Billy Joel - The Stranger

I just watched a Billy Joel documentary on YouTube and it reminded me of how much I enjoy many of the songs he has written.   For me the memories of going to the roller rink and skating to My Life and Moving Out   will never be forgotten.   Like it or not, most people have heard Billy Joel´s hits on the radio, on TV, etc.   However, there are a few songs which deserve to be recommended  that I don´t think are that well known, especially if you are a little younger  or never bothered to listen to Billy Joel´s older stuff.     Probably my favorite is the song The Stranger, from Joel´s fifth studio album of the same name which  came out in 1977.   This album has many well-known songs on it but I don´t remember ever hearing The Stranger played on the radio.   It is similar to my song These Are Not The Droids You´re Looking For in that it is about the difference between what we tell others (and ourselves) and what is really true.   This song is just packed with great lines:

Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and show ourselves
When everyone has gone

Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?

THE STRANGER

Now here is another song that does appear on greatest hits albums but is not something that you would typically hear on the radio.  The name is Prelude/Angry Young Man (Album: Turnstiles 1976) and it contains a long instrumental prelude before the actual song begins.   The song really does a good job of describing the rebellious feelings of youth with some wonderful lines like:  "There´s always a place for the angry young man with his fist in the air and his head in the sand."   and "His honor is pure and his courage as well, and he´s fair and he´s true and he´s boring as hell."   I admit that I was an angry young man at one time and now being older I can appreciate what  Joel says in the song´s bridge, "I believe I´ve passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage.  I found that just surviving was a noble fight."

ANGRY YOUNG MAN

The next song that I´m going to recommend is I Don´t Want To Be Alone (Glass Houses 1980) a funny little song with a lot of truth in it.   The song is about a relationship that ended but is being resurrected.  

I DON´T WANT TO BE ALONE

OK, one more lesser-known Billy Joel song is Sleeping With The Television On.   I can relate since I have spent many an evening falling asleep to the noise of the TV.    This song also  contains the wonderful line "Your eyes are saying, ´Talk to me.´  but your attitude is ´Don´t waste my time.´"  

SLEEPING WITH THE TELEVISION ON

Anybody have any other favorite forgotten Billy Joel songs that they would like to recommend?