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An Innocent Man
An Innocent Man (1983) |
I know you're only protecting yourself
I know you're thinking of somebody else Someone who hurt you But I'm not above Making up for the love You've been denying you could ever feel I'm not above doing anything To restore your faith if I can After the horn-blaring James Brown/ Wilson Pickett tribute "Easy Money," Billy changes gears completely on the second track on the album, the title tune "An Innocent Man." The song is a loving and splendid homage to another soul icon, Ben E. King ("Stand By Me"), and reminiscent of The Drifters ("Under the Boardwalk") (Ben E. King was in The Drifters). It is also similar to Linda Ronstadt's "Blue Bayou" which itself also emulated the sweet soul songs of the Sixties.
Like those classic songs, "An Innocent Man" is a simple soulful song about the strength and understanding that is needed for a loving relationship particularly with someone who has been hurt or betrayed in a previous relationship. In the song, Billy seems to console a broken-hearted individual, someone who has been burned by rejection and abandonment, and is afraid to open up, to trust, and to give herself to someone again. Billy offers his heart and pleads that he is an "innocent man," he did not cause this hurt. He reassures the listener that he is willing to put himself on the line, for love, even if that means taking her abuse rooted in the past hurtful relationships she has experienced. "I'm not above going back to the past to find out where the heartache began," he says, and "I'm not above going through it again, I'm not above being cool for a while, if you're cruel to me I'll understand." 
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt.
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Words and Music by Billy Joel
Some people stay far away from the door If there's a chance of it opening up They hear a voice in the hall outside And hope that it just passes by Some people live with the fear of a touch And the anger of having been a fool They will not listen to anyone So nobody tells them a lie I know you're only protecting yourself I know you're thinking of somebody else Someone who hurt you But I'm not above Making up for the love You've been denying you could ever feel I'm not above doing anything To restore your faith if I can Some people see through the eyes of the old Before they ever get a look at the young I'm only willing to hear you cry Because I am an innocent man I am an innocent man Oh yes I am Some people say they will never believe Another promise they hear in the dark Because they only remember too well They heard somebody tell them before Some people sleep all alone every night Instead of taking a lover to bed Some people find that it's easier to hate Than to wait anymore I know you don't want to hear what I say I know you're gonna keep turning away But I've been there and if I can survive I can keep you alive I'm not above going through it again I'm not above being cool for a while If you're cruel to me I'll understand Some people run from a possible fight Some people figure they can never win And although this is a fight I can lose The accused is an innocent man I am an innocent man Oh yes I am An innocent man You know you only hurt yourself out of spite I guess you'd rather be a martyr tonight That's your decision But I'm not below Anybody I know If there's a chance of resurrecting a love I'm not above going back to the start To find out where the heartache began Some people hope for a miracle cure Some people just accept the world as it is But I'm not willing to lay down and die Because I am an innocent man I am an innocent man Oh yes I am An innocent man
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He understands that his lover's insensitive or even cruel words or actions towards him are really based in the betrayal she is still feeling from her past relationships. She is carrying over the hurt from past relationships into the present one, and he realizes that she is "only protecting yourself" and actually "thinking of somebody else, someone who hurt you . . . ." It's a touching sentiment, and listeners agreed as the song reached #10 on the U.S. charts despite no video to promote the song.
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In 1983, CBS Records also released an EP single (see right) of the song with "You're My Home (Live)," "She's Always A Woman," and "Until The Night." For Valentine's Day in 1984 this was re-packaged as an LP with an embossed rose on the cover.
Videos
A fan video made by Sergio Soto Mela who synced the studio version (audio) to a live performance (vide0). He also made a lyrics video.
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Billy discusses "An Innocent Man" and The Drifters, from SiriusXM radio (audio only) starting at 1:06.
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Ben E. King and The Drifters sing "Under The Boardwalk."
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This is a live performance from Wembley Stadium, 1984.
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A more recent version, with Billy starting with "Under the Boardwalk" and "Stand By Me." Apparently this is from a charity show at The Hampton SOCIAL at the Ross School on August 4, 2007.
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