THANKSGIVING: He's Got a Way

Many of us go home for Thanksgiving. We often think of home as being a physical place, but I think it's wherever our loved ones are at any given moment. Sort of like Air Force One: it's not the president's plane, it's whatever plane the president happens to be on. This is awesome. So is Thanksgiving.

So I'll close the week out by talking about one of our greatest retired singer/songwriters: Billy Joel. William Martin Joel hasn't made an album of pop songs in 15 years, though he occasionally trots out a new single or live recording. Before he hung up his hat, he made sure he was one of the top-selling artists in history and a multiple Grammy winner. He's also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the recipient of several honorary degrees despite being a high school dropout. So kids, if you're going to quit school, at least practice those scales.

"You're My Home" is indicative of Joel's early period. He hadn't yet found his distinctive voice, sounding thinner and less confident than the singer he'd become. It sounds strangely like Jim Croce, too, but that's not a bad thing. (A few years later, other artists would be imitating Joel; listen to Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart" again).

The lyrics were Joel's way of telling his first wife that even though they ain't got money, he's so in love with his honey. "Home could be the Pennsylvania turnpike," he croons, "Indiana's early morning dew /High up in the hills of California /Home is just another word for you." Corny, yes, and Billy's admitted it, but it's true.

My brother has suggested an alarm clock that plays Billy Joel music. His reasoning, and I agree, is that you cannot wake up in a bad mood if you are listening to "Only the Good Die Young." I would never get tired of it. Christie Brinkley apparently did, but I wouldn't.

TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION: "You're My Home" by Billy Joel
AVAILABLE ON: Piano Man; iTunes