One Final Serenade: Songs of Billy Joel
From Glass Houses (1980)
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I got remote control and a color T.V.
I don't change channels so they must change me "Close To The Borderline" is probably the hardest rocking song on Glass Houses, and features a blistering guitar solo by David Brown and some clever lyrics by Billy. The song is a rant about the pressures of modern day life, particularly urban life, as well as a reaction to the crazy summer of 1977 in New York. See NY Times article. The song was originally written in 1977. The challenges and ironies of modern life, where you need a doctor for pressure pills but a lawyer for medical bills, and a banker to finance your home but security to back the loan, while a nuclear meltdown looms, are enough to drive one close to the borderline of insanity. But this is not a depressing apocalyptic song, it is a manic rocker, with a melody. It is a theme that Billy explored later in other songs too such as "Pressure" and "Running on Ice." This is another underrated song from the album, it was not released as a single and is not part of Billy's live set today, but would probably be a crowd-pleaser if it was. It has one of the best electric guitar solos of any Billy Joel song (again, by David Brown).
You can listen to two interesting and very different demos of "Close To The Borderline" on YouTube here and here. The first one is incomplete and has some nonsense or filler lyrics, but it is interesting to hear this early piano-only version. The second demo version is more like the final version, a garage rock version of the final version. It's a fun listen.
Rare live version of "Close To The Borderline" (audio)
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Blackout, heatwave, .44 caliber homicide
The bums drop dead and dogs go mad In packs on the West Side Young girl standing on a ledge looks like another suicide She wants to hit those bricks 'Cause the news at six gotta stick to a deadline While the millionaires hide in Beekman Place The bag ladies throw their bones in my face I get attacked by a kid with stereo sound I don't want to hear it but he won't turn it down Life is tough but it's just enough To hold back the tears until it's closing time I survived, I'm still alive But I'm getting close to the borderline Close to the borderline A buck three eighty Won't buy you much lately on the street these days And when you can't get gas You know you can't drive fast anymore on the parkways Rich man, poor man, either way American Shoved into the lost and found The No Nukes yell we're gonna all go to hell With the next big meltdown I got remote control and a color T.V. I don't change channels so they must change me I got real close friends that are getting me high They don't know how to talk and they ain't gonna try I shouldn't bitch, I shouldn't cry I'd start a revolution but I don't have time I don't know why I'm still a nice guy But I'm getting close to the borderline Close to the borderline I thought I'd sacrifice so many things I thought I'd throw them all away I didn't think I needed anything But you can't afford to squander what you're not prepared to pay I need a doctor for my pressure pills I need a lawyer for my medical bills I need a banker to finance my home I need security to back my loan It isn't new what I'm going through But everybody knows you got to break sometime Another night I fought the good fight But I'm getting closer to the borderline Closer to the borderline To the borderline To the borderline . . . |