HE'S BECOMING A CHANNEL FAVE 🔥! First Time Hearing Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire Reaction!

[@tomstanziola1982]

I'm a history buff, and this song is a semester of history class compressed into 4 minutes!!! 👏👏👏👏

[@Tijuanabill]

But it's just words to someone who can't associate them with their relevance. It's more of a history test, than a lesson, imho.

[@tomstanziola1982]

@@Tijuanabill Great thought!!!

[@joshhencik1849]

@@Tijuanabill Which is why every 7th grade class in the US from the time I was a kid has studied this song. Billy Joel did more for middle school history than any administrator did.

[@Tijuanabill]

@@joshhencik1849 Go ahead an include all the teachers in there as well. They are the biggest failures in our nation, and it's not even close.

[@barsandbarbells2022]

🎯

[@ESUSAMEX]

Billy was born in 1949 and the lyrics deal with US/world history from that year until 1989 when this song was released. Although this song deals with everything going on during Billy's life around the world, it also has many important historical events that focus on NY as well.

[@jald910]

I am close to Billy Joel’s age, so these are also the events of my life so extremely impactful.

[@DanielFrost21]

Billy was in a recording studio and met a friend of Sean Lennon (John's son), and the friend claimed "nothing happened in the 1950s" It "started a fire" in Billy's brain, and the result was a list of 118 events starting with the 50s.

[@scottclark3761]

He wrote this song because a young person said "Oh, but nothing happened in the Fifties." He was like....what? My sixth grade history class used this song to teach. Each of us took one of the items he said. It was pretty cool. Fall Out Boy did a sequel to this, by the way.

[@sdhartley74]

I don't mind the sequel too much, except they definitely don't do the events in order.

[@scottclark3761]

@@sdhartley74 Yeah.....that bother me, too.

[@warrenhughes911]

That 'young person's was Julian Lennon..John's boy .!!

[@DanielFrost21]

​@@warrenhughes911It was actually a friend of Sean Lennon's who said it

[@lesblatnyak5947]

Bet you most highschool grads today couldn't tell you the meaning of each

[@ESUSAMEX]

Billy is from Long Island, NY like me. He stated that he dropped out of high school to join a band. Years later, his high school rewarded him his diploma and that his mother was thrilled because she never liked the fact that had dropped out. I do not remember the year but it wasn't that long ago. The local news was present at the ceremony.

[@nebidiaswift5200]

I’ll never forget the social studies class my 10th grade teacher did where we analyzed this song… there’s so much in it she had us do essays on the events/names he brings up. Easily most influential class and it introduced me to him and I’ve loved billy Joel ever since

[@sabrinapittsley2304]

One of the most imaginative and talented singer/songwriters of the 80’s and 90’s.

[@jnagarya519]

His first releases were in the 1970s.

[@ricomajestic]

He had a lot of hits in the 70s!

[@RLG-]

Only the Good Die Young is a rocker, one of his more famous songs.

[@Stacy55ish]

Billy Joel was listing iconic events during each year of his life.

[@BennoWitter]

I knew him from the 80's and 90's, but I was very late in discovering that he also recorded countless good songs in the 70's. The biggest surprise to me lyrically was "Only the Good Die Young". It's such a cheeky song.

[@beverly.alford]

Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” is a fun song/video. Joel’s future wife-supermodel, Christie Brinkley-appears in the video.

[@ChrisHartpence]

Even better, the historical events are IN ORDER...amazing accomplishment, IMO

[@visionaryventures12]

Listening to the song this time, again watching the characters in the video grow up, I’m not only reminded of the changing times. I’m reminded of how great the US had been during most of this song. I had read that this song was inspired by a younger kid telling Billy Joel that things must’ve been easier in Billy’s generation. This was his response.

[@TOPCHEF19733]

References to 118 significant political, cultural, scientific, and sporting events between 1948 (the year before Joel's birth) and 1989, in mainly chronological order.

[@Cobalt_Dragon0716]

Actually, iirc, William Martin "Billy" Joel was born in 1949, NOT 1948.

[@salvation2979]

he is a lyrical genius. barely and mean barely scratched the surface with billy. his catalog is extensive!

[@ajruther67]

Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are. It's an early song from him in the 70's and it's a romantic ballad.

[@kbrewski1]

1977 actually.

[@nanastan9]

The thing to keep in mind is that to the people living through the events mentioned in the song they were as real, frightening, and world altering as anything we're experiencing now. Every generation experiences this, and feels that their times are the worst, and pretty much always has. You'll find this theme even in ancient Egyptian writings, and Roman correspondence. That's one of the things that makes history so interesting and exciting to me, is understanding how the dry facts of wars and famine, political crises, and environmental disasters affected the people living through them, and the similarities to our own current experiences and attitudes.

[@joshhencik1849]

Which is why the word "unprecedented" is so damned overused these days. This all happened before. But I agree. So many people think history is boring because they think of it in terms of dates and places and things... but it's not. It's people and events and actions and choices with very interesting context.

[@mikechiarelli6895]

Goodbye Saigon will blow you away. Another great one Allentown.

[@correctlyrics]

So many Billy Joel songs are different than what you expect... For the Longest Time Uptown Girl Pressure Still Rock n Roll

[@lornif6274]

Another good song by Billy Joel is 'She's always a woman to me' if you'd like to hear more from him.

[@andreaschmall5560]

There are so many more interesting songs such as Stiletto and The Stranger.

[@Ny-kelCameron]

River of Dreams.

[@mariacavanaugh1010]

I'm so glad that you watch the music videos that accompany these songs, not all reactors do that and it can be frustrating to those of us who grew up watching MTV and other televised video shows. So much can be shown in a music video to supplement the story-telling within the song. And while it may not be true for every song (some vids are simply abstract or banal), the advent of MTV surely set the stage for some amazing imagery that helps the listener better understand the meaning of the lyrics. Excellent reaction. :-)

[@jonathanlocke6404]

I have heard him say that he had mixed feelings about the song, partly because it seemed to come really easy to him, and he didn't have to struggle to write it. He wondered if it was too simple of an idea. But it's a great song...

[@roberttrevino2861]

He wrote this song as he turned 40, reflecting on some big events and people during his lifetime.

[@TheMerryPup]

This is a better song to listen to a few times first before watching the video, IMHO. It shows Billy’s extraordinary writing ability in that most, if not all, of his songs sound different. Like the Beatles, you can’t pin him down to a specific style but it always sounds uniquely ’him!’

[@seanscanlon9067]

Billy was born in 1949 and had turned 40 years old in 1989 when this song was released. He had been at a party or some sort of social gathering where Sean Lennon and a few other teens were also there, and a friend of Sean's had said that it was an exciting time in the world then, what with the end of the Cold War approaching and the Berlin Wall coming down later that year. Billy said he knew how they felt, as he felt that way too when he was younger but the friend said that nothing of significance had ever happened when Billy was growing up. When Billy writes a song he starts with the music first and then writes lyrics to create a complete song, but for We Didn't Start the Fire and as more of a mental exercise initially, he started to list some of the more significant people and events during his lifetime, having hit the milestone age of 40 that year. He then set the list to music, using an old country type song that he had written but never released, as the melody for the chorus. The We Didn't Start the Fire chorus part is basically saying that the world has always been messed up and youngsters of any given time should not collectively blame the generation before their own because it was already messed up prior to their generation too, and the future younger generation will be blaming Sean Lennon's and his friend's generation in the years ahead. Ironically, Sean Lennon and his friend are now in their 40s. What is even more remarkable about this song than it all rhyming though is that everything is generally in chronological order too.

[@maikusch]

he contrasts the perfect world in the USA beginning in the 1950s with the wars all over the world, some of which originated by us goverments an military complex. The song is an indictment of US society with the ironic "we didn't start the fire"

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@maikusch It really isn't and it is explained in my post above.

[@KarenEverett-u2x]

Julian Lennon stopped by with a friend one day when Joel was recording. He was lamenting about how hard it was to live in his time because of world events. Billy Joel pondered this and sat down and just started writing down everything that had happened in his lifetime. We Didn’t Start the Fire was the result.

[@JohnKWelsh]

Billy Joel’s best song is just the way you are

[@akastarchild]

Historic events of Billy s life. Billy is the baby.

[@82acroney]

Billy Joel is one of my all-time favorite artists, his music is just timeless, still holds relevant in this day age

[@ajruther67]

This song is a history lesson. Find a lyric video and listen to it again. It doesn't have to be a reaction video.

[@jamesrawlins735]

The irony of that is he wrote The Ballad of Billy the Kid which is about the least accurate song historically.

[@drumhaver223]

I think it is HIS history, from birth to current.

[@drumhaver223]

I understand that they are mainstream references. I'm saying they are one's that happened during his lifetime.@gv7217

[@aaronwieman8368]

It’s history that happened up to that point in his life. Come on people let’s not be dense.

[@Chance1978ric]

This song was used by teachers verse by verse to teach history to children. Kids would take a single verse and make a report.. This song is history.

[@robertfowler238]

History from his birth to present

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

Next one for Billy Joel; RIVER OF DREAMS. One of those songs that you absolutely cannot stop yourself from moving to. Even though I am not a big Joel fan, River of Dreams is one of my favorite songs.

[@justkaron]

This one is absolute FIRE! But there are SO MANY that are. From so many decades. Daughter-in-law saw him in concert around this past Thanksgiving and said it was BEST concert she's ever attended. He's in mid seventies now and she said he has not lost his voice or piano skill and funny as hell.

[@justkaron]

I meant River of Dreams is straight fire. One of his more recent songs.

[@eileenrivera6142]

Basically anything from Billy

[@alexmarin4245]

One the best 80's songs ever! Lyric, beat and story... all in one song! So unique! GREAT REACTION, GUYS!

[@a.grimes4202]

I don’t know for sure but it looks like you two haven’t yet reacted to his SUPER classic hit from ’80, “It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me”. No rush, but I just know you both would love it. Even when you’re sitting and listening you just can’t help but dance to it, it’s that catchy. And even on your first time listening you will want to sing along even if you don’t know the words lol.

[@ESUSAMEX]

I believe Billy got an honorary history degree from a college in NY due to this song.

[@cowetascore8476]

Billy was a speaker at my sister's college graduation at Hofstra University in 1997 whlie receiving an honorary degree.

[@lorispiro-pioggia4289]

River of dreams is a great one you need to check out

[@feuerwehrmanngrisu9094]

Its from his birth (1949) to the date of release the Song. Was great in germany too because of the music. The Things he sing about Was 75 percent us related

[@andrew348]

Nothing to be proud of

[@Memorylanemodelcars2]

Billy Joel Does Everything Do Wap to Ballad to Rock n Roll to Blues/Jazz. Hes Just Amazing

[@michaelcorley3622]

NBC News put together a video and matched every lyric with shots of what he’s talking about. It’s amazing.

[@par500dragon7]

That's so cool! I'm going to try to find that.

[@hihoktf]

Try River of Dreams for, again, another style from him. And Uptown Girl for yet another, and ...

[@visionaryventures12]

That’s a weird coincidence you quizzed us about when Billy graduated in the same video reaction to “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.

[@jamesdagenais6494]

There are many great songs to hear by Billy Joel. I recommend "River of Dreams", "Uptown Girl" & "Innocent Man".

[@par500dragon7]

River of Dreams, The Stranger, Pressure, Allentown, Downeaster Alexa (I swear you can feel the waves!). All are great.

[@beckiramsey9561]

Billy Joel is so amazing, very creative in his music! I love him and I look for to see you reacting to more of his!! 🔥🔥 Thanks guys, great stuff !!👏👏👍👍

[@mikeyd7749]

Billy Joel graduated from Hicksville HS on Long Island in 1967. I knew 2 people who went to school with him.

[@danjarrett]

I Wish Billy Joel would make a Part 2 to this wonderful song Starting with the end of this Song to the Present Day Now.

[@realbser1956]

Your analysis is correct, I put it this way, the world was effed up in the past, it’s effed up now and it’ll be effed up in the future no matter how much we try to make things better. The song 52nd Street is a great one showing another side to him. Also Me & My Baby Grand which is a duet with Ray Charles. 😊

[@draguladirt]

It's interesting in these times (and with a reaction channel) how you listen to a song. I was a teenager in the 80's - heard this plenty of times on the radio and television and it was just a cool song with a cool beat. Never paid attention to the lyrics until much later. And I never thought this could be sung live - but he did, on the River of Dreams tour. Amazing.

[@ines_uk]

I can say that about most of the songs of that time of my life. I discover more of their lyrics by watching the reactions when they analyse the songs more in detail. Otherwise, I like the songs for their music first and foremost.

[@janetottomeyer9444]

We continue to burn it higher.

[@FrancesThompson-e3m]

From when Billy was born in 1949, same as myself.

[@kylecrawford5103]

I also remember this song being used in our 7th or 8th grade history class. The teacher played the song for us and there was a poster that had the lyrics printed on it. Our teacher went through and touched on the most relevant and important events. Love your channel, keep up the great work. Thanks.

[@bettyartis3648]

Children of Thalidomide is an amazing line. Having experienced a similar history, this is an amazingly biting piece of writing.

[@rosemariediamond5948]

Amazing history lesson. I am old enough to know all of the reg😧!! Great song and reaction. You can never go wrong with him. Try Just the Way You Are soon

[@patticrichton1135]

I was born in 1947, two years before Billy was born, so I lived through all these events, both historical and the list of things in pop culture, singers, movies, toys, Popular TV shows, wars, etc. up to 1989 when he released this song. I heard that some teachers have used this song, to go through the lyrics and talk to their students about each thing he mentions, which is a unique way to teach the history mentioned in that period that Billy covers in his lyrics. LOVE LOVE LOVE Billy Joel

[@adh1308]

Billy Joel is the best! His songs are amazing. So many to choose from. Check out The Stranger and Vienna. Too many for me to rattle off to check out, but those two are great, just like all of his stuff.

[@aaronwieman8368]

I love this song…

[@JasonMistretta-wf5ip]

I remember sitting waiting for the school bus in the fall of 1989 listening to the "Storm Front" album. This song was just incredible to listen to and so educational for a high school Junior student. History was always one of my favorite subjects. I remember trying to memorize the lyrics on the way to school. I would LOVE to see Billy Joel to a part 2 to this song with a timeline that runs from 1990-2023. Could you imagine what that those lyrics would be like??

[@schroederrt]

Fallout boy actually did a modern cover of this with modern events. It's worth a listen.

[@jeannejorgensen1230]

I’m the same age as Billy Joel and these are all the events that occurred during his lifetime (and mine) so I know all of them and remember their impact on society at the time.

[@markalexander3659]

Love this song so much I even know all the words to the verses from how many times I've heard it lol

[@leslieroth8447]

The River of Dreams. Original video. Gospel feel and fantastic vocals and piano. A must hear. For a soft feel Shes Got a Way. The history of We Didn't Start the Fire was from yr he was born, 1949 til 89. John Lennons son complained to Billy that the 80's was roughtime to grow up in and not much happened when Billy was young. Well...heres some of what happened. 😂

[@kevinhennessy1615]

I Love This Song Had This On a Loop After I First Heard It 🔥 Billy Joel Is a Musical Genius.

[@dionisioiacobelli6689]

Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it .

[@llanitedave]

Or in words attributed to Mark Twain (who didn't really say it, but you have to know the history well to realize that), "History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes."

[@ScootrRichards]

I first learned this meme as "Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them." Don't know who first said it or if that was the original expressed the idea, but I think it is more to the point.

[@TheSkyGuy77]

Even those who know history still can't stop it from rhyming over and over again...

[@kryssieaston3771]

This was always one of my favorites. If you want something showing more of a rocking side to Billy Joel, watch "A Matter of Trust".

[@mikezerener2476]

YOU GUYS WOULD LOVE BILLY JOEL FOR THE LONGEST TIME

[@keymack2477]

Great to see the two of you "discovering" the great Billy Joel! Before you are done with his catalogue be sure not to miss "An Innocent Man" and "Until The Night"!!

[@lesblatnyak5947]

Saw Billy 4 times in Toronto at the Gardens

[@debbie7505]

He is saying that everyone complains that the current generation is blamed for what’s happening these days but the fact is that they’ve always have fires since the world started

[@craigdellapenna7103]

Billy Joel was a true culture warrior with his music. You really want to play "Pressure" for hyperreality check.

[@daniellaplume3840]

What's great by him is Matter of Trust and Just the way you are.

[@theresastuppiello9589]

So I heard when Billy Joel was around 40, he was having a discussion with a younger person who was arguing that the older generation was the cause of world issues and it sparked this song. Starting in the 50s he brings up a plethora of all kinds of pop culture and social issues from before and moving forward in time. Masterpiece.

[@ashishkiift]

He started from his birth I think till the time the song was written .. all the historic events that affected him consciously and subconsciously

[@shannonotoole3526]

My college prfessor used this song to go thru all those times in history. As a final paper we had to take one instant in the song and write a paper on it

[@arnoldcox9128]

I love history so this is one of my favorites as well....movin out is a must reaction

[@johnm506]

Billy is part of the holy trinity of piano song writers singers Elton John Bruce Hornsby and Billy Joel its how I see it

[@rw4487]

I know every word sang it in bars with friends all the time

[@debrawalkermeyer9109]

I was born in 1962 and remember so well when MTV started videos I was out of college and married when this came out I have heard my entire life from older people “ back in the good old days when the world was good and youth has messed things up” And youth looking at adults like “we didn’t start the fire, what damn good old days do you mean?” Valid every era has been that way, he choose to focus on the time he was alive to when he released this in 1989 ❤

[@coreywhite6932]

Definitely check out his newest hit, Turn the Lights Back On. The video definitely pairs well with the song

[@RockinMamaT]

You guys should check out You may be right or Its only rock and roll two more upbeat songs from Billy❤Much love from Canada❤🇨🇦

[@1calvinfunny1]

Another great song is "The Entertainer" It's about himself and what can happen in the Record /Entertainment industry...

[@patticampana9458]

I May Be Crazy is a great song. This is a great rabbit hole!

[@mattpotter8725]

Something that you didn't seem to get from the song and I've not seen in the comments is the the title "We Didn't Start The Fire" is basically saying the the US didn't start all the conflicts going on in the world, that they've been going on since time began, and we're trying to do the best we can (obviously this is an older song and it was a different time, but it did seem at the time that upholding democratic values was something the US valued and tried to spread across the world rather than just pure economic greed, unlike certain politicians today). Great reaction to a great song. Love Billy Joel, he's an amazing artist.

[@TheDuqe]

Thank you very much for your detailed analysis. As always your reactions are second to none. They're really genuine and I love them. Other great songs to check out from Billy Joel are "My Life", "Movin' Out", "Its Still Rock And Roll to me", "Tell Her About it". Hope you could react to those when you get a chance.

[@TheWorldsEnd66]

I love history, but if it was taught this way many more would too

[@firefighterchick]

It's from 1949 when he was born to 1989 he's 40th birthday. It's the album Storm Front. All the songs are amazing.

[@jgsrhythm100]

Curtis Mayfield- Superfly ( 73) Its time for B&B to get down with the funk 🔥

[@NeetkaAbru]

There are so many great Billy Joel songs. Listen to his live performance of "NY State of Mind' old grey whistle test for some outstanding piano and sax playing, or for a completely different side of Billy listen to "And So it Goes" which is stripped down, just a piano and Billy singing from his soul.

[@ajruther67]

Phil said he didn't know references that happened before he was born. That is unusual to me because my generation (Gen X - 1965 1980) know so many things before we were born through history class and parents telling us things as we grew up.

[@theshadowfax239]

I always find it weird when people claim they don't know thing from before they were born. Like no one had a concept of history anymore. 🤦‍♀️

[@markschroer5940]

He's great in concert. My wife and I saw him last November.

[@debbie7505]

One of my favorite Billy Joel songs is It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me.

[@stardreamer26]

Uptown Girl is one of my faves from him 🥰🥰🥰

[@ozmaile7938]

Love the song. Always wished he updated it with the years since

[@Super3dognite]

There is an updated version of this song by Fall Out Boy.

[@ozmaile7938]

Yea i just saw it looking up the lyrics to the original. Thought their added lyrics were pretty bad actually. just my take of course ..... @@Super3dognite

[@rw4487]

FYI Billy Joel was a history teacher back when he was younger

[@fgrillo29]

Circa 1990, One of my high school history teachers assigned us to choose a topic mentioned in this song. We had to write a few pages about why these names/events were so important in history. This is a musical tour through history from the 1950's to the end of the 1980's. This same teacher played a lot of Billy Joel songs in class throughout that year. That was one of my favorite classes. Thanks, Mr. Manson for such a great class!

[@willfromyadkinville]

Billy is a history buff! i bet this song came pretty easy to him once poked!

[@patticampana9458]

Tried to fight it!

[@johnpaulbacon8320]

Great reaction. Songs like ths one that make you think and feel about whats going on and how it can and will affect your life.

[@patticampana9458]

What a great history lesson!!!

[@karehelene]

I watched the video with, my then, teenage son (13). He was curious about thalidomide babies that are mentioned in the song. I knew this was an anti-nausea drug that cause birth defects in the 60's. We got on the computer, and I explained what it was and found pictures of people that had been affected by the drug. My mom had actually been offered this when she was pregnant with my younger sister and turned it down. Many years later when I was pregnant, I turned down anti-nausea medication because of thalidomide, even though I was assured the medication being offered was perfectly safe.

[@visaman]

So did my mom.😢

[@jnagarya519]

I lived through that. Thalidomide had huge cultural impacts, beginning with a first major FAILURE by the pharmaceutical industry, and eventually the legalization of abortion.

[@commonsense6967]

Thalidomide was never approved by the US FDA, thanks to a Canadian woman who was on the FDA board at the time, and knew or suspected that it might harm babies. It was manufactured by a European pharmaceutical company, and was approved in Europe.

[@tnolddawg]

One of my classmates when I was in elementary school was affected by thalidomide While his mother discontinued use after the news broke, he was born with deformed fingers and toes

[@karehelene]

@@tnolddawg It's too bad his mother didn't stop in time. I would have been the age to have thalidomide classmates also, though I don't recall ever having one.