Billy Joel - Allentown (Audio)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024
- In 1982, Billy Joel released an album titled The Nylon Curtain, which became a Billboard Top 10 album and was one of the first to be recorded, mixed, and mastered digitally. Listen to the studio version of 'Allentown'.
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Lyrics:
Well we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we're living here in Allentown
But the restlessness was handed down
And it's getting very hard to stay
Billy Joel's official TH-cam channel features music videos, live performances, interviews, TV appearances and more. Best known for his first hit song, 'Piano Man', in 1973, Billy has written and recorded thirty-three Top 40 hits in the United States. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner, a 23-time Grammy nominee and one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 150 million records worldwide. Billy Joel is the sixth-best-selling recording artist and the third-best-selling solo artist in the United States.
Thank you Billy Joel for this song , no one could have done it better , it's a masterpiece !
Sublime but effortless chord progression. Magnificent melody and superb lyrics. Perhaps his best composition…
30 years later and those lyrics are still as relevant as ever
35 years later now, and the water is still wet.
They actually arent
Uh no
TimberWolvesX X ;
JA ! aber weisst du , das ist traurig .
YES ! but you know, that's sad.
It is, it's dead these days
"But the restlessness was handed down"
That's a genius-level lyric, right there.
Why
40 years later and those lyrics are absolutely relevant facts!
I was talking about this with my sister. I was born in 1981, she was born in '79. There were 7 kids in our family and we didn't have a lot growing up but we worked and fought our way to a pretty good life. But the last couple years we've been feeling the pinch - just got a decent raise at work but the money just isn't going as far and we're still doing better than a good majority of the US. It's like the country has all become Allentown.
It's pretty discouraging but we go on. ❤
@suzybearheart530 'Knock me down! I'll pick myself up, dust myself off, and fight and work harder!' My personal motto.
@@nibrasge6375 Excellent! 🙌
Love this song 42 years later❤
Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got
But something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our face
That's some amazing writing there...
What happened was the formation of the "New World Order" in preparation for receiving the Antichrist.
Every time I hear that bridge to the song, I interpret those lyrics as a poetic way of saying that the people got drafted to fight in Vietnam: the "something" that interfered with what their expected goal in life was going to be. But, that's just my take.
@@ZEKESPILLEDINKMUSIC it's pretty obvious that's the intended meaning.
Billy Joel's best. I grew up in a town like this. In the Pacific Northwest. When the natural resources were gone our town almost disappeared. So sad. I cry every time I hear this song. "they never taught us what was real, iron and coke chromium steel." A working-class anthem for sure.
SHA-DAPP ! you know you made up that story
This song always makes me think of my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was a big steel manufacturing town in Appalachia much like Allentown, Pennsylvania. Then by the 1980's, all of the factories closed down as everything moved overseas.
Chattanooga was a manufacturing town. When my father grew up there, he just assumed that he would get a job in a factory there out of high school just like my grandfather did. But that didn't happen. Partly why my dad got into computer school and took a programming job in Memphis and Atlanta and led to my adventures growing up with him even living and working in New York and Puerto Rico.
Hell, my dad is even named "Allen," which I think is why this song resonated more with us, plus him being a Billy Joel music fan. We had his greatest hits album on CD when I was a kid in Memphis and this song always made us think of what Chattanooga was and for better or worse became. Honestly, it wasn't one of the better places to be when I was born there in the 1980's. It was a crime ridden city with high unemployment. It's sort of a miracle that it has in recent years become the playground of the Southeast. Lots of people in Atlanta like to go there for the weekend and even retire there. Not going to knock it, as it has its mountain scenery, enough to be nicknamed "The Scenic City." That's not to mention the college town it is with UTC (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga).
Lots of times, my dad laments the gentrification that has happened in Chattanooga, but in some odd way, also appreciates it. That being said, at least Chattanooga hasn't become like many so-called Rust Belt cities.
can you imagine listening to this in Detroit 1982? it was brutal, de-industrialization. I was 18 there were no jobs, no work.... I Love this song
Sitting here in floods of tears. Think this song just brings out the broken dreams and lies….
Great song coming from a Bronx born Long Island kid
Always loved Allentown. Important track to me in the early '80s while seeing the decline of the steel industry in Sheffield, England mirrored by the closures in Pennsylvannia. The closures totally knackered the local economy and some might say took the heart from the great city up to the present day. Billy Joel has been criticised for being lightweight but he and Bruce Springsteen struck a chord with those of usin England left behind by the synth escapism of the British scene in the early '80s. This is Billy Joel's most mature album in my opinion.
Yes ,hard hitting if u values it
And we lived near Bethlehem Steel in buffalo...same thing..sad
We're originally from Buffalo. Bethlehem Steel shut down...many people left town
I agree. And it stands as a timeless testament.
Blame the foreign steel companies the unions corporate And most of all the. Eco freaks
Today, Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are largely recovered, with new development springing up all over. Not as well off as we once were, but a recovery has been made. Our hearts go out to all of the towns and cities who weren’t so lucky.
Being close to Philadelphia and New York City certainly helps. These days, Pennsylvania is becoming more bifurcated, with an eastern half that's mostly growing and thriving, and a western half that's still dying outside of Pittsburgh and its richest suburbs.
Definitely one of the greatest American songs ever composed and performed
I agree Friend. Melodically, lyrically, politically and poetically perfect.
Grew up in Cleveland & Toledo. Watched my Dad, Uncles & Couisins get laid off as Ford, Chevy & GM closed down factory after factory. Billy Joel took the whole era & explained it with a handful of words. He could have called it Cleveland, Detroit or Toledo as well as Allentown. We all got whipped by NAFTA in the end.
So true brother. And he song it with such a passion. You can tell it came from the heart.
Dayton Ohio born and raised. Our entire area revolved around GM. When GM moved out, the area went to hell in a hand basket.
Not just in the Midwest, but a lot of us in industrial cities in the South like my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I probably would have grown up there if the industrial system that had employed my grandfather hadn't left there.
NAFTA was hard for Mexico too. Most people still lived on the countryside, in ranches and the like. Nowadays, its all ghost towns, agriculture and animal housbandry became unprofitable, now its land depradated by cartels who use the ruins for their nefarious means. And most mexican industry died, since they couldnt compete with the US ones which ultimatly betrayed you. Nafta was only good for the money changers, for the people? no, not in any side of the border
Not NAFTA, capitalism.
I loved this song when I was in my early 20s back in 1982 and still love it at 63 in 2024. Great song.
As a former on air radio Disc jockey here? I can say ? Hands down Joel has certainly given all of us some really great timeless pieces of tunes to enjoy . I personally? Like seeing the younger people who comment on how their parents got them into these great songs and still? They enjoy them. The Se7enties was a great decade for the music industry in my view. We had so many great song writers and they for the most part ? Incorporated story telling . Mr. Billy Joel is a great example of just ? That? Salute to Billy Joel and his band for 30 plus years of being? A real entertainer. Grazie mille. From one Native New Yorker to another. By the way? The radio stations I worked on the air all in the S.W. region ? KMGA. KAMX .KHTZ .KQEO and ARROW102.5 .those are just a few . Again ? Thanks Billy Joel. Lots of great memories.
I am glad the man is not dead like lots of famous people are.
My favorite Billy Joel song. What an amazing melody-line.
A piano accompaniment of all beauty, rhythm and harmony, structuring the whole soul of the song.
Unfortunately, or rather on contrary so much the better, I will never be able to determine which is billy's song I prefer.
Yes exactly 💯
One of the best memories I have with this album was sitting on a school travel bus from Chicago back to Farmington Hills with a bunch of tired, sleeping preteens, while it’s raining and while jamming to this album on a 2008 discman at full volume after listening to Janet Jackson’s Design Of A Decade, Suzanne Vega’s Retrospective, and The Essential Journey (Which I bought on the trip), and after muckbanging an Arby’s combo meal which was the only good thing I ate on that entire trip, and getting back to the school an hour late at a final arrival time of 12:03am. Those were the best 4 months of my life and the end of my true childhood.
lol. was unaware people still do mukbang. thought it was like a 2015/2016 trend.
One of the best albums ever made.
This is a pure, plain, and unadulterated song for all ears to hear, minds to reach, and hearts to touch.
After the years, still a classic of the workers!
Well we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line
Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we're living here in Allentown
But the restlessness was handed down
And it's getting very hard to stay
Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved
So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron and coke
And chromium steel
And we're waiting here in Allentown
But they've taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled away
Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got
But something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our face
Well I'm living here in Allentown
And it's hard to keep a good man down
But I won't be getting up today
And it's getting very hard to stay
And we're living here in Allentown
Thank you! Great song. Timeless!
What a perfect song! Lyrics, music and performance by Billy...just perfect!😊
Wonderful song with meaningful lyrics. Mr. Billy Joel is a damn good artist.
My favorite Billy Joel song. BAR NONE.
The 'Nylon Curtain' was the last eight-track I ever bought. Since then I've owned the cassette and CD.
Flint Michigan checking in. Grandma worked at Buick. Huge Joel fan.
I grew up in North Carolina and these lyrics ring true with the 90s textile, furniture and tobacco industries here as much as the steel industry up north in the 70s and 80s. Blue collar through and through.
Not a big fan of Billy Joel, but this is one of his best -
"Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow..."
Beautiful!
Goosebumps ❤
Separate the person from the art..
Never pedestalize anyone.
I was raised on this mans music..on the Island not a summer goes past that I don't hear Billy Joel playing, could be anywhere and these songs make me feel like Im home. So nostalgic
Proud to be born in Allentown Pennsylvania!!
His voice is so soothing to the soul.....bloody love this man!!
Brilliant song writer and artist ' can 't fault any of his music.
March 15, 2022 … this song hits harder now than it did when I was 14 & it was omnipresent on WLS - Chicago … I grew-up in a small-town in the sub-suburbs that died after this song faded from the charts.
I had to leave that town & my family to do something with myself & I resent it.
Which suburb? I'm in Mundelein, but grew up in Wheeling.
@@DRG342 Sub-suburbs .. a small-town about an hour & a half southwest. Dixon Illinois.
@@hailmaryrecordings8255 Yes, I've heard of Dixon. Love small towns
@@DRG342 Headed back soon for a bit. L.A. has become unlivable since the pandemic.
@@hailmaryrecordings8255 that's what I hear.
The most relevant American song you will ever hear!
joels songs from my early years are even more relevant now. he is timeless!
Honestly
As are all great songs...timeless
This song by Billy Joel Allentown speaks the truth
One of the great tracks from a great artist
The Nylon Curtain wasn't Billy's best-selling album, but a lot of fans consider it his greatest work... I'd be honored if some Billy Joel fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal YT performances of ALLENTOWN and VIENNA in tribute to one of the greatest American songwriter-vocalist-musicians of all time. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital editing. Thanks and stay safe.
Billy Joel-who I saw live in concert four times-1982, 1987, 1990, 1993-celebrates his 71'st birthday on Saturday, May 9'th, 2020.
I live in Belgium. It took me weeks to remember..I found this awesome album in my mom's audio tapes collection in the '90. At that time I was like 10, just enjoyed the music... Now I can speak and understand english, I find it twice awesome. Thanks for the share.
One of my all-time favorites!
No denying his impressive songwriting skills ❤
2024年5月、日本からビリージョエルのアレンタウンが聴きたくてここにきました。
メロディーがとても好きです。
しかし、歌詞の意味を知って聞くと、当時現役ブルーカラーの方々の苦しい人生を感じ、とても辛く思います。
当時を支えた従業員の全員に賞賛を。
解雇されたその後の人生が報われたことを祈ります。
どうか皆さんが働いてきた仕事に誇りを持てますように。
今働いている2024年現在の皆さん一人一人が自分の仕事に自信と誇りをを持てますように。
働いてきてよかったと報われますように。
これを歌にして世に訴えたビリー
あなたの歌は今でも世界で聴かれています。ありがとう。
Just ordered the vinyl of this album on Amazon and I’m super pumped to hear the rest of it 🤘🏻
My favourite Billy Joel album remember him doing a track by track interview with Roger Scott on our local FM radio station Capital, never heard anything like it since God bless Billy,. Roger will never be forgotten deeply missed RIP
One of his best
every year my family and i go to wildwood, new jersey. we live in the binghamton new york area and on the way there, i always play this song when we’re passing allentown. it’s become one of my favorite traditions
Saw him 3x over the years...never disappointed. Amazing.
Exactly, Joseph-Billy put on GREAT shows!
Currently living in one of the many Allentown bretheren around America and by god is it hard to stay.
My very first cassette as a kid. Think I was 8 or 9. Loved this album.
Outstanding song by Billy!!!...Has a special meaning to me: Our ship cook would always play it during breakfast during my first time at sea, back in 2010...
Working ship
Great harmony, great beat, and you can dance to it. One of my Billy Joel favorites (and there's too many of them to count)
I can't,I cry for poisoning song ,yes the enemies will dance,in and out
What a song! Love this one.
Pretty sure Mr. William Joel is the coolest thing to ever happen in the pop music world. What a phenomenal career, but I always come back to Allentown.
Powerful lyrics that clearly resonate with everyone here, but are you aware of what inspired Joel to write the song? Allentown was Billyl's way of recognizing his many fans in that City who, with the help of the local rock station (WZZO) successfully circulated a petition asking the artist perform at its Fairgrounds stadium. Up to that point, the closest he'd ever gotten to the 'Lehigh Valley' was New York and Philly.
One of Billy's last good, *good* songs - and what a song it is. God bless this man!
Timeless,, all the way to 2024 and still going.
I had this album growing up. I love the chord changes in this song- follows the emotion of the lyrics so well!
Probably one of his five best songs, always makes me think of hunting deers...
Good to be in Allentown.
I LOVE THIS SONG A LOT~
When this song is no longer relevant then society will truly no longer be sick
That's the truth!
he sounds just as good live
YES he does. Had the pleasure of seeing him on the Storm Front tour. Such a great performance.
The Lehigh Valley is my neck of the woods. Bethlehem Steel was our pride and joy; our steel built the world (fuck Pittsburgh). The loss was more than just jobs; we lost our pride, which is why it is so sad, for me.
I remember driving through Lehigh valley on my way to toronto for the first time as a kid from the suburbs of philly, good times.
Favorite Billy song
Wow. 80s. MTV exposed me to this tune during my youth.
My dad is a steel mill worker we have lived in Pennsylvania our whole life’s dad is lucky to have a job in the steel mills (he works at uss steel Clariton works been there most my life)
I have seen the music video for this song on dvd, and I actually like this song.
and?
1983 memories
He's like musical Hemingway, surreal even.
Devastating pop song with rock lyrics...
one of my favorites by him. :)
really tells a story...
Never liked Billy too much but this song is a masterpiece! It could be our new national anthem??? This once great nation is dead and I mourn its loss.
thank you Billy
Puedo repetirla muchas veces y no me canso de escucharla, me anima mucho♥️
❤
one this themes on my tracklist....favorites!!!!!
A Masterpiece.
I Love This One ♥️
Billy is the man!
So I'm writing a musical based on Billy Joel's Music, and this song is actually included, that's because the main character was born and lived his early years in Allentown , but when he becomes a young adult, but I'm curious if this should be the opening number or is "Prelude/Angry Young Man" a better show opener
How is that working for you?
This is amazing
4O YEARS AGO TODAY 1 THIS WEEK May 22, 1982, -2022.
love this song!
Nice. I remember when the song was played in a Shining Time Station toy video.
his best album.
I originally had this on tape and would listen to it via my (then) very expensive Walkman!
Marshal Tenner Winter I don't know. Storm Front and The Stranger are masterpieces
Billy Joel agrees! He always said that this is his "Sgt. Pepper's" album.
I love how on some tracks he channeled a Beatles vibe. This was his first album after John Lennon was murdered, so it's understandable that a Beatles influence is more prominent.
Hangover, and we living here in Allentown
The law of diminishing returns does here !!!!!😄
Good song.my ancestors were from pennsylvania.some of them!💯
Thanks for uploading this album. Lost the orgiinal CD thanks to my ex husband. (no comments). Best Billy's record ever!
I still have it on cassette :-)
Great song
There are two dislikes. Two too many.
Now 10 :(
Now 22 :(
何回聴いてもいい曲だ～♪ 昔を思い出す＾＾
bravo Billy , j'étais en germany lorsque j'ai acheté "THE NYLON CURTAIN" c'est un SUPER ALBUM 23/05 2016 OF FRANCE
He definitely had a bunch of good songs after this. But I do love "Allentown".
we wrote about the places we played and the people we met ..
The lyrics make this song.....
This song was on my first audio cassette. Behind the iron courtain we only got mixtapes. 🙂
This song is a testament to how messed up the US labor force is. Unions insisting on super-inflated salaries, big conglmerate companies taking advantage of ax oopholes to ship jobs to other countries, and the worker left in the plight of "Allentown." Lots of work to be done.
hey 5 bucks for a loaf of bread isn't bad, unless you make 8.20 an hour at the grocery store... then it seems a bit high.
"Unions insisting on super-inflated salaries".
Really?
Promises , Promises, was all most of us got. I started working in 1978 and the one company I worked for told me all the years I put in didn’t count towards my retirement because I was hired temporary / part time even though more times than not I’d put 40 plus hrs a week in, especially around the holidays. So I got Nothing ! And they wonder why people flip out?