One Final Serenade: Songs of Billy Joel
 From The Stranger (1977)
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"Everybody Has A Dream" set to clips from The Making of the Stranger documentary from the Legacy Edition of The Stranger (2011). © 1971, 2011 Sony Music Entertainment.
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So let me lie and let me go on sleeping
And I will lose myself in palaces of sand And all the fantasies that I will be keeping Will make the empty hours easier, easier to stand Billy closes out The Stranger with the gospel-tinged "Everybody Has A Dream." He wrote it back in 1971, and it is reminiscent of Billy's early songs but does not sound out of place on The Stranger. The soulful, slightly spiritual, sound of the song is a nice way to end the album. After it ends, there is a reprise of the intro to "The Stranger" which works like a bookend of sorts, closing out one of the most successful and important albums in pop music history.
On SiriusXM in 2016, Billy explained that he originally wrote "Everybody Has A Dream" in 3/4 time and it was similar to a James Taylor song. But for The Stranger, he slowed it down in 6/8 time and gave it a gospel feel. Billy is backed on vocals on this by a talented group, namely, Phoebe Snow, Patti Austin, Lani Groves, and Gwen Guthrie. 
James Taylor "Sweet Baby James" album cover (1971)
Billy rarely performs the song live, but you can hear live versions from a 1991 benefit concert in Montauk and from 1977 soundcheck at his Nassau concert. The song has been covered by a diverse set of singers including old school R&B group The Manhattans, country singer Donna Fargo, and more recently American Idol contestant Jessica Sanchez.
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The phrase "quiet desperation" in the first line is probably a reference to the quote by Henry David Thoreau from Walden that "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them." Billy certainly did not do that, he has given us many songs.
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While in these days of quiet desperation
As I wander through the world in which I live I search everywhere for some new inspiration But it's more than cold reality can give If I need a cause for celebration Or a comfort I can use to ease my mind I rely on my imagination And I dream of an imaginary time Oh oh, and I know that everybody has a dream Everybody has a dream, everybody has a dream And this is my dream, my own Just to be at home and to be all alone with you If I believe in all the words I'm saying And if a word from you can bring a better day Then all I have are these games that I've been playing To keep my hope from crumbling away So let me lie and let me go on sleeping And I will lose myself in palaces of sand And all the fantasies that I will be keeping Will make the empty hours easier, easier to stand And I know that everybody has a dream Everybody has a dream, everybody has a dream And this is my dream, my own, just to be at home And to be all alone, all alone with you Oh, oh, with you I know that everybody has a dream, oh oh, everybody has a dream I know that everybody has a dream, everybody Everybody has a dream Everybody has a dream Everybody has a dream Everybody has a dream Everybody has a dream Vertical Divider
Henry David Thoreau quote. Source unknown.
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