My Favorite Billy Joel Songs: Angry Young Man (#3)

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Every now and then I seem like I’m clairvoyant: i write a countdown a week, or sometimes a month, in advance, and lo and behold (the Hold twins: Lo and Bee ) one of the songs becomes very relevant. Case in point: today’s song by the great Billy Joel. This countdown was suggested to me by @DianneN last month, so I couldn’t have seen this coming. But, quite appropriately, here’s today’s song. #3: Angry Young Man I’ve found that just surviving is a noble fight The older I get the more I find that true. This isn’t exactly Ted Nugent making fun of Greenpeace marchers. I mean, no one is going to mistake Billy Joel for Rush Limbaugh politically. Having said that, there was a time in America when politicizing everything was something that only a few “weirdos” did. In 1976, for example, when we had the swine flu scare, it was take care of it, not “how can (one party) use this for our gain to defeat (the other party) in the November election?” No, this song isn’t exactly about what’s going on in our country right now. Having said that, there have been a lot of mayors who’ve stated, point blank, that most of the rioters (as opposed to protesters) are from out of town. Call-a-Riot. How nice. They won’t be around to pick up the pieces, or to comfort that retired firefighter in Minneapolis who watched thugs burn the business he started with his life savings to the ground. “Consciousness and righteous rage” are one thing, and appropriate at times. Turning everything into “scars and the battles he’s lost” is another. Oh, for a simpler time when you could say “hello” without it being political. Angry Young Man (Technically for JJ the stickler for detail: Prelude/Angry Young Man) Written by Billy Joel From Turnstiles, 1976 It’s a comfort to know his intentions are good: