Billy Joel
52nd Street (1978)
1. Big Shot
2. Honesty
3. My Life
4. Zanzibar
5. Stiletto
6. Rosalinda's Eyes
7. Half a Mile Away
8. Until the Night
9. 52nd Street
Big Shot
(Billy Joel)
Well you went uptown riding in your limousine
With your fine Park Avenue clothes
You had the Dom Perignon in your hand
And the spoon up your nose
And when you wake up in the morning
With your head on fire
And your eyes too bloody to see
Go on and cry in your coffee
But don't come b****in' to me
Because you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to open up your mouth
You had to be a big shot, didn't you
All your friends were so knocked out
You had to have the last word, last night
You know what everything's about
You had to have a white hot spotlight
You had to be a big shot last night
They were all impressed with your Halston dress
And the people that you knew at Elaine's
And the story of your latest success
Kept 'em so entertained
Aw but now you just can't remember
All the things you said
And you're not sure you want to know
I'll give you one hint, honey
You sure did put on a show
Yes, yes, you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to prove it to the crowd
You had to be a big shot, didn't you
All your friends were so knocked out
You had to have the last word, last night
You're so much fun to be around
You had to have the front page, bold type
You had to be a big shot last night
Well, it's no big sin to stick your two cents in
If you know when to leave it alone
But you went over the line
You couldn't see it was time to go home
No, no, no, no, no, no, you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to open up your mouth
You had to be a big shot, didn't you
All your friends were so knocked out
You had to have the last word, last night
So much fun to be around
You had to have a white hot spot light
You had to be a big shot last night
Honesty
(Billy Joel)
If you search for tenderness
It isn't hard to find
You can have the love you need to live
But if you look for truthfulness
You might just as well be blind
It always seems to be so hard to give
Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you
I can always find someone
To say they sympathize
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve
But I don't want some pretty face
To tell me pretty lies
All I want is someone to believe
Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you
I can find a lover
I can find a friend
I can have security
Until the bitter end
Anyone can comfort me
With promises again
I know, I know
When I'm deep inside of me
Don't be too concerned
I won't ask for nothin' while I'm gone
But when I want sincerity
Tell me where else can I turn
Because you're the only one that I depend on
Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you
My Life
(Billy Joel)
Got a call from an old friend
We used to be real close
Said he couldn't go on the American way
Closed the shop, sold the house
Bought a ticket to the West Coast
Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.
I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone
I never said you had to offer me a second chance
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
I still belong, don't get me wrong
And you can speak you mind
But not on my time
They will tell you you can't sleep alone
In a strange place
Then they'll tell you you can't sleep
With somebody else
Ah, but sooner or later you sleep
In your own space
Either way it's okay
You wake up with yourself
I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone
I never said you had to offer me a second chance
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
I still belong, don't get me wrong
And you can speak you mind
But not on my time
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone
Zanzibar
(Billy Joel)
Ali dances and the audience applauds
Though he's beathed in sweat he hasn't lost his style
Ali don't you go downtown
You gave away another round for free
Me, I'm just another face at Zanzibar
But the waitress always serves a secret smile
She's waiting out in Shantytown
She's gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me
I've got the old man's car,
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be
Rose, he knows he's such a credit to the game
But the Yankees grab the headlines every time
Melodrama's so much fun
In black and white for everyone to see
Me, I'm trying just to get to second base
And I'd steal it if she only gave the sign
She's gonna give the go ahead
The inning isn't over yet for me
I've got the old man's car,
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be
Tell the waitress I'll come back to Zanzibar
I'll be hiding in the darkness with my beer
She's waiting out in Shantytown
She's gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me
I've got the old man's car,
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be
Stiletto
(Billy Joel)
She cuts you once, she cuts you twice
But still you believe
The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood
But you don't have strength to leave
You've been bought, you've been sold
You've been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin'
With your insides bleedin'
'Cause deep down you want some more
Then she says she wants forgiveness
It's such a clever masquerade
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't even see the blade
She cuts you hard, she cuts you deep
She's got so much skill
She's so fascinating that you're still there waiting
When she comes back for the kill
You've been slashed in the face
You've been left there to bleed
You want to run away
But you know you're gonna stay
'Cause she gives you what you need
Then she says she needs affection
While she searches for the vein
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't really mind the pain
She cuts you out, she cuts you down
She carves up your life
But you won't do nothing
As she keeps on cutting
'Cause you know you love the knife
You've been bought, you've been sold
You've been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin'
With your insides bleedin'
'Cause deep down you want some more
Then she says she needs affection
While she searches for the vein
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't really mind the pain
Rosalinda's Eyes
(Billy Joel)
I play nights in the Spanish part of town
I've got music in my hands
The work is hard to find
But that don't get me down
Rosalinda understands
Crazy Latin dancing solo down in Herald Square
Oh Havana I've been searching for you everywhere
And though I'll never be there
I know what I would see there
I can always find my Cuban skies
In Rosalinda's eyes
When she smiles she gives everything to me
When she's all alone she cries
And I'd do anything to take away her tears
Because they're Rosalinda's eyes
Senorita don't be lonely, I will soon be there
Oh Havana I've been searching for you everywhere
I've got a chance to make it
It's time for me to take it
I'll return before the fire dies
In Rosalinda's eyes
All alone in a Puerto Rican band
Union wages, wedding clothes
Hardly anyone has seen how good I am
But Rosalinda says she knows
Crazy Latin dancing solo down in Herald Square
Oh Havana I've been searching for you everywhere
And though I'll never be there
I know what I would see there
I can always find my Cuban skies
In Rosalinda's eyes
Half a Mile Away
(Billy Joel)
Little Geo is a friend of mine
We get some money and we buy a cheap wine
Sit on the corner and have a holiday
Hide the bottle when the cop goes by
Talk about women and lie, lie, lie
Oh, my other world is just a half a mile away
Wait for mamma to turn out the light
Crawl on the the roof and then hit the night
I should be sleeping but tonight I just can't stay
I've given everybody so much time
Now I need a moment that's mine
Oh my other world is just a half a mile away
It's just a half a mile away
Angelina save a place for me
I've been livin' someone else's life and now I've got to be free
Turn your transistor on and let the music play
I try to keep the family satisfied
But there's gotta be more to life than just try, try, try
Oh my other world is just a half a mile away
It's just a half a mile away
Until the Night
(Billy Joel)
I never ask you where you go
After I leave you in the morning
We go our different ways to separate situations
It's not that easy anymore
Today I do what must be done
I give my time to total strangers
But now it feels as though the the day goes on forever
More than it ever did before
Until the night, until the night
I just might make it
Until the night, until the night
When I see you again
Now you're afraid that we have changed
And I'm afraid we're getting older
So many broken hearts, so many lonely faces
So many lovers come and gone
I'll have my fears like every man
You'll have you tears like every woman
Today we'll be unsure, is this what we believe in
And wonder how can we go wrong
Until the night, until the night
I just might make it
Until the night, until the night
When I see you again
When the sun goes down
And the day is over
When the last of the light has gone
As they pour into the street
I will be getting closer
As the cars turn their headlights on
As they're closing it down
I'm gonna open it up
And while they're going to sleep
We'll just be starting to touch
I'm just beginning to feel
I'm just beginning to give
I'm just beginning to feel
I'm just beginning to live
Before I leave you again
Before the light of dawn
Before this evening can end
I have been waiting so long
Until the night, until the night
I just might make it
Until the night, until the night
I'll just keep holding on
Until the night, until the night
When I see you again
52nd Street
(Billy Joel)
They say it takes a lot to keep a love alive
In every heart there pumps a different beat
But if we shift the rhythm into overdrive
Well, we could generate a lot of heat
On Fifty Second Street
Oh oh Fifty Second Street
We're gonna have a little show parade
Before they know the second bar was played
We're gonna slip it to 'em short and sweet on Fifty Second Street