cold
I reach out
For someone to hold
When I'm blue
When I'm lonely
She comes through
She's the only one who can
My baby grand
Is all I need.”

Billy Joel Quotes by Topic

Find exactly what you are looking for by browsing this categorized list of Billy Joel quotes by topic.

Billy Joel on Loneliness

“They're sharing a drink they call loneliness But it's better than drinking alone.”
Billy Joel

Billy Joel on New York City

“Me, I'm takin' a Greyhound On the Hudson River line I'm in a New York State of Mind”
Billy Joel

Billy Joel on Extremes

“Darling I don't know why I go to extremes Too high or too low there ain't no in-betweens.”

Billy Joel on Rock and roll

“Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law / Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore”
Billy Joel

Billy Joel on Honesty

“Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue. Honesty is hardly ever heard. And mostly what I need from you.”
Billy Joel

Billy Joel on Ageing

“And in truth, of course, I'm not just 60 - I'm twelve, I'm 23, I'm 37, I'm 42, I'm 18. I'm every age I've ever been. Depending on what day of the week it is and what the situation calls for at the moment.”
Billy Joel

Billy Joel on Entertainment

“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.”
Billy Joel

About Billy Joel

William Martin "Billy" Joel (born May 9, 1949, in the Bronx, New York) is a pianist, singer and songwriter. A six-time Grammy award winner, he is one of the best selling artists in music history.