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Billy Joel-isms -- Vienna

Posted by Stephanie Paquette

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

When I was a junior in high school, I was pretty deep into my Billy Joelism. I even went as far as to create a philosophy called Billy Joelism with a few obliging girlfriends, because not only would a religion be absurdly creepy, but it'd conflict with my own religion. That's besides the point. A freshman walked into school on one of the few days us Catholic school kids could wear our own clothes, and her tee shirt said "Vienna Waits For You". I was amazed that someone else not only knew this Billy Joel song, which I would classify as just below a greatest hit, but made a tee shirt. The girl explained her dad had been really into Billy and that was her favorite song. Interestingly enough, I find a lot of younger Billy fans like this song. When I searched youtube.com for a live version of the song, I found so many hits that were teens doing acoustic covers. Most of them were pretty crappy, but at least they're out there playing!!

Billy wrote it after he had found his father in Vienna after not seeing him for about fourteen years. For Billy, Vienna was not only a historical crossroads of sorts, but a crossroads in his personal life. The song talks about a young adult who is simply too ambitious, but the kind of ambition that leads to burning out. The notion "Vienna waits for you" is basically that a meaningful, beautiful life waits for those in their old age, so why break your back as a twentysomething and do yourself in?

As for the quirkiness of the intro and outro, Billy says, "There is also a lot of inside stuff on the song. The beginning and the end is very Kurt Weill. That kind of sick, middle-European, kinky decadent thing.. cabaret kinda.... " This theme relates back to the deep thinking Billy did while in Vienna, about the history of the World Wars, his father, his own life burning out before him, and the promise of Vienna.

Personally, I love the second half of the song...I listen to it whenever I feel overwhelmed, or just the need to literally "take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while", which admittedly I do often.

You got your passion you 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
Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
It's alright 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

Here's a live version of the song, just to switch things up. It's a bootleg and the sound quality is surprisingly good. Just don't look at the screen too much... the shaking made me a lil' queezy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfVrkdO8fn4&feature=related

Posted: February 18, 2009 10:40 am | 1 comment
Tags: Austria, Billy Joel, classic rock, fathers, piano, Vienna