Download "Christie Lee (demo)"

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Oh I heard the man knew "the Bird" like the Bible
You know the man could blow an educated axe
He couldn't see that Christie Lee was a woman
Who didn't need another lover
All she wanted was the sax

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        It has always been a mystery as to who inspired the song "Christie Lee."  Some speculate that it was a woman who had spurned Billy in his teen years, or perhaps even Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders.

      No.  Of course, "Christie Lee," was inspired by Billy's girlfriend and future wife, Christie Brinkley.  While the song is not literally about their relationship, it does capture the hypnotic effect she could have on men, or at least Billy.   The song is a fictional account of a musician who falls head over heels for a woman who didn't need him as a man, all she wanted was the horn.  The song is a piano-based rocker, in the style of Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis.  

      A demo version of the song was released on 1995's My Lives boxed set which is more raw, but in my opinion more enjoyable.  I wonder why songs like this and "Easy Money" did not get released as singles and become hits while "Uptown Girl" and "The Longest Time" did.  

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Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley (1983). Photo by Gilles Larrain.

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In real life, they got married.

Christie Lee (demo)         
(My Lives) (2005) (recorded 1983)

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Let me tell you a story
About a woman and a man
Maybe you will find familiar
Maybe you won't understand

The man's name I don't remember
He was always Joe to me
But I can't forget the woman
She was always Christie Lee

He was working in a night club
That's where he played the saxophone
He used to fake to stock arrangements
He left the customers alone

But one night before the last song
About a quarter after three
He saw her standing at the coat check
And made his move on Christie Lee

Christie Lee, Christie Lee
Christie Lee, Christie Lee

She was a nice piece of music
She had a rhythm all her own
He blew a solo like a blind man
She really dug his saxophone

She wanted more than just an encore
And he could play in every key
He left the stage and packed his alto
And he took it home with Christie Lee

Oh I heard the man knew "the Bird" like the Bible
You know the man could blow an educated axe
He couldn't see that Christie Lee was a woman
Who didn't need another lover
All she wanted was the sax

It took a while for him to notice
It took a while for him to see
He was never in control here
It was always Christie Lee

Christie Lee, Christie Lee
Christie Lee, Christie Lee

Oh the man took a calculated gamble
Yes the man had the power to perform
But Christie Lee was more than he knew how to handle
She didn't need him as a man
All she wanted was the horn

They say that Joe became a wino
They say he always drinks alone
They say he stumbles like a blind man
They say he sold his saxophone

Even the band must face the music
That's what the moral is to me
The only time you hit the high note
Is when you play for Christie Lee

Christie Lee, Christie Lee
Christie Lee, Christie Lee

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Demo version of "Christie Lee" (audio only).

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Album version of "Christie Lee" (audio only).

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