Billy Joel - Leningrad (REACTION) First Time Hearing It

[@davidsibley7329]

I am absolutely loving your reactions. You totally get the lyrics and their place in history. Keep it up.

[@ronnix23]

There’s a documentary on KZbin about Billy’s tour there, and him meeting Victor. It’s really good.

[@etc7070]

Viktor came to every one of Billy's shows when he played in Leningrad in 1987, and Billy took his family to see him at the circus. They got to meet backstage and developed a friendship. It was a meeting of two cultures, two worlds, where they had grown up learning to think that the other was the enemy. A happy ending: as recently as 2015, Viktor and Billy were reunited at one of Billy's s concerts at Madison Square Garden (and he played Leningrad live, which probably hasn't happened since the '90s).

[@firefighterchick]

This is from the album Storm Front. The entire record is banging and worth checking out! This is a true story.😊

[@nancywengert7301]

I was born the year before Billy Joel, so I grew up during the times shown by song video. My best friend from college is now married to a Russian refugee. If our leaders around the world would care more about helping people and less about increasing their wealth and power the world would be a better place.

[@TheNotedHero]

He was invited to play in the USSR back in the mid-80s. He's said of that trip: "The trip to Russia was probably the biggest highlight as a performer. I'd met these people and they weren't the enemy." I keep that quote in my mind when I hear people raging about Russians in these current troubled times - assign blame to those in power, not their citizenry who are disenfranchised. You really should watch the full Kennedy Center Honors for Billy Joel, it's one of the best.

[@stevetournay6103]

Truth. I well remember right after the invasion started seeing videos of thousands of antiwar protestors gathered in multiple Russian cities... Unfortunately the USA has now chosen to go down an identical path.

[@HeidiRoss-l5g]

How true. I was born in 1942, in Poland and lost my father and don’t remember him. War is terrible and causes so much pain to the people left behind. We ended up being refugees , when nobody wants you. 😢

[@brooos]

Billy Joel played a concert in Leningrad in 1987. There are several KZbin videos of it.

[@bonya4585]

He was at his best in Russia. The audience couldn’t understand a lot of the words in his songs, but they loved him so much. You must watch Billy Joel in Russia KZbin.

[@martinaschutt9171]

Great song.

[@seajaytea9340]

There are few wordsmiths as succinct and emotive as Billy Joel. This song always gets me! The history and home-front so expertly melded. "What do they keep on fighting for?!" - Indeed! I am reminded of the Thomas Hardy poem about a regular soldier in World War I, "The Man He Killed." I wonder if Billy Joel had read it and this was his current take on it?

[@beverlybrown2673]

Watch the documentary of his tour of the USSR, amazing. He wrote this song in response to what he experienced, and a friend he made there.

[@Sm00th_as_Silk]

I was born in Leningrad 😄😄🥰

[@freyjabeth4372]

Billy is a great teacher of history...love his music, voice and performances, Thanks for keeping his music going round a new generation

[@SaeedReacts.]

Definitely have learned a lot listening to his songs. Thanks for watching.

[@debbers]

Hey Saeed, FABULOUS reaction to this song! Billy Joel is one of my favorite artists!

[@SaeedReacts.]

Hey Deb! Thanks so much!

[@debbers]

Thank you for the heart, I enjoy them very much!

[@debbers]

@@SaeedReacts. Thank you for your reply! Happy New Year!

[@debbers]

I'm so happy that you left this heart for me! Thank you for taking the time to do that!

[@debbers]

Nice! Thank you so much for leaving me another heart, I adore them!

[@andyrunton]

Wonderful reaction!!! ❤️ Love the personal touches in this one. Always been one of my favorites because of the hope and humanity Billy brings to it.

[@SaeedReacts.]

Such a great song with incredible writing. Amazing artist. Thanks so much for watching!

[@J-_-]

Yes, the humanity he reminds us of, that we sometimes forget in situations like that, and the storytelling also makes it one of my favorites.

[@robertgieseler1220]

Simply a genius. True story, by the way.

[@J-_-]

You've got to check out Summer, Highland Falls. One of my absolute FAVORITES of his is such beautiful poetry and lyrics in motion, it comes highly recommended from me.

[@bazkeen]

Good breakdown of such a great song 👍🏻👍🏻

[@SaeedReacts.]

Amazing storytelling! Thanks for watching.

[@LonghopeBro-ju6jl]

My mother's family fled to Germany from Romania in 1949 when the Russians invaded. They were near the border of Ukraine. She was eleven and they were taking care of her infant nephew, so they had to take him with them. His dad (my uncle) was in the Romanian army and his wife had gone to visit him. They probably never knew what happened to their son. My mother had no contact from any of her family members that were left behind for the next forty years.

[@AP-gb3eh]

💔

[@markanderson9059]

Next should be goodnight, saigon. Santa

[@SaeedReacts.]

I reacted to the song, should be in the Billy Joel Reactions playlist.

[@riccardoangeli802]

Leave a tender moment alone " live" with Tootsie Tielemans Harmonica

[@SaeedReacts.]

Thanks for the recommendation! As a Belgian, i have to check out some of his music.

[@cog4life]

7:23 just beautiful 😊❤Haven’t heard this one in a long time. 😢 so much meaning in each song. ANTHONY’S SONG THE RIVER OF DREAMS ( official video) Great ones for the list. 😊❤

[@josephlaflamme2913]

Awesome song and reaction. I was born in Western Massachusetts in 1957, and I remember in Elementary School whenever the air raid siren went off, we had to pull down the black window shades, turn off all the lights and duck and cover under our desks, and, remain silent. It was scary and does have lifelong repercussions. At times, I still have nightmares over it.

[@SaeedReacts.]

I can't begin to imagine. Must have been so scary. Truly a great song. Thanks for watching!

[@daleenengelbrecht4861]

He paints a vivid picture. Had to smile "I've seen the duck and cover movies". So you. It is so sad that actually nobody wins a war; there are so much heartbreak in every war zone. I also love real crime and I learned that sometimes a household can be a war zone. TX again Saeed. Greetings from South Africa

[@SaeedReacts.]

He definitely knows how to paint a picture with words. Powerful song. Thanks for watching. Greetings from Belgium.

[@welle5086]

❤❤❤

[@Debbie-m7f]

A request for a new band that you haven’t reacted to… 3 Dog Night !!! They were the hottest band in the 70’s!!! 👍🏻

[@williamparrish9954]

please do Billy Joe Royal out of sight and on my mind I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow also Down in the Boondocks and She Don't Cry Like She Used To he has many more that great song too

[@heavin6586]

Not my favorite of Billys but, still, its Billy Joel, he can sing anything An Innocent Man could be your next one. Great insight into the song..

[@karenwalsh1143]

P L E A S E do "BILLY THE KID" by Billy Joel ❤

[@SaeedReacts.]

That one is on my to do list!