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Real Lyrics -> Real Places Mentioned in Songs -> Billy Joel
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Real Places Mentioned in Songs, Billy Joel
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1973-97-Complete Hits Collection album at Amazon.com
Billy Joel's, "Allentown"
The Lyrics:
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Why:
Bethlehem, a city in Pennsylvania. (The title refers to another city in Pennsylvania, namely Allentown, which is just 9 miles from Bethlehem.)
Submitted by: Candy Welty
Billy Joel's, "Goodnight Saigon"
The Lyrics:
We met as soulmates
On Parris Island
On Parris Island
Why:
Parris Island is the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Port Royal South Carolina. The song is about soldiers in the jungle during the Vietnam war, and although Saigon (the South Vietnam capital) is in the title of the song, it doesn't appear in the lyrics.
Submitted by: Adrian Smith
Billy Joel's, "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me"
The Lyrics:
"Are you gonna cruise the Miracle Mile?"
Why:
The Miracle Mile is a neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Submitted by: Tarzan
Billy Joel's, "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Down On Broadway)"
The Lyrics:
Seen the lights go out on Broadway
I saw the Empire State laid low
And life went on beyond the Palisades
They all bought Cadillacs
And left there long ago
They held a concert out in Brooklyn
To watch the island bridges blow
They turned our power down
And drove us underground
But we went right on with the show
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I saw the ruins at my feet
You know we almost didn't notice it
We'd seen it all the time on Forty-second Street
They burned the chuches up in Harlem
Like in the Spanish civil war
The flames were ev'rywhere
But no one really cared
It always burned up there before
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I've watched the mighty skyline fall
The boats were waiting at the battery
The union went on strike
They never sailed at all
They sent a carrier out from Norfolk
And picked the Yankees up for free
They said that Queens could stay
They blew the Bronx away
And sank Manhattan out at sea
You know those lights were bright on Broadway
That was so many years ago
Before we all lived here in Florida
Before the Mafia took over Mexico
There are not many who remember
They say a handful still survive
To tell the world about
The way the lights went out
And keep the memory alive
I saw the Empire State laid low
And life went on beyond the Palisades
They all bought Cadillacs
And left there long ago
They held a concert out in Brooklyn
To watch the island bridges blow
They turned our power down
And drove us underground
But we went right on with the show
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I saw the ruins at my feet
You know we almost didn't notice it
We'd seen it all the time on Forty-second Street
They burned the chuches up in Harlem
Like in the Spanish civil war
The flames were ev'rywhere
But no one really cared
It always burned up there before
I've seen the lights go out on Broadway
I've watched the mighty skyline fall
The boats were waiting at the battery
The union went on strike
They never sailed at all
They sent a carrier out from Norfolk
And picked the Yankees up for free
They said that Queens could stay
They blew the Bronx away
And sank Manhattan out at sea
You know those lights were bright on Broadway
That was so many years ago
Before we all lived here in Florida
Before the Mafia took over Mexico
There are not many who remember
They say a handful still survive
To tell the world about
The way the lights went out
And keep the memory alive
Why:
Great song - the closing track from the Turnstiles album that name checks most of New York City. The boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan are included. The fifth borough (Staten Island) isn't specifically named, but the reference to 'island bridges' in the first verse probably refers to that. there's also Harlem, Broadway and 42nd Street. Battery refers to Battery Park. In the first verse, Empire State could refer to the skyscraper on 5th Avenue or the nickname of New York state. Moving away from NYC, Norfolk is the naval base in Virginia, Palisades is a small settlement in New York state just across the Hudson from NYC. Miami (from the title doesn't get a mention) but Florida does and finally Mexico.
Submitted by: Adrian Smith
Billy Joel's, "Why Should I Worry?"
The Lyrics:
One minute, I'm in Central Park
And then I'm down on Delancey Street
I ride the Bowery to St. Mark's
And then I'm down on Delancey Street
I ride the Bowery to St. Mark's
Why:
Central Park, Delancey Street, Bowery Avenue, and St. Mark's Place - All streets or locales on Manhattan Island in New York City
Submitted by: Raphael
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