I’m running late … again!  So, while I had hoped to come up with something new tonight, it is 2:00 a.m., I haven’t even started responding to comments yet, and I’m pretty well wiped out, so let’s have us some Billy Joel tonight, shall we?  I last played this in March 2020, nearly three years ago, so if you haven’t forgotten, just pretend you have!

Joel wrote this song about his first wife, Elizabeth. A pure expression of unconditional love, he gave it to her as a birthday present.  Sadly, after nine years of marriage, Joel and Elizabeth divorced in 1982. Joel’s next two marriages didn’t work out either. He was married to Christie Brinkley from 1985-1994, and to Katie Lee from 2004-2010.  I had a boss one time who had been married three times in about ten years, and after I worked for him for two years, I understood why.  But, back to the song …

Says Mr. Joel …

“Every time I wrote a song for a person I was in a relationship with, it didn’t last. It was kind of like the curse. Here’s your song – we might as well say goodbye now.”

This won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 1979 ceremony. It was a breakthrough for Joel, whose biggest hit to this point was Piano Man, which reached #25 in the US.

“I was absolutely surprised it won a Grammy. It wasn’t even rock ‘n’ roll, it was like a standard with a little bit of R&B in it. It reminded me of an old Stevie Wonder recording.”

Barry White’s cover version hit #12 in the UK in 1978. The song was also covered by Frank Sinatra and Isaac Hayes.  Now, since about half of my regular readers hail from outside the U.S., most from the UK, Canada or Australia, I thought I should check out the Barry White version, and I absolutely loved it.  So, I was going to play both Billy Joel’s and Barry White’s, right?  And then … I happened upon yet another version that … well, I simply could not resist.  It is sung by Billy Joel, but in a slightly different venue and with slightly different lyrics … but it made me SMILE!  So, you get three versions … pick one or listen to all … I don’t care, just so long as you SMILE!

Just The Way You Are
Billy Joel

Don’t go changing to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don’t imagine you’re too familiar
And I don’t see you anymore

I wouldn’t leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times; I’ll take the bad times
I’ll take you just the way you are

Don’t go trying some new fashion
Don’t change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care

I don’t want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you?

I said I love you and that’s forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are

Songwriters: Billy Joel
Just The Way You Are lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management