A biography for Billy Joelhasn’t been written yet.
“Musicians want to be the loud voice for so many quiet hearts.”
“If I ever reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there: first, to meet some I had not thought to see there; second, to miss some I had expected to see there; and third, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there.”
“If you tell kids they can't have something, that's what they want.”
“Most people are satisfied with the junk food being sold as music.”
“Home can be the Pennsylvania TurnpikeIndiana's early morning dewHigh up in the hills of CaliforniaHome is just another word for you”
“Those who have expressed doubts and misgivings about their ability to live this kind of life shouldn't try, because being a musician is not something you chose to be, it is something you are.”
“I am no longer afraid of becoming lost, because the journey back always reveals something new, and that is ultimately good for the artist.”
“I don't know why people thought I was retiring.”
“More than art, more than literature, music is universally accessible.”
“In an age of incompetence, I've been able to last in this crazy business. I actually know how to play my ax and write a song. That's my job.”
“When I was a young musician, the only option available to pursue secondary education in music was to attend a classical conservatory.”
“I did write a letter to the archdiocese who'd banned the song, Only the Good Die Young, asking them to ban my next record.”
“The whole world loves American movies, blue jeans, jazz and rock and roll. It is probably a better way to get to know our country than by what politicians or airline commercials represent.”
“I definitely prefer being a lover than a fighter.”
“I'm probably writing music now for the same reason as I started writing songs when I was 14 - to meet women.”
“It feels great to have a #1 album.”
“If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.”
“The good ole days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.”
“You want to give people a reason to hate my guts more? I'm making more money.”
“You're not the only one who's made mistakes, but they're the only things that you can truly call your own.”