One Final Serenade: Songs of Billy Joel
But you swore to yourself a long time ago
There were some things that people never needed to know Guess there's one that you keep That you bury so deep No one can tear it out It is hard to categorize or describe "Code of Silence." It is a pop song, but seems to proceed along haltingly, never quite finding its groove musically. The verses seem heavy and chug along, not unlike in "The Downeaster Alexa," however, while that worked well in "The Downeaster Alexa" as it evoked the lurching movement of a fishing boat, it makes "Code of Silence" seem labored. Billy apparently was having a tough time finishing the song, and Cyndi Lauper helped him and provided backing vocals too. It is the first Billy Joel song that might be considered a duet, along with "Baby Grand," and over 20 years later his duet with Tony Bennett on "New York State of Mind." 
Photo from inner sleeve. Cyndi Lauper and Billy Joel. Photo by Phil Ramone. Columbia Records publicity photo.
Lyrically, "Code of Silence" is about someone who keeps his or her thoughts and feelings bottled up inside when it might be better to speak out. "Isn't that a kind of madness, to be living by a code of silence, when you've really got a lot to say." That's a good point or observation, but it is repeated over and over again in each verse. Each verse does not really build on the theme, so much as repeat it in other words. At 5:15, the song could have been tighter, but just feels repetitive
Billy on "Code of Silence" from SiriusXM. Cyndi Lauper's best known songs are probably "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Time After Time" and "All Through The Night." Billy sang "doo-wop" backup vocals on Cyndi Lauper's "Maybe He'll Know." Listen to it below, click player:
Billy sings background on "Maybe He'll Know."
A few friends at the recording of "We Are The World" (1985). "It sounds like a Pepsi commercial," said Lauper about the song. Photo credit: Unknown.
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Everybody's got a million questions
Everybody wants to know the score What you went through It's something you Should be over now Everybody wants to hear the secrets That you never told a soul before And it's not that strange Because it wouldn't change what happened anyhow But you swore to yourself a long time ago There were some things that people never needed to know Guess there's one that you keep That you bury so deep No one can tear it out And you can't talk about it Because you're following a code of silence You're never gonna to lose the anger You just deal with it a different way And you can't talk about it And isn't that a kind of madness To be living by a code of silence When you've really got a lot to say You don't want to lose a friendship There's nothing that you have to hide And a little dirt Couldn't hurt no one anyway And you still have a rage inside you That you carry with a certain pride In the only part of the broken heart That you could ever save But you've been through it once You know how it ends You don't see the point Of going through it again And this ain't the place And this ain't the time And neither's any other day So you can't talk about it Because you're following a code of silence You're never gonna to lose the anger You just deal with it a different way So you can't talk about it And isn't that a kind of madness To be living by a code of silence When you've really got a lot to say I know you well enough to tell you've got your reasons That's not the kind of code you're inclined to break Some things unknown are best left alone forever And if a vow is what it takes Haven't you paid for your mistakes After the moment passes And the impulse disappears You can still hold back Because you don't crack very easily It's a time honored resolution Because the danger is always near It's with you now But that ain't how it was supposed to be And it's hard to believe after all these years That it still gives you pain and it still brings tears And you feel like a fool Because in spite of your rules You've got a memory But you can't talk about it Because you're following a code of silence You're never gonna to lose the anger You just deal with it a different way But you can't talk about it And isn't that a kind of madness To be living by a code of silence When you've really got a lot to say |
Videos
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Studio version of "Code of Silence" (audio only)
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Billy discusses how Cyndi Lauper helped him write "Code of Silence."
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