you know only the good die young

     Young Sir. Billy Joel, he was a man of entertainment. Born in the Bronx in 1949, brought up with music as his father was a pianist. He loved the music life, he dropped out of high school early in order to pour himself into his first album: cold spring harbor. Even more impressive he was playing piano at age four, and later at age seventeen inspired the beatles iconic Ed Sullivan Show performance. Overtaken with the eagerness of trying to make it as a rock star, Joel moved to LA to fly under the radar for a while. In 1972, he got an oppertunity working as a lounge pianist under the pseudonym Bill Martin. This time playing at The Executive Room on Wilshire Boulevard would later become of his song "Piano Man," which describes a sketchy lounge with un-important patrons. Joel gained momentum upon the popularity of his piano man single. Most of the songs to follow portrayed his frustration with hollywood, and foreshadowed his escape from LA. He had many successful songs, including two greatest hits albums, and many poeples choice awards and In 1989, on the heels of successful single "We Didn't Start the Fire," Joel was presented with the Grammy Legend Award. He was later inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame by his lifetime idol Ray Charles.
     Which brings me to my favorite Billy Joel song Only the Good Die Young. It was origionally about a girl he couldn't get to have sex with him because she was catholic and was saving herself for marriage. It was banned by the catholic school, which of course only drove the kids to want it more. In the end he still ends up without sex, so it is not really that bad of song in retrospect. It did though give Joel smashing success, he even wrote a letter to ask them to ban his next song as how much more popular this one became. "I wanna be the one because darling you know only the good die young." The song is just so upbeat and crazy fun, I could listen to it on repeat. So hear is to you Billy, sooner or later it comes down to fait, YOU might as well be the one!