TELL EM THEN BILLY!..| FIRST TIME HEARING Billy Joel - We Didn't Start the Fire REACTION

TELL EM THEN BILLY!..| FIRST TIME HEARING Billy Joel - We Didn't Start the Fire REACTION
Welcome to Rob Squad Reactions This is a music reaction channel. My passion is being a content creator, and providing my audience with unique, funny, and never before seen reaction videos. I have come to grow a love for all types of music from my beloved rap to heavy metal and I want to share that love with all of you. Being a content creator is my passion and it brings me so much joy and being able to share my passion and joy with all of you and grow as a community is an amazing feeling. In addition to reacting to all different types of music, I am also a a husband to my amazing wife Amber and a dad to 3 amazing kids Bria, Kiya and Luca. I am here to try and make a change in this world starting with something that brings us all together MUSIC!!
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[@NCNelz]

Joel conceived the idea for the song when he had just turned 40. He was in a recording studio and met a 21-year-old friend of Sean Lennon who said "It's a terrible time to be 21!" Joel replied to him, "Yeah, I remember when I was 21 - I thought it was an awful time and we had Vietnam, and y'know, drug problems, and civil rights problems and everything seemed to be awful." The friend replied, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's different for you. You were a kid in the fifties and everybody knows that nothing happened in the fifties". Joel retorted, "Wait a minute, didn't you hear of the Korean War or the Suez Canal Crisis?" Joel later said those headlines formed the basic framework for the song.

[@nikoknightpuppetproduction369]

Thanks for sharing that.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

LOL, yeah. The truth is that nothing happened in the fifties tv shows... and that's what a lot of people think the world was like. Even some people who lived through it and now refer to it as "the good old days" because they're remembering "Leave It To Beaver" and "Ozzie & Harriet" rather than the actual turmoil that happens IRL in any given generation.

[@oakhillfound847]

When this song came out I suggested this could be the text for a sociology course.

[@richardsmith5477]

Thought you might like to know, Sean is “John Lennon’s” son. If you don’t know who John was? John was one of the Beetles.

[@fredtello]

woke politics dismiss everything in this song because they're about a political narrative

[@rhannah7873]

"JFK blown away. What else do I have to say!" That line is so powerful!

[@keithroberts4952]

That line gets me everytime! The man has a way with words!

[@happyapple4269]

And still people don't question their governments . 911 and the atrocious lies of covid . Who knows? Maybe in fifty they will singing about these problems.

[@newfiemom8696]

Says it all doesn’t it. Yet people still have their heads in the sand. 🤦‍♀️

[@unknown-dc2qo]

​Headshot

[@MapManLK]

I'm 71 -- a year younger than Joel -- and every single word in this song has a place in my memory. You two did an excellent dive into this rocker.

[@Ispike73]

Billy Joel is 72?? Jesus, it all went so fast...

[@MapManLK]

No kidding!

[@warrenhughes911]

10-4.. I'm 68..right on..

[@deniseg812]

@@Ispike73 I identify as 17.

[@gmchris3752]

I love this song, because it's not about blaming (or excusing) anyone specific, but acknowledging that history is always a frantic dance on the edge of a knife. Every generation is blamed for new problems when they're young and for the ongoing problems when they're old, but the fire's been burning since the world's been turning.

[@nickziemer8123]

THIS!!!!!!

[@SaintPhoenixx]

Yeah this song is timeless, you could update the lyrics to any point in time and it would still make sense.

[@stormy7722]

wow..nicely said! "always a frantic dance" perfect.

[@hueysimon2726]

Most of the bad stuff on a large scale was perpetrated by a government. Governments are the worst thing man ever created.

[@MadGnomie]

I came to the comments to essentially say this but you nailed it so well it doesn't need to be said again. The fire is the human condition and it's learned by our children as they are born in it.

[@aidanscarletwolf]

The one point that, in my honest opinion, this song drives home is that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

[@thetruth3768]

seem to be lots of forgetful people these days

[@aidanscarletwolf]

@@thetruth3768 Exactly, because people are still making those same mistakes that history tells us about, instead of learning NOT to make them.

[@juuljitsu]

There was a person on here that covered the song with all present events from where Billy left off and it's really deep of you think of it like you said. I always have seen the song as meaning what you said.

Same goes for those who remember history. Everything's cyclical.

[@aidanscarletwolf]

@@juuljitsu what is the link to that video? you've piqued my curiosity.

[@cnatview]

It's kind of sad that our younger reactors don't recognize older historical references but if you weren't there at the time, it's understandable. I read one comment on a reaction to this song where someone said that their history teacher made them memorize this song so they could place certain events in time. Excellent reaction guys.... you understood it. Thanks, guys..... Take care and be well. Peace.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

I think when most people get outside their own lifetime's bubble, their awareness of historical events beyond the truly major ones gets spottier. For instance, I might remember a thousand big and small "current events" from the 80s, but I might only know a relative handful of the "big stories" from 50 years before I was born. Like, I know lots about WWII but I couldn't rattle off every minor scandal of Warren Harding's presidency or every social upheaval James Buchanan had to deal with. I wouldn't expect these 20-somethings to know Leonid Brezhnev any more than I'd expect them to know what I'm talking about if I say "Teapot Dome" or "Tippecanoe." It's when people of any age aren't aware of what's happening during their lifetime that I feel that sadness you're talking about. It's good to know history (so we don't repeat it, yeah?) but I think it's even more important to know what's happening whenever your "now" is because that's the stuff that is going to affect you directly. When the disconnect happens there, I worry that nobody's driving the car. Or, at least, the people driving the car toward the cliff edge are doing so without anyone trying to stop them.

[@mikeelko8527]

People today don’t even know our own president ☠️

[@pauld6967]

@@mikeelko8527 aka His Fraudulency.

[@kellyanneshereck1421]

Love the reaction and your response. I am a tad confused about historical references and “if you weren’t there “ comment. Aren’t we as a society responsible for educating young people about history? Being born in 1967 didn’t excuse me from Greek Mythology. This song hovers around 1950-1990s, not exactly ancient history. We have a long way to go to leave the world a better place for the younger generations.

[@brachiator1]

I thought that history was mainly boring when I was in school, but kinda paid attention. Became more interested in college. And oddly enough, I picked up some history in comic books in movies. But by high school I realized that we are all a part of history. I remember when the Mercury 7 astronauts were selected. I saw my teachers cry when Kennedy was assassinated. I watched man land on the moon and topple the Berlin wall. My friends and I sat in a bar and celebrated Nixon resigning. I remind my college age nephew that chapters of history books will be devoted to the pandemic. His kids might ask him what the lock down was like.

[@parrotheadwon]

When my sister was a teacher she broke this song up line by line and had her students figure out what their line meant in history then they all sang it together. And that whole class learned so much of what's mentioned it was so cool

[@sweeney60]

That’s brilliant! What a great way to cover a ton of history and keep kids engaged in one project!

[@dayzey40]

When teacher were teacher, not indoctrinators

[@gregbramwell7666]

Used with my year 7s on cold War history

[@karidrgn]

When he learned about teachers using it in school, he had it made available for classes.

[@joannecunliffe8067]

@@dayzey40 Amen to that - when teachers were there to get you to think for yourselves not to tell you WHAT to think! My sister's history teacher did the same! What a fabulous thing to do in a history class. There are almost too many events to analyse and they did it a bit like Bingo with a card (also containing events which were NOT in the song) to tick them off - then they discussed them.

[@twylanaythias]

Billy Joel is basically outlining significant events decade by decade, with the video reflecting each decade: ~ It opens in a 1940s-era kitchen, the lyrics listing significant people and events following WWII ~ Proceeds to a 1950s-era kitchen, the lyrics focusing on the onset of the Cold War ~ Proceeds to a 1960s-era kitchen, the lyrics focusing on the Space Race and Civil Rights ~ Proceeds to a 1970s-era kitchen, the lyrics focusing on Vietnam ~ Proceeds to a 1980s-era kitchen, the lyrics focusing on Middle East conflicts ~ Proceeds to a '2000s-era' kitchen, with the refrain that the fire will "burn on and on and on and on" Conflict is an inherent aspect of the human condition. Each generation "didn't light it" but "tried to fight it" - making some things better and some things worse. Every generation tries to blame previous generations, with few realizing that future generations will try to blame them. The cycle will continue in perpetuity.

[@MarieAnne.]

Well said.

[@lastjob2011]

He and staff picked the events based on the covers of Life magazine. And it make it all rhyme... Incredible!

[@kenliholbrook6486]

“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is a must from Billy Joel.

[@calliestephen]

Yes!!! Such an amazing song and really shows off his story telling skills. And Goodnight Saigon. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

[@user-or1ye3iz6d]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@gpeck54]

Pure genius song!

[@paulmargett9360]

Agree totally 👍

[@dustnea]

The live from long island version. Amazing performance

[@surlechapeau]

J&A, you'll love Billy's "Just The Way You Are", "All About Soul" and "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant". He's one of the greatest singer/songwriters. His album 'The Stranger' is one of my top 5 albums of all-time.

[@dougkydur9841]

Yes, THIS! And might I add "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" -- live version from 'Songs in the Attic' album [1981]. Also "Captain Jack" from the same album. Billy Joel has such a varied catalogue of music but I still think his earlier stuff was the most emotionally raw. Every song on those early albums, including 'The Stranger', were top-40 potential. 'Glass Houses' was the very first commercial tape cassette I ever purchased. I wore it out from playing it so much -- went through two tapes before finally going back to vinyl! We all wanted to be Billy Joel, especially when he was married to Christie Brinkley!

[@marcieharreld286]

Question....what are the other 4 of the 5 albums? Just curious!!😊😊🤘🤘

[@katscully]

Absolutely agree w/ your recommendations. "The Stranger" is my favorite album, period! I suggest "Piano & Horns" starter list. "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", "Big Man On Mulberry Street", "Baby Grand" duet w/legend Ray Charles.

[@surlechapeau]

@@marcieharreld286 Steely Dan's Aja; Fleetwood Mac's Rumours; Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run; Carole King's Tapestry

[@surlechapeau]

@@katscully thank you!

[@johnhodkinson2063]

"We didn't start the fire but when we're gone it'll burn on and on" is one of the great lines in this.

[@DrJekyll38]

To me, this is the ultimate Billy song , if you catch him at the Garden, to get your lighter out for!

[@AndrewSmith-wt2zr]

He is indeed giving a history lesson. I lived through all of what he has been mentioning in this song. I'm 70 years old now and I can look back on the titles and people that he is mentioning and I can remember the news reports surrounding those names and titles. For me personally this is a very heartbreaking song because I can remember them but you're going to have to research them because history is something that should be guarded and remembered for all time

[@hoosthere686]

Amen

[@branthemuffin5872]

She’s right, all of these events are stuff that happened throughout his life. As a history nerd I love this song so much. It is one of the reasons why I became a history major

[@Kashmir.820]

I too am a history geek I can’t get enough of it!!! Great job Amber on picking up what Billy Joel was laying down !!!!!

[@rachelsullivan2926]

Yeah, this song is definitely at the top of the list for every history buff out there.

[@briangregory6303]

And Billy is a high school dropout.

[@lesterine77]

Ok. History buff. Why did he talk about Russia in Afghanistan when it wasn't Russia until 1991 2 years after this song was released. Wouldn't it have been soviets? Idk. I know I'll end up being confused forever, so I don't think about it

[@Kashmir.820]

@@lesterine77 no need for confusion it’s all good. It’s just off by a letter. The lyric is Russians in Afghanistan, referring to their nationality as opposed to Russia the country.

[@matthewlee6168]

I am a history geek so I have always loved this song. Having grown up during the (later) years of the Cold War it speaks to me differently than it does to younger folks. Billy Joel is describing major people and events during his lifetime (up to that point) which is largely a history of the Cold War Era.

[@roderickmackay1040]

Aye. If you work through the lyrics checking the names and events you'll end up with a guid knowledge of world history from WWII on.

[@gabrielledormuth4634]

I may have been only a little kid but I remember when the USSR broke down from 88 to 91 it was always on the news and only havin 2 channels on tv in my house it was hard to miss it

[@beth7215]

Long live us history geeks!!

[@kellypedersen9896]

I was 17 when this song came out, and the Berlin Wall came down . . .

[@Brittish244]

The song covers all the major events in history from the time Billy Joel was born until whatever year the song was written.

[@Marcus-ki1en]

The players and events from the post war years to the present (when the song was written). It could easily be extended in either direction. We all think the times we live in are the "best of times and worst of times". Love the music video - I grew up in much of this time and remember many of the visuals and events.

[@swami1]

1989.

[@swami1]

People usually gloss over “children of Thalidomide”, a reference to a morning sickness medication that produced thousands of horribly deformed children in the late 50s/early 60s.

[@Arckivio]

The amount that he managed to cram into this song is an absolutely amazing feat of lyricism!!!!

[@johnplaysgames3120]

Billy Joel's got a lot of styles to explore. For what I would consider the original, classic Billy Joel sound (a la Piano Man), I'd suggest "New York State of Mind," "Just The Way You Are," "Big Shot," "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "She's Got A Way," "Only The Good Die Young," "My Life," etc. For some rockin', slightly 80s Billy, you might check out "It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me" and one of my personal favorites, "Pressure." After he got together with Christie Brinkley and they apparently bonded over 50s doo-wop music, he made "Uptown Girl," "Tell Her About It," and "The Longest Time" which all had a retro, Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons type of vibe (with lots of falsetto for Jordan). And on and on. He's always Billy Joel but he dipped into a lot of influences at various times across various decades.

[@radwolf76]

"He's always Billy Joel" One of Weird Al's earliest parodies was "It's still Billy Joel to me", one that he's never put out commercially, because he felt that it's too mean spirited. Al's even apologized to Billy over it.

[@calliestephen]

Alll the songs mentioned above, plus ‘Captain Jack’ which is a favourite of mine.

[@powoodworker1751]

Good breakdown. You have far more patience for typing than I.

[@woke9974]

Wow! You got almost all of my favorites. The only song I would add is She's Always a Woman.

[@rivenrime]

I also love Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)

[@kvoltti]

The song can be summed up as “You are not the end of history, merely the beginning of the future”

[@Lumibear.]

A lesson forgotten in today’s ‘destroy the past we’re here now’ present.

[@roserollins9800]

Well said

[@broadway427]

Excellent quote.. Hope that you don't mind if I borrow it..

[@Mattdewit]

Which is actually very funny when you think about it. Not long after this song was released the Berlin wall fell and the USSR collapsed. People like Fukuyama started talking about ''the end of history'' which to nobody's suprise turned out be very wrong.

[@Fabboi_unl]

Thats a beautiful way to describe it. chapeau, if you came up with that :)

[@kchara7078]

You nailed this for interpretation. It's a history lesson in a song. One man's lifetime up to the early '90s

[@fay-amieaspen6046]

It's from 1949-1989 His Birth up to His Storm Front 1989 Tour Behind The Iron Curtain in Russia.

[@kimlinke9730]

Billy Joel is such a prolific writer and artist. You'd be hard pressed to find a bad song in his catalog. "The downeaster Alexa", "Allentown", "The longest time", "The ballad of Billy the kid", "Scenes from an Italian restaurant", "52nd street"...man I could go on and on...these are just a few of my favorites!!

[@mightyV444]

I was pleasantly surprised when my 15-year-old Son told me a couple of days ago that he'd discovered and likes Billy's song 'Moving Out' 😃 One of his many, many great songs 😊

[@christianbryant2557]

Downeaster Alexa is so underrated in his catalog! He is one of a handful of American songwriters that can do no wrong in my opinion.

[@peachykeen7634]

@@christianbryant2557 absolutely underrated!! One of my faves!!

[@ralphschmitt5859]

A phenomenal Billy Joel song is “ Goodnight Saigon” which he recorded with actual Vietnam veterans. I think it would be a fitting tribute to the 13 brave soldiers we lost this week in Afghanistan 😢😢

[@katecassidy9357]

Always makes me cry

[@hollydeitch1977]

If you haven’t seen it, watch Garth Brooks singing “Allentown” and Goodnight Saigon” for Billy at The Kennedy Center Honors. You will shed a tear.

[@ahrenmorris6053]

Goodnight Saigon is a tough listen. But important.

[@mcgamerdad]

I just listened to (watched) it for the first time. All I can say is, "wow".

[@denisef4904]

Yes! That is the vietnam song. So emotional. My brother who is a vet says that it brings tears to his eyes. He aint no cryer man.

[@mimomof2]

Still Rock and Roll to Me is a great song by Billy Joel.

[@joshsmith302]

So many good songs. (Uptown girl), (For the longest time), (Still rock and roll to me) and, (In the middle of the night). Can't go wrong with Billy Joel.

[@davidbcarter]

Amen! “Still Rock and Roll To Me” was the first Billy Joel song I ever heard, and it was the first time I went out and spent my own money on a cassette. I’ve loved his stuff ever since!

[@sammytheface8821]

7:24. Jay starting to "ROCK OUT". while Amber intently studying the lyrics, so serious... GREAT REACTIONS you two!....and interpretations......WELL DONE.

[@MySerpentine]

It's amazing how just a list of events in chronological order can be such a good song.

[@xzonia1]

All it takes is a musical genius :)

[@bobriemersma]

I can't believe his working man's anthem "Allentown" gets so little love.

[@kelly9876]

also Captain Jack seems to be being forgotten too, but it was popular back in the day

[@themajor743]

@@kelly9876 Considering todays Opioid crisis it should be popular today.

[@MrRaymage]

Allentown is an awesome suggestion!

[@markharris1125]

My favourite.

[@EdiaStanfordBruce]

Listen to "Downeaster Alexa" too.

[@cbilky2914]

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” is an exercise in nostalgia and storytelling for Billy Joel. He wrote it upon reaching the milestone age of 40, when he also happened to be at a crossroad in his career. And its penning was initially inspired by a conversation he had with someone a generation younger who was basically under the impression that the pressing issues of the world just began during his generation. In other words, he thought the 1950s, i.e. the era when Billy Joel came of age, was a cakewalk compared to what was going down in 1989 when this song came out.

It certainly wasn't an exercise in _nostalgia_ … ;-)

[@jimfalvey6316]

I wish he would release an update!

[@michaelharvey1197]

Excellent comment, thank you.

[@michaelharvey1197]

Excellent comment, thank you. . I accidentally commented the same phrase on a random comment, they will be pleased.

[@lorriemiller6750]

@@jimfalvey6316 I do too because there would he a lot to say about it and I would.love to see how he would put it altogether in the same lind of historical perspective and context it would.be totally awesome

[@beriandavies2111]

You're right, this song was written in chronological order. You caught onto this one really quickly. We Didn't Start The Fire is a history lesson right there. Love what you're doing 💜

[@TheMarrification]

The interpretation of the song really is spot on; awesome reaction, you nailed it! It's basically 'don't blame our generation, it's been going on since before our time and we're trying to fight it'.

[@robindavisduckworth8992]

As a History teacher, I approve of this method for memorizing. Always a Woman to me is his best after the Piano Man though.

[@edwardcook2973]

My favorite song of his is Pressure.

[@Chance1978ric]

History teachers have used this song in classrooms, assigning each person and event to individual students. That is making history come alive. Smart.

[@fredlewis7825]

They sound like excellent teachers. Seems we don't have enough educators who actually teach rather than indoctrinate these days.

[@windywalker9936]

My class did this. My line was children of Thalidomide

[@pomsintheglen9201]

I did this as a teacher. I got the kids to pick out something they were unfamiliar with and they had to find out about it and present it

[@mindslayer1404]

Yup my teacher introduced us to this song and it turned me into a Billy Joel fan lol

[@atuuschaaw]

History through his eyes. A marvelous artistic idea that rocks. This made me think of the proverb, "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." Love you guys! ♥

[@alleycat5061]

The fact that this song is in chronological order is epic.

[@ambersometimes2841]

Fun Fact: I was in 8th grade when this song came out and my history teacher used this song as a teaching tool. She had the lyrics printed out and we discussed all of the things mentioned in the song. I would love to see you guys react to Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant it's a piano driven song which I know you love and it's one of those songs within a song deals which I think you also like ❤️

[@markvanderstelt8999]

show the live version .

[@jasonsabbath6996]

I was in 7th and used it for a theater arts project where we had to lip synch and act out a song. I knew all the lyrics and my partner acted out many of the events. We got an A!

[@shannonotoole3526]

my college professor did the same thing

[@jimcarlson6157]

oh, and Love Stinks

[@kennethpogozelski7211]

I was in 7th and my teacher gave out parts of the song for history reports. I got Children of Thalidomide. Absolutely horrific. Look it up. I got a B+.

[@brianm523]

I had a teacher in 7th grade that made us do a report on this song. Everything he mentions are popular or historically significant people and events. He's covering numerous decades throughout his life, and it's actually interesting to try to find out what he's talking about by looking into the history. Keep in mind when I was in 7th grade, there was no internet yet so all we had was a copy of the lyrics, a set of encyclopedias, and the library card catalog. This song has been special to me ever since.

[@AllegroRubato]

"The solutions of today, will be the problems of tomorrow", that's why this song will always be meaningful. Billy Joel is so good.

[@VernDeLaronde]

Billy Joel - Matter of Trust! You won't be disappointed.

[@subwaygoddess1]

Jordan, you would love Billy's "New York State Of Mind." His piano is awesome!

[@giarogers]

Great song ! Completely forgot about this one.

[@bkm2797]

The song "The Stranger" is also excellent, definitely my favorite album by Billy.

[@neillschwartz3418]

YES!

[@michellegreggan4548]

Brilliant song…one of my favourites 🥰🎶

[@tinacook6225]

So many good ones plus Baby Grand the duet with Ray Charles.

[@christamarch947]

To me 'We didn't start the fire' points to every decade having its conflicts. The story just rolls on with new players and the fire is still burning today. It is a great history lesson when u break it down.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

Yeah, exactly. He uses his lifetime as the example but the lyrics say very specifically, "it was always burnin' / since the world's been turnin'" and "after we're gone / it'll still burn on / and on and on..."

[@tzeentchian]

The fire isn’t conflict, the fire is history itself, time and the events that happen

[@brianmurphy8811]

We got extra credit in history class for memorizing the song, and extra extra credit for any substantial supporting data you could provide for the things he was referring to.

[@matanadragonlin]

It also means: "we didnt start, we are not to blame" right?

[@christamarch947]

Not for what came before us. We all play a role for better or worse while we are here.

[@karennaterez]

I love watching y'all. Amber is incredibly emotive and as she was listening seeing her hear it.. My generation tried to fix what we see as our parents doing wrong.. And my kids are trying to fix what they feel I did wrong

[@audreyfurber9113]

This song is about everything that happened in his life ❤❤❤

[@muc405]

Your take on this song is spot on. It was a history lesson from the 40's to the 80's. He was a WWII baby, the beginning of the Baby Boomer era and every generation after blames them for the world's problems today. But the world has always had problems since the beginning of time. The Gen X, Millenials and Gen Z generations will have to deal with another set of problems that they'll be blamed for when they're the ones running the world and their children and grandchildren point fingers at them. Time marches on, the world keeps turning and every generation has burdens to bear, same as it ever was.

[@brenttrembly6486]

Jordan nailed it! This was Billy's response to a younger person, a generation or two behind him, saying the world had never been worse than it was at the time. Billy took all these events and people and showed that the world had the same problems when he was growing up, and even before that. A great lesson for current generations! This can be used as an object lesson to show problems have existed forever, and that we have to find our way forward and do what we can to improve the world we leave for future generations.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

I think about this a lot with all the upheaval happening today and the people who insist that it's the "end of the world" when we're basically just doing our own version of the upheavals of the 60s. It's tough times, for sure, but tough times have come and gone again and again "since the world's been turning," as Billy sings. Same shizz, different generation.

[@rosemary702001]

@@johnplaysgames3120 you’re right. Turmoil has been around forever and the 2020s are shaping up like the 60s and 70s. However the big difference is the worldwide aspect of now versus then. Now, we can communicate, travel, and learn at the speed of the internet. Now, we can love or hate globally instantly. Hatred is worse than ever, respect for each other has disappeared and the answer to every problem now is to tear it down. That was not the 50s, 60s or 70s. We act and react on a grander scale now than ever before which means the results are bigger and faster than ever before. I have family who see the world as you do, but I’m saying, it’s not the same. I’ve been through both and this broadened, widened theater of action will have bigger consequences than ever imagined. Mankind didn’t start the fire. We’re just caught in the middle of a spiritual battle and we have to choose a side. We really can annihilate each other now and will try until Jesus, Himself, returns to stop it. Signs and Biblical prophecy in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Matthew and Revelation indicate it’s soon. It’s time to be wise in our choices.

[@user-us5pv8zw3z]

This is one big history lesson. Every person mentioned has made history in some way. I used to have a poster in my classroom so my students could see all the words to this song.

[@traci4187]

With the way schools and government are trying to erase history these days, this song should be required listening and analysis for all kids in the U.S.

[@bakilacat1]

This is a history lesson… all these topics should be taught in school even if several lines per topic. They changed the world you live in today. Sputnik (Russian the 1st artificial space satellite), Berlin, Germany (made 1/2 Communist and 1/2 not)…. Go Billy Joel! Interesting reaction as you probably haven’t heard of MOST of these things. Now go look at the lyrics and look up those things… when u can…. Such a great song… it’s amazing. Your reaction… right on… many great things accomplished in the last 100 years (and since time began) Oh: and Thalidomide was a widely used drug in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the treatment of nausea in pregnant women. It became apparent in the 1960s that thalidomide treatment resulted in severe birth defects in thousands of children.

[@ericwalker8636]

I remember that was what drew me to this song when it was released because I had just recently seen a documentary about Thalidomide babies on PBS, having no knowledge of them prior to seeing the doc, and hearing them mentioned caught my attention.

[@causticchameleon7861]

There were several thalidomide kids we saw at our community pool in my small town. We had no idea what happened to malform them until we were teenagers.

[@grandy2875]

my mum's gyno when she was pregnant with my younger brother in late 63/early 64, (brother was born in June 64)was a bloke by the name of Dr William McBride, if I remember, he was one of the earlier researchers (in Australia) into the effects of Thalidomide, he was part of a research organisation called "Foundation 41"...

[@bakilacat1]

@@grandy2875 wow. Born in the 60s, I didn’t know anything about it til maybe the 80s and saw some effects on the news and looked it up. Thank God for researchers and science who find these things out even from something that was originally thought to help us.

[@robmontoya8618]

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” was an epic song when it came out in the 90’s. So, relevant today. He mentions world events, pop culture. It’s a one of his greatest songs.

[@rebeccavanstraten8175]

The song came out in the 80s not the 90s. 1989 to be more specific. Very relevant to what is happening today

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@rebeccavanstraten8175 Yeah the people and events range from Billy's year of birth being 1949 to 1989 when he turned 40, which is a milestone birthday in life.

[@christinewright110]

Yes it mentioned the Russians in Afghanistan. I had forgotten that. They were there first, I believe.

[@jeffflaig362]

@@christinewright110 they were there for 12 years. They pulled out in 88 I believe.

[@seanscanlon9067]

@@jeffflaig362 The irony being America boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to protesting about the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

[@thunderatigervideo]

Billy Joel has two key talents: amazing lyrics/story telling and crazy versatility. He can dabble in just about any musical genre and tell a powerful story at the same time.

[@geoffmartins99]

One of my favourite Billy Joel songs. I honestly hadn’t thought about the chronology aspect of it though, but that makes it so much more interesting. Personally the message I always took from this song was sort of as a response to how it seems like every generation always wants to complain about the next generation and blame them for everything going wrong in the world. I saw this as his way of saying that this crazy stuff and all this drama has always been there as long as mankind has existed, and it’s not something that his generation started, but that they’re trying to fix all these problems and clean up a lot of the messes made by generations before his.

[@Pixiesmom]

Like American Pie, this song is about real life. A teacher had her class listen to this for a Historylesson.

[@backgroundmusik]

Mine too. Didn't do American Pie though. Probably because the movie was out about that time. Forrest Gump could also be used as a "now let's see what really happened" kind of lesson. Someone should do a web series where they tell the story of Gump from Nixon's perspective.

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

My older sister's class was given an assignment based on this song. They listened to it, then the teacher passed out the lyrics and had everyone pick something mentioned in the song to do a mini report.

[@Pixiesmom]

@@backgroundmusik Sorry, I meant Don Mclains? Song "Bye Bye Miss American Pie..." it had Helter Skelter(Manson followers killings), plane crash, etc. So sorry.

[@backgroundmusik]

@@Pixiesmom I know the song. I used to have it practically memorized. There was just no way she could have done that song in a class full of 8th graders when that movie was new and popular.

[@wnsafford1854]

Billy Joel has told the story behind the song. He’d just turned 40, was in the studio, where he met a friend of Sean Lennon’s (John’s son), who’d just turned 21. The friend felt it was harder to be young/21 then (1989), than when Billy was young/21 & said something like “you grew up in the 50s & nothing happened in the 50s.” Billy decided to chronicle events that had happened during his life (1949-1989). These also are the Cold War years, but he said he did not deliberately chronicle the Cold War. It was coincidence.

[@terryroper5860]

Exactly right.

[@sdafc888]

ENGLAND‘S GOT A NEW QUEEN!!!!!

[@darrylmelander6984]

A song written and performed by a boomer, fighting the resentment his generation was already getting from those that followed. It's probably more relevant today than it was when it was written. I'm not a true boomer myself, I'm closer to the age of the clueless kid (at the time) who motivated this song, but all the OK Boomer hate we see today majorly rubs me the wrong way. Every generation has had to deal with deadly serious crap they didn't cause. My generation, Joel's generation, and every other generation is doing the best they can, learning as they go in a flawed and ever-changing world. And sometimes screwing up in the process.

[@michelereynolds3527]

You completely nailed it.

[@danhalstead705]

Wish I could give two thumbs up to this.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

I think one of the reasons subsequent generations are so angry with boomers is that we see that it could have been different- it looked like they really could have made a difference. They started to stand up… and now? What came of it? And maybe that’s because people my age (mid 30s) see that for all the passion to change the world, we’re losing that too, things are worse than they were in some ways, and we still are losing. Maybe it’s a self loathing thing, displaced onto our elders? We haven’t made the difference either.

[@danhalstead705]

​@@katherinemorelle7115 What came of the boomer's standing up? Gee I don't know, when was the last time a black person was lynched? Or chained and dragged behind a truck before they died? Or prevented from eating at an all-white restaurant or attending an all-white school? In 1940, 60% of employed black women were domestic servants, today it's 2.2% while 60% are in white-collar jobs. By 1960 only 1 in 7 black men still worked the land; half were in skilled labor positions and nearly a quarter were white collar. In 1958, 44% of whites said they'd move if a black family lived next door; today it's 1%. In 1958, 4% approved of interracial marriage; today it's 94%. In 1964, 18% of whites had a black friend, today it's 87%. Boomers ended segregation and passed the Civil Rights Act. We went from a place where all blacks were slaves to a place where we elected a black president. Immense progress was made on ending racist laws, beliefs, and actions and to pretend otherwise is to choose ignorance over truth for political gain. Now having said that, did the boomers get everything right? Of course not, and what generation does? The War on Poverty and other misguided attempts to help african americans through increased dependence on the public dole hurt much more than they helped. Thomas Sowell said, “If we want to be serious about evidence, we might want to compare where blacks stood a hundred years after the end of slavery with where they stood after 30 years of the liberal welfare state.” So let's do that too. In 1960, 22% of black kids grew up in homes with just one parent. 30 years later, that number had more than tripled, with most of the growth in urban areas. In 2012, the percentage of black kids who were accepted into elite high schools like Stuyvesant in New York was less than 1/10th what it was 30 years earlier. The number of black kids who went from there to college was less than it was 60 years earlier during the great depression. The housing projects did not have the immense crime and murder rates in the first half of the 20th century that they did in the second half: the families who could afford televisions used to leave their doors open and unlocked so the neighborhood kids could come by and watch westerns or Laurel and Hardy together. Now most people below the poverty line have two televisions and cable but wouldn’t dare leave their doors unlocked. Wealthy whites used to travel into black districts like Harlem for evenings of dancing and entertainment and didn’t fear for their lives. Now we get stories every day of senseless teenage shootings. What changed? One can claim that racism has actually increased but I think that’s a difficult and disingenuous argument to make, given the preponderance of the evidence. One thing that has certainly changed though is blacks in urban areas have voted monolithically for democrat socio-economic policies intended to help them. And it's pretty clear that the result of those policies has been somewhere between disastrous and no help at all. In short, every generation has fought and won great battles in a long war. Anyone who tells you that nothing has changed is most likely trying to obscure what actually did change and what didn't. The remaining question is why.

[@paulleach3612]

@@katherinemorelle7115 Yeah, but, whatever. Gen X followed the Boomers. So, well, yanno. Being in charge and stuff, eww.

[@shawnjohnson9763]

I love "For the Longest Time." It's fun and it's a cappella.

[@Wombatzu]

This had a lot more impact in the late 80s when it was released, a lot of the things mentioned have been forgotten. The last black and white image, for example, is of Col Oliver North, the center of the Iran/Contra scandal that no one talks about anymore. Also confusing is that he throws in the names of movies and books like Bridge on the River Kwai and Stranger in a Strange Land which were iconic a couple generations ago, but not so much now.

[@darrinlindsey]

They were both movies about historical events!!!

[@robynsmith3040]

Joel was born in 1949. The movie Bridge would have made an impression and Heinlein’s Stranger might have been read in high school. I can relate, having been born in 1952.

[@jamesboyd2394]

Billy Joel ....my my ..what a treat! The People ..didn't start the fire....but The People have been trying to put it out for decades..you said it all ..when you say ....FIRE.. I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE 😫

[@tonypegel3021]

In the 80s people yearned for the peaceful, happy days of the 50x and 60s. He wrote this to remind everyone that those day, like all days, are days of turmoil. We idolize the past but it wasn't the paradise we imagine.

[@jenniferjoki9995]

My son's teacher used this song for a history lesson; having each student select one of the historical events in the song to write an essay on. Great song !

[@dipsydoodle7988]

You will love everything Billy does. He's simply an all around genius of an artist. Composer, lyricist/storyteller and musician. You can't ask for more. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and Goodnight Saigon are a couple of my Billy favs, but he was a hit machine. You have a ton of awesome material to delve into with Billy Joel.

[@michaelnahlik4953]

To quote Billy Joel "the good ole days weren't always goods and tomorrow aint as bad as it seems"

[@laurie113]

I LOVED HIS concerts! He’s 71 years old! Would love for you to see him live. It’s amazing

[@lisahumphries3898]

Your generation is so lucky to have media like this and information at your fingertips! If there’s anything every generation learns at some point is that while things in the world appear to change, things do not change. Politics are the same, people are the same, desire for control, war, power, money, etc. is the same. The only thing that changes from generation to generation is clothing and hairstyles.

[@ChanelStuff]

And sometimes the clothing and hair styles come back too!

[@johnplaysgames3120]

True. When I spent a couple years working as an assistant in a high school history classroom, we would often play music from whichever time period we were currently studying. At first, the kids would snicker (or be bored by) the old fuddy-duddy music but it lead to conversations about how a lot of these quaint, old songs were absolutely horrifying to the parents of that generation's kids and how it was just proof to these parents that their children were destroying the world. My mom's parents thought Elvis and the Beatles were destroying society. My grandmother's parents thought Glen Miller and Big Band music were destroying society. Music from the 1920s and 30s is goofy to kids today but that music was rebellious AF at the time. Every generation thinks that their parents' styles and social mores were stale, their own styles and social mores were the most meaningful and perfect, and their kids' styles and social mores are out of control, destructive garbage.

[@suekelley6461]

Chanel Stuff beat me to it😂

[@ChanelStuff]

@@johnplaysgames3120 that's a great idea. Wish I'd had a teacher that did that.

[@liammoule7472]

Other Billy Joel songs worth checking are: - Scenes of an Italian restaurant - Innocent man - River of dreams - Only the good die young - She's always a women - Uptown girl

[@markvanderstelt8999]

you could go on and on.

[@reallyrabidcoconut]

Baby grand is always a fantastic one

[@1031irishqueen]

He's breaking it down in decades

[@marksterner7532]

Billy writes about the people, places, and events that were major news in the years of his life (from 1949 when he was born until 1989 when the song was released).

[@tanahiri]

You should definitely check out Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”. Amazing piano!

[@jamessinacore6991]

THANK YOU! I’ve been begging for this for months! The 1977 live performance at Whistlestop is Crazy Good! Like you say, the piano is amazing, but there’s also a sax solo at the end that’s awesome as well.

[@tombanaski3251]

@@jamessinacore6991 it would be a two-fer for these guys; Jay loves piano and Amber loves sax.....and not to mention it's a great song! I posted a link for the clip of him singing it while accompanied by a student at Vanderbilt University if you have not seen it---pretty cool version as well!

[@herbyragan7801]

My favorite

[@emmalisawhalley9125]

Oh there are a lot of Billy you could play but yes on "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" for sure!! and "New York State of Mind". Thank you two!!! :)

[@Sportsref13]

As well as his closer... BIG SHOT

[@RuthKing-wm9nw]

The pictures behind him at the desk are each iconic photod of the era he is touching on.

[@grizzlycountry1030]

He nailed it exactly. That's what the song is saying.

[@coryevon6482]

“Honesty” is one of my favorite Billy Joel songs, but there are so many great ones, you should react to him more frequently, you could do a different BJ song every week and not run out for a very long time.

[@TroyBoyleAtheistAdvocate]

"Downeaster Alexa" - in my opinion, Billy Joel's most powerful song.

[@ChrisJones-cs2zd]

"Leningrad" is powerful too. Especially for the end of the Cold War era.

[@phoenixfire124]

I love that song!

[@cypher515]

There ain't no Island left for Islanders like me.

[@CavemanJesus4Life]

That and Leningrad

[@louiseglasgow]

That’s been my favourite since I was a teenager

[@bravejango12]

When i was 15 years old I was working on a history project about the events mentioned in this song. It was a Tuesday and we were all in the computer lab researching and making power points. I was reading about the Cola Wars when they wheeled in a TV and turned on the news right as the second plane hit.

[@donnameyers4034]

Any Billy Joel song is awesome. Allentown, Innocent Man, the Longest time etc

[@topherwhite370]

They created a whole classroom curriculum out of this song. Each line had a corresponding history lesson. In the liner notes, it groups the lyrics by year.

[@kimberlypennington6237]

Yes! When I was in 5th grade we had to research line by line what this song was about. "Children of Thalidomide" stuck with me. The pictures of those kids. 😥

[@moiraconleyhomes8501]

I used to love getting an album and reading and re-reading the liner notes. I don't know if anyone even writes them anymore. But they really added to the experience for me.

[@jameswade8391]

And the fire still burns today!!!

[@whosafeard8131]

EVERYTHING is, and has been, by design. This song brilliantly highlights this FACT.

[@jacqueline4514]

We certainly did NOT start the fire; Politicians and Big Business did!

[@warbaby5490]

And it's still going on and on and on!

[@RTSOB1]

You don't get it. You (we) elected the politicians, You (we) bought the things that made the businesses big. (You/Me/We) all contribute to the events of the day, any day, any time. It's been always burnin' since the world's been turnin'.

[@jonnylumberjack6223]

I agree Dennis. Society is a mess, is the basic message of this song, And that's all of us.

[@jacqueline4514]

@@RTSOB1 I definitely get what you are saying; I interpret it as “We”, the listener, did not start the fire; the persons behind the events he then identifies did, who are primarily Politicians and Business

[@lindawilson467]

This song prompted me to take an evening class in 20th century world history, as it made me realise how much I didn't know

[@garysnow5054]

Your are right. Each generation is fighting the fires the generations before started.

[@S_Loucks]

This was Billy Joel's third #1 smash hit. It certainly was a history lesson that was in chronological order. Now, you referenced Piano Man, but I can't find it anywhere on your channel. Is it still available? Finally, if you want another rocker from Billy Joel, take a listen to Pressure, one of my favorite songs by this legendary artist.

[@brentcox7772]

Billy Joel is awesome in concert!!! So talented!🤘🔥

[@rayniecox7683]

Brent Cox, I say Billy Joel and Eric Clapton the same year (back in the late 70s). Eric Clapton sucked, I was so disappointed, he actually turned his back on the audience. On the other hand, I've never seen someone squat on top of a piano and play upsidedown like Billy Joel. One of the best concerts I ever attended!!😎😎😎😎

[@shawnsnow2655]

He's been on my bucket list for a longggggtime.

[@mikemantle]

More Billy Joel "uptown girl" , "only the good die young" , "the longest time" so many great songs.

[@odemusvonkilhausen]

Uptown Girl and The Longest Time are, hands down, my favorite Billy Joel songs. But I love doo-wop.

[@bobbymcminn6171]

Do both of these PLEASE!!!

[@lissalives1]

Loved this song. Imagine the lyrics he could add now. ♥️

[@dawnliby5480]

Happy Birthday 🎈Billy Joel

[@andrewkelley434]

He is singing a history lesson. Every historical person or thing he is singing about is chronologically correct :) it's brilliant.

[@ella5319]

Yes it is! Always loved this song.

[@missd9785]

In this song he's mentioning moments and people that had attention or impact in our history whether political, sports or entertainment. Yes, it was a history lesson that a lot of teachers were able to use to teach history when it came out. To be honest this wouldn't be on my top 10 favs of Joel. So many great songs by Billy Joel for y'all to check out. UPTOWN GIRL YOU MAY BE RIGHT SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN MOVIN OUT

[@jaimecontreras6752]

This is a history lesson (politics, music, violence, book, wars, movies, famous people, scandals, assassinations, et al) set to a rock tune.

[@michellebeitelspach6920]

The two of you need to hear “you’re my home” it’s a beautiful and heartfelt song

[@robertbruner4792]

Welcome back Amber. Suggestions for Female Friday : Bonnie Raitt's Let's Give Them Something to Talk About or Linda Ronstadt's Long Long Time 😀

[@shawnpiette5372]

Can’t go wrong with any billy joel. This song has the hardest lyrics to memorize

[@samhainkid]

It's still easier than REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know It". ;)

[@marksherrick]

@@samhainkid even Michael Stipe doesn't know the words to that one.

[@ellefitzpatrick6339]

I memorised it.

[@samhainkid]

@@marksherrick hahahahahaaa!!

[@UniversalMokenTroll]

Supersonic by JJ Fad is a close second. A sama lama lama lama doo ma nama seema nama Lama nama doo ma nama lama nama seema nama Lama nama doo a nama nama nama seema lama Lama nama seema nama doo ma nama hama, yeah Yeah, that was it That's it (That's it)

[@chuckragland6100]

What he is saying is no matter how bad things seem, it won't last. History keeps moving forward. This to shall pass.

[@rufioreed3953]

Bro billy Joel is the best.. writes his own music. True artist.

[@mike7146]

You 2 gained mad respect from me for your direction of this channel and life by pursuing and encouraging love and positive encouragement. Lord knows I struggle and you blessed me tonight!

[@pamelapasechnick6899]

I am in my 60s, so I have seen a lot of history, literally first hand, thanks to the magic of television! Call me naive, but I never thought that there would be a time in the United States, when everyone could actually see history being made, and yet there be so many trying to convince people that they didn't really see what we saw. It is SO important that we as Americans teach true, unbiased history in our schools. It is sad, and frightening that we have not seemed to have learned that. On a more pleasant note, Billy Joel is one of those astounding musicians that has such an amazingly varied catalog of songs that he has written/sung! Keep checking out what he has to offer. You won't be sorry.

[@spornge]

A hidden gem of this song is the entendre pun in mind it : we didn;t mind it as in we did not really bother us, but also mind the fire , or mind it , means pay attention : so it works both ways 1. We didnt pay attention because it did not bother us because we always new it was there 2. we did not pay attention to it because itsalways been burning and because of either it gets bigger and bigger. You can not stop the chaos, but if you do not try to stop it , it gets out of control, it is the struggle against it that keeps the world spinning.

[@BachBeethovenBerg]

This song challenges the notion of the “good ol’ days”

[@CybermanBill]

Check out more of his older music like Piano Man!: • "Just the Way You Are" (Love song) • Scenes From an Italian Restraunt" • "Pressure" • "You May Be Right" • "Uptown Girl" (LOVE SONG WRITTEN FOR HIS NEW WIFE CHRISTIE BRINKLEY)

[@jodiedehart3314]

If you want PIANO. And Horns. ( Saxophone in particular), Billy Joel's " New York State of Mind" is ESSENTIAL!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@daveyhouston]

This song is the best thing he ever wrote!!!

[@darlieoneeleven]

Every generation thinks the world sucks when they get to the age of maturity! It has been going on since then beginning of time! All we can do is try to improve upon what we have and remember to learn from mankinds mistakes

[@serasmile6026]

Billy Joel is epic.