Revisiting BILLY JOEL - We Didn't Start the Fire, Blew my mind! The lyrical references...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
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Revisiting BILLY JOEL - We Didn't Start the Fire, Blew my mind! The lyrical references...
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Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it ...Winston Churchill.
Those who do, are doomed to scream into the void as everyone else repeats it - A cartoon on my old history professor's door.
History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme a lot. Said someone (if no one claims it I am someone)
Actually, Churchill was misquoting the philosopher George Santayana
"Actually..." Lol. The Office: Oscar character 🙂😉
Churchill was a drunken lush with big debts, a puppet for the "masters" he served. Which are the same masters of today. Not the hero he is lauded to be. And I'm a Brit.
The scary thing to me, as a 70 year old, is that the younger generation doesn’t know any of the history Billy shows in his video. They don’t learn it in school and don’t care.
At 51 I agree
It's the same watching TH-cam reactions to Forrest Gump...the younger folks don't get most of the historical references throughout the movie.
they don't get taught history. they're taught an ideology.
Same age, same problem!
Your parents generation thought the same thing about you and your friends. And when the "younger generation" you speak of grow old and grey, they will feel the same way towards the youth of their time.
This song lists off alot of the "current events" from Billy's life, starting with things that happened when he was a child and progressing up through his life up until the time of the writing. A lot of high school history & social studies classes used this song as a full blown history lesson. The genius of this song cannot be understated
My HS history teacher had us memorize this song
This song and all of the references in it are not current events at all. Every single one of those references goes back to the greatest Generation and what they did in the 1960s and 70s
@@decolonizeEverywhere they were "current events" during Billy Joel's life (born 1949). Thats why put it in quotation marks.
My AP US History teacher in high school played this on our last day of class. We were all singing along and it was a blast. 😊
That's not current events. That's continuing events because that happened 100 years ago back in 1700. It's going to happen in 2232.
You got to differential between current events and continuing events, there is a difference. Pleased know your knowledge in history
Teacher in my sons' high school played this and gave the students assignment to choose 10 subjects from the song a write brief essays on each one from their list in proper format. A full quarter of grade for the year. It was a success for my son
Give that teacher a raise... what a great assignment. Imagine students actually learning about history 😎
I'm a homeschool mom teaching in a co-op and I taught this during Spring of 2020 before covid shut us down. Oral presentation on the piece of the lyrics they were assigned. I'm planning on teaching it again this coming year. Then last few meetings we will be writing our own verses for their times..... 2020 will probably get a full verse to itself.
Brilliant idea cudos to that teacher for using an innovative source for her students to learn. Well done to your son, too. History should not be what happened on social media yesterday. Wars etc were fought by people so that we could have our freedom. My nephew was taught the 2nd world war history and not the first crazy!!!!! Billy Joel reminds us that there are always fires to fight for each new generation, and each generation passes on a flawed world which each new generation tries and often fails to improve.... it goes on and on. Up to us to live and learn from the past
@@lecycaudiovideos4050 well done to you. Keep up the good work. Your kids are lucky to have you
Excellent teacher
The "V" word in this song is the 1953 polio... every event in this song goes from 1949 to 1989
Thalidomide is referenced too - more similarities !
@@dancarter482 Polio vaccine was good. Thalidomide was bad. What is the similarity?
@@dancarter482 um, no thalidomide was not a vaccine. It was a drug that the developer lied about doing studies and trials that was then prescribed to pregnant women to treat morning sickness and caused birth defects.
@@sa9245 no vaccine is good, the polio scare was just that, a scare to get you to take their poison
Billy Joel turned 40 in 1989 and wrote this song covering what happened during his lifetime. As someone else mentioned John Lennon's son Sean once told him "you were a kid in the 50s and everyone knows nothing happened in the 50s" so Billy wrote this song.
I always thought that they should've found a way to incorporate this song in the Forest Gump soundtrack.
REM released this almost same song in 1987. It’s The End Of the World. It jumps to the same beat and goes through a history list the same way.
Ironically, if he waited one more month, he could have added one of the most important events of the 1980's, the fall of the Berlin wall.
If I remember correctly he wrote this in response to a young man complaining about current events commenting that Joel’s generation had it so easy because “nothing really happened” in those days.
That young man was Sean Lennon
That is coreect, Billy Joel started at the year of his birth through to his 40th birthday.
@@elizabethfranco1284 Yes, in case someone doesn't know who Sean Lennon is, he is John Lennon (of the Beatles) son whom he had with Yoko Ono. Sean was born in 1975. John Lennon also had a son Julian Lennon with John's first wife Cynthia Powell Lennon. Julian was born in 1963.
My husband's second cousin won the Pulitzer Prize for the photo of Viet Nam shooting. His name was Eddie Adams. He was a reporter going down the road with his movie camera and witnessed this. The photo came from the movie film. He was a very good guy and was from our home town of Arnold/New Kensington. Later he lived in NYC. RIP.
You wonder how long the Israel/Palestine thing has been going on? It’s mentioned in the book of Exodus 15:14, only in that reference they were called the Philistines. What Billy was referring to was the Palestinian war in 1949 after the State of Israel was formed.
Nope, the verse that mentioned “Palestine” referred to the land conflict and deadly Intifada that was carried out in the late 1980s.
The line is “Begin, Reagan, Palestine”. Menachem Begin was Prime Minister of Israel in the late 70s-early 80s. Reagan was President from 1981-89. The First Intifada - murderous riots that were said to be motivated over the “Palestinian land” dispute, began in 1987 and lasted until the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993.
Unless Billy Joel broke the chronological order he followed in the rest of the song, the Intifada was probably what he was referring to.
The Israel/Palestine "thing" is NOT mentioned in Exodus 15:14. There is no direct cultural or genetic continuity between the ancient Philistines and modern Palestinians. The ancient Philistines disappeared as a distinct group by the 6th century BCE
This is why shouldn't use the Bible as a historical reference unless you actually know what you're talking about. You obviously do not.
Zionists are the problem, Zionism is racism - Avi Schlaim th-cam.com/video/WTQOudBMf7Q/w-d-xo.html
@@uuuuu2bThanks - was going to say this.
Billy Joel has money now, but most of his early royalties were ripped off by his manager and first wife. It’s a wild story.
True story
Hey go listen to It’s The End Of The World. By REM. I think Billy Joel Ripped this song off of them. REM’s is a little faster but beat is same. It’s a historical list song. By the way, REM released that song in 1987. 2 years before Billy Joel. I’m surprised REM didn’t raise an issue. The historical facts are different but it’s the same song.
@@bobboy5508 ok I did. You are trippin’! Yes, they list off a bunch of bad things
happening, but that is where the similarity begins and ends. The message is very different. Well I could go on and on; everything is very different. Joel’s song is pure genius. This song is average at best. He never had any need to rip anything off from anyone.
@@bobboy5508 Haha you are crazy nothing like it nice try.
Listen to "The Great Wall of China" off "River of Dreams", it's about that.
Everyone believes that the world began when they were born. I'm blessed and grateful to remember everything that he made reference to. History is of paramount importance in my mind. I'm just an old hippie! Peace and Love ❤❤
Me, too!! 💋😻🍹👵🐺🌵
Me TOO Mona, I was born in 1947 so I too lived through that period in Billy's song. I also am a HUGE HISTORY BUFF, it was my favorite subject in school, and I STILL read a lot of books, watch documentaries, historical films of ANY period in history. I find it SO fascinating and love reading biographies of historical figures that I have not covered or learned about in school. I love going into more depth on their lives, than what we were taught in school.
Billy Joel's " still rock and roll to me" another banger and my fav!
The Stranger is also a favorite!
I don't think there is a Billy Joel song that I don't like
This covers history from the 50's to 1989. In 1990, My 11th grade social studies teacher assigned us to pick a topic from this song and write a paper on it. That same teacher played a lot of Billy Joel in class and used it as part of his lessons. He was a Vietnam vet and such a wonderful teacher. I loved his class and looked forward to it everyday. This man really taught us and respected us on a level not many teachers got to. Billy Joel has a special place in my heart because of Mr. Manson's class and because he's a brilliant artist. This song unlocked a core memory for me. Thanks for doing this.
there is an old quote "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it" this song kinda proves that
He mentions that in a round about way, verse 1 ends with "Santayana goodbye" this is a reference to Philosopher, novelist, poet, and essayist George Santayana death in 1952. His most famous quote is "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Churchill.
and that quote is SOOOOO true!! We just keep having wars because we can't get along with anyone that has different beliefs than "we" do. (that is SO NOT ME), The human race just can't seem to "let it be" and just get along and CELEBRATE our differences instead of HATING them.
@@MrsColumbo823The quote is by George Santayana, NOT Winston Churchill. Mr. Churchill can't even hold a CANDLE to Mr. Santayana with regard to this quote.
@@Cobalt_Dragon0716 That doesn’t mean Churchill didn’t say it which he did. I’m not gonna play who’s on first here. They’re both giants in history.
Billy covered 1949-1989 in his original and Fall Out Boy did a cover covering newsworthy items from 1989-2023.
This song will be relevant 100 years from now.
Billy Joel is one of the greatest!
That he is!👍
If the "V-word" is something that TH-cam started losing its shit over in 2020, he's referring to the Polio V-word, developed by Jonas Salk in the 1950s. I'm sure there's websites out there explaining every single reference (U2 refers to the spy plane, not the band) in the song.
There are.
There is a line from a tv show years ago where the older guy says "Back in the 60s we were going to save the world." The young man asks him. "What happened?" "I dunno, I guess we got high and forgot about it." That was just some crappy sitcom but that exchange has stuck with me for about 30 years. Sometimes something just grabs you and it is so memorable you can't forget it. This song is one of those.
Yeah, but that’s not what happened. That’s some Hollywood hack’s version. What happened was that the government started shooting student demonstrators in 1970, at Kent State U in Ohio and Jackson State U in Mississippi. What happened was the corruption that was exposed by the Watergate investigation, and that the war finally ended. Most importantly, what happened was that the economy crashed in the 1970s, inflation skyrocketed, and protestors had to find ways to make a living. That BS about everybody getting high and not being able to remember what happened was a glib way to gloss over the suppression of protest.
I am about to turn 68 and I lived through all of this. I have heard this song many many time but right now that thought is blowing my mind.
He’s naming off the main events in history during his lifetime. One decade at a time. It’s a historical time piece from the 50’s through the 80’s. ✌️😎
I would love for Billy Joel to do a second version of this from where he left off until the present.
The fallout boys have
@@tommyworles5344 Yeah but it's not so chronlogically and historically more entertainment ly ish.
"Billy Joel must have so much money..." Yea, read up on the song "River of Dreams" which was his eventual reaction to his best friend/brother-in-law/manager stealing something like $50 mil. Now that is some betrayal. "My best friend married my sister, became my manager... and then ran with the cash."
But, he found his way back...
Billy Joel "PRESSURE" (Original Video). 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Another vote for this
Every time I hear this song, I feel a pounding in my heart and,even tears well up 💟 in my eyes. So powerful the lyrics are and so beautifully executed!
During my Junior year our history teacher played this song in class. We spent the rest of the semester sorting out every reference and researching its significance in history. The discussions were great and it was the first time I ever felt like an older person saw us as more than just kids. He was a phenomenal teacher and I’ve never enjoyed a history class more!
35 years 🎂. Written by Billy Joel. He wrote this to celebrate 🍾 his 40th birthday 🎂 in 1989. Billy Joel granted a license to Scholastic to use this song 🎵 to teach American history and Western history.
Underrated album Storm Front. Produced by Billy Joel and Mick Jones. Recorded parts in Warehouse Studios 🎙, Vancouver, Canada 🇨🇦. Still under the ownership of Bryan Adams.
Suggested video 📹: Billy Joel sings I Go to Extremes.
Billy Joel's best album is _The Stranger._
_"We may never understand how The Stranger is inspired. But he isn't always evil, and he is not always wrong!"_
Fall Out Boy made an updated version of this song. So if you wanted to know what the lyrics would be today, you should check out the song from Fall Out Boy
Shame it wasn't very good. I love FOB, but they bit off more than they could chew on that one, everything is random and out of order and they left off a lot of stuff that should have been included.
@@emerje0I actually think it's great... opinions and all that I suppose
Agreed they did it, but that song fricken' sucks. They couldn't even put the events in sequential order. A weak attempt of a ripoff.
Right it wasn't in order but honestly I still think it's an awesome song and tribute to the original
What whaaaaaat!!!
These are the times to Remember by Billy Joel is one of my favorites by him. Beautiful, timeless and connects with pretty much everyone who’s had some great memories in life WHAAAAT WHAT!!!!!!
This song is my favourite from Billy Joel! It's so cleverly written and it makes me just need to dance around 😅. Thank you for your reaction. It's awesome
Keep them entertained with circus and entertainers and they will not see the frog boiling in the water.
He references 119 people and events, before 1989, just this slice of life is unheard of by youngsters today, Thank God for history so we can learn from the past. BJ is never afraid to jump in with both feet.
Loved him in my teens. Still brings tears to my eyes today. Great musician. Great performer. Great overall human being. Highly underrated, I'd say. 🥰
Had my kids look up all the references in this song their senior year. We homeschooled!
If I was a History Teacher I would use this song and take the whole year diving into it for my students it's that good.
I was a teenager when this song came out. I loved it then and I still love this song today. It is an absolutely amazing song.
Seems like for each fire we put out two or three more are lit. Billy Joel has so many great songs. Can't wait to see you react to
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me.
An Innocent Man.
Honesty.
Allentown.
Only The Good Die Young.
There are so many more.
Love Billy Joel
I was in 6th grade when this came out. It was quite a sensation. My history teacher used it in class to great effect. I wasn't much of a student then, already skipping school to hang out frequently. During this semester I didn't skip much because I wanted to come in for the discussions of this song. To this day I know what each of these references refers to and their social context. I love history (really just a long unfolding story) largely because of this song.
Billy is always good for a history lesson. Sadly so many people don't know the events he's talking about in this song,and for this very reason the older generations tell us we have to know our history to be able to learn from. Not dwell there but learn from it.
The vaccine was the polio vaccine.
In 1948 British Mandate over Palestine end and created two new states ,one Jewish and Arab. In 1988 Palestine National Counsil declared itself as a state.
I think Palestine has been at unrest since the Ottoman Empire.
Someone has created a current version of this song but I don't know who it is singing it,but it is the same title with Bonus track tacked on to it.
CBS Sony sent free of charge cassettes of this song with lyric sheets to any school that wanted to help teach US history.
I was in the Army when this song came out. We had so much fun listening to this during the down times.
Joel's a Boomer, and I'm a GenX. A few years ago, a local GenY band was playing at a local venue, and they did an updated version of this starting with the 1980s. It was so good! They haven't really made it yet, so there isn't any recording of their version that I've been able to find.
This song is brilliantly clever, it’s all the historical people, events and inventions of the first 40yrs of Billy Joel’s life
There is an update from Fall Out Boys, We didn't start the fire. It was released last year.
I was gonna recommend that too, really good stuff
One of the pre-TH-cam viral videos in the early internet days is a homemade video for this song that flashes pictures up for every reference in the lyrics.
It's cyclical! If you live long enough, you can see it coming back 'round again...
Yeeees finally another billy reaction
DUDE!!! Harry Nilsson "Jump into the fire" It has a burning bass line.
This song will NEVER be out dated. Through the generations there could always be something added on to it.
There are a couple other videos for this song that I do like better. A video that shows news / magazine clip pictures of many of the references in the song. Just seems to make it a more powerful song.
I love the point made by the daughter smoking a joint and the dad downing a couple of fingers of hard liquor.
"The Downeaster Alexa" is my favorite Billy Joel song, such a great story teller.
yeah, boy...Yasser Arafat and the PLO were in the news constantly back in the day...things don't change.
To really understand the lyrics of this song, it helps if you are a Baby Boomer [born between 1946 to1964].
"History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes"
Fall Out Boy did a version of this song that picks up where this song left off. The chorus is the same though.
That version relates so much more to the 50 year old and younger. Great tribute to the original and way to pass on the torch.
This song sucks. They couldn't even put the events in sequential order. They're shitty hacks.
It makes me sad to realize how many people have no idea of the stories behind the historical photos shown in this video. Every generation thinks previous generations dropped the ball, and they're the only ones seeing the truth. Wrong. Every generation sees the darkness and the wrongs, and the individuals try to fight it, ignore it, or succumb to it.
Brilliant lyrics.
This song is so awesome. It mentions every important event in every year, starting with his birth year (1949).
I love this song and video! I can remember every word and I love the historical significance of the song. Billy Joel is a genius!! Yes, if we don't watch it we will relive some bad history, we can't let a wannabe dictator win this election. We must remember and learn from past mistakes, like the mistake the Germans made when they thought Hitler was harmless!💖💖
It would be EXTREMELY interesting to see what you come up writing PART 2 to this song. You've got the talent, your library is amazing.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful, insightful reaction. We are blessed by your channel.🥰
You are alovely man with a lovely mind.. Ty so much for being out there for us !
Now listen to It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) by r.e.m. And Subterranean Homesick Blues by Dylan.
Dang. Of all the reactions I have watched, you are the first to mention the background photos. Thank you.
A lot of great comments on this song. To his wealth, he lost millions from his brother in law stealing it and bad investments. Billy Joel filed for bankruptcy about 25yrs ago or so. But he had to tour a lot more to recoup millions that he lost. One of the greatest songwriters and performers ever, with a huge catalog. Saw him in the 90’s with Elton John playing duel pianos at old Veterans Stadium here in Philly. I’m here for it BP 🤘🏻🇺🇸💯
Billy Joel is an American treasure. A rare genius who is a member of a handful of musical gods. Sir Paul McCartney is in that group. If you’re interested in net worth he probably has an impressive number. I don’t really care as long as they do good things with their excess wealth and as far as I know, they both do. 🌺✌️
I would Love it if billy would add another verse, since it's been over 20 yrs😮......
I was 12 years old when this song came out. I recorded it from the radio to a tape so I could listen to it over and over and memorize the lyrics. I had to ask my mom and Dad on a few that I couldn't recognize (Prokofiev for example). But I persevered and learned it by heart and have been able to sing the entire thing from memory ever since. It's probably my all time favorite Billy Joel song (and I love his entire library).
This shows the progression of the family from their marriage and life as the world continues to turn
If you haven't heard/reacted to it yet, Leningrad will blow your mind. It's a story about two people growing up in completely different worlds - one in the US and the other in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It's based on a real life encounter he and his daughter had when he visited Russia when that was made legal again.
Also the great performance he gave in a concert in Russia called Back in the USSR! That was a fantastic performance! ❤ Christie was in the audience.
I hope you do more Billy Joel, you can't go wrong with any of his songs! You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy is a good one you'd like, very upbeat and fun! ❤
Just saw Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks at Soldier Field a few weeks ago, and for 75 and 76 years old, those two still put on fantastic shows. This was the first song of BJ's encore, and the place went NUTS. Great tune. He played a montage of all the people and events mentioned during this song and it was amazing. I still remember all the lyrics to this banger lol
Now, I'm going to have to revisit some of those events. Thanks, BP. Excellent reaction.
"Innocent man" my fave ❤❤❤
8:46 The feeling you’re talking about is expressed in the song, “Feel It Still”.
The references go in chronological order. As I recall, each year is a different verse, beginning around 1952.
This song has so much packed into it - in some ways it reminds me of Don McLean's "American Pie". I'm always shocked though by the generations who really don't get the references in the song. You're right - history continues to repeat 'cuz human nature doesn't change. The personalities, egos & ambitions of ancient rulers (Genghis Khan, Stalin,, Chairman Mao) are similarly embodied in current dictators (Putin, Kim Jung-Un).
One of my college English professors used this song in an assignment. We looked at the lyrics and went through the decades. Then we had to go find the newspaper headlines in the days surrounding our birthdate and write a synopsis to present to the class. It was so meaningful.
I used this song and Powerpoint back in 1998 with high school history classes to illustrate everything and most of these references were new to them. Their teacher kept the final product and used it for years after!! Billy Joel, making a difference!!
I was born in 1945....and I've lived through the entire period that he is singing about. This song always strikes a chord with me.......
I am so glad to read from your viewers that this song has been used in History classes.
When I was in k-12 school, I hated history class as it seemed to always start with Columbus discovering the Americas and never even got up to the Civil War. I learned more when taking college classes because they were more specific time periods and included other parts of the world (I even took an Ancient Rome class), but it was still something I was required to do for credit.
When I started reading history on my own, I discovered little-known people/occurrences, such as The Alice Network, The Book of Lost Names, The Paris Library, Letters Home from Vietnam, and Before We were Yours - I gained a greater appreciation for history and the people who lived through it. (My favorite non-fiction is How the Irish Saved Civilization - it has an unintentional parallel to the recent struggle against book banning in U.S. schools.)
I've even begun to have more appreciation for "history movies" which I always thought were just action flicks. I found instead that some can be very eye-opening, thought-provoking or inspirational such as Three Came Home, Men in War, Hotel Rwanda, Imitation Game, Hacksaw Ridge, The Siege of Jadotville, and most recently Golda and One Life, to name just a few.
Thank you so much for reacting to this song. Hopefully, others will see history can be more interesting and is more important than they think.
Man, what a truly excellent reaction to a truly excellent song -- FIRE!
Best wishes from Germany
When this song came out, I was a T.A. at my old junior high school, and one of the history teachers put this in his lesson plans and had the kids look up some of the people/events that are mentioned.
Billy Joel wrote this when he turned 40 for the events of his first 40 years.
Great song, great social commentary.
I was in grade 4 in the mid 80s when a particular scholarly and astute teacher told us what is happening now, like a friggin modern day Nastradamus. From the evolution of the word "terrorist" and the definition of terrorism, to bees being threatened with extinction and the catastrophic affect on humans, to climate change (used with different words) and the resultant migration patterns of various species (including humans). From the proliferation of class action law suits, to the return of illnesses once considered eradicated (got your measles vaccine...again?). On and on it goes.
I remember being in 7th/8th grade and our history teacher made us listen to this song and break down the events in it. My favorite Billy Joel song!
Fall Out Boy made an updated version of this song with more modern events.
Yes you took my recommendation thank you so much. The fall out boys have made an add on to this song i believe from the 80s till now
What a message! ❤️✌🏻🎶
You’re absolutely right, this song is definitely prophetic. It’s a history lesson and at the same time a reminder that we have a chance to learn from history and not make some of the same mistakes. Thanks so much for this great reaction and a look back in time. 👏👏🥰
Interestingly, the state of doom and gloom you sense, is strewn throughout this song as well. We’ve been fighting the fire forever. If we all take a deep breath, relax, show some humanity and love for one another, the kids of 2100 can be singing this song and feeling the end is near. And hopefully then, cooler heads will prevail again, and again, and again. 😉
The magic of this song is chronology within his verses... someone else made an update version of this song but he was all over the place.
Fall out boy did the next section of this from when Billy Joel’s version came out to when Queen Elizabeth dies. Might want to see it also.
The fallout boys picked up where Billy Joel left off.. that song would make sense to the younger generation
"There is nothing new under the sun"...Ecc 1:9 "We wrestle not with flesh and blood"...Eph 6:12..."Look up, and lift up your head, your redemption draws nigh"...Luke 21:28...God Bless ❤MARANATHA❤
I had a History Teacher in College, who used this song as part of their curriculum, but we had to write verses for each Decade after the time the song was written. Love it!
Great reaction and thoughtful comments! Joined! "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" is a must for a great story told in song.
There’s nothing better than getting older…then listening to music again.
Must-Next:
The Stranger (live)
River of Dreams (original video)
When I went to the Back To Back Concert with Billy Joel and Elton John and he sang this song the dome just roared. Fantastic song and it was a fabulous concert.❤ Stay safe.
There is an updated tribute of We Didn't Start The Fire done by Fall Out Boy which covers from 1989-2023
Great reaction. My stepfather used to always say those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.❤️✌️🌼