I've given everybody so much time
Now I need a moment that's mine Oh my other world is just a half a mile away "Half A Mile Away" is a fun, brassy, exuberant song, a throwback to the soulful pop and R&B of the late 50s and early 60s. It is similar to the material that would appear on An Innocent Man several years later and is also similar to "When In Rome" from Storm Front in 1989 with its beefy horns and tales of life in the city. And with its disco undertones, it is also reminiscent of Earth, Wind & Fire, or The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life." You have to get up on your feet and snap your fingers when you hear this song. The horns and chorus at the end are reminiscent of a television theme song like The Odd Couple theme, but it's still a fun tune.
In "Half A Mile Away," the singer laments his daytime life, probably working 9 to 5 in a dead-end job, but at night he can go to another world, where he meets characters (Little Geo) and women (Angelina), only half a mile away. "I've given everybody so much time, now I need a moment that's mi-i-ine" is the working man's lament. This theme of being able to get away from life runs though several other Billy Joel songs such as "Ain't No Crime," "Weekend Song," and "A Room Of Our Own." Billy explained on SiriusXM that the working lyric was originally "your love is like a razor blade" rather than "it's just a half a mile away," a theme reminiscent of "Stiletto." But he changed the lyrics and wrote about how his friends would go out and hang out somewhere. That was their world, just a half a mile away from home. Billy discusses the song, from SiriusXM.
Despite the popularity of this song among Billy Joel's fans, it was not released as a single and is rarely (if ever) played live in concert much to the chagrin of his fans. (Update: He finally played it in concert in May 2018 along with a cover of Gloria Gaynor's disco anthem "I Will Survive." See the video below).
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Little Geo is a friend of mine
We get some money and we buy a cheap wine Sit on the corner and have a holiday Hide the bottle when the cop goes by Talk about women and lie, lie, lie Oh, my other world is just a half a mile away. Wait for mama to turn out the light Crawl on the roof and then I hit the night I should be sleeping but tonight I just can't stay I've given everybody so much time Now I need a moment that's mine Oh, my other world is just a half a mile away Ooh, it's just a half a mile away Ooh, it's just a half a mile away Ooh, yeah, it's just a half a mile away Angelina save a place for me I've been livin' someone else's life and now I've got to be free Turn your transistor on and let the music play I try to keep the family satisfied But there's gotta be more to life than just try, try, try Oh, my other world is only half a mile away Ooh, it's just a half a mile away Ooh, it's just a half a mile away Ooh, yeah, it's just a half a mile away I've given everybody so much time Now I need a moment that's mine Oh my other world is just a half a mile away It's just a half a mile away Don't you know, it's just a half a mile away Just, just, just a half a mile away . . .
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Mike Delguidice and his Billy Joel cover band Big Shot perform the song at their shows (see video below). Billy invited Delguidice to join Billy's band in 2013. There is a great Rolling Stone article on how that happened. Said Delguidice: “We were right behind the curtain at the Paramount by the stairs going down to the dressing rooms, which is now a real sacred spot for me” he says. “I got really emotional and said, ‘I just want to thank you. Your music has pretty much fed my family, inadvertently, for my whole life.’ Then he said, ‘No, thank you! You’ve been keeping my catalog alive on the Island.’ It took two seconds to agree on the money because no matter what he offered, I was going to take it.” He talks about it here (YouTube video). Billy discusses Delguidice here (YouTube video).
Videos
A simple video for Half A Mile Away." Photo credits coming. Photo of Billy in Cuba (black and white) is Copyright Tom Zito. All Rights Reserved. www.zito.com.
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Demo version of "Half A Mile Away" (audio only).
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Billy and the band finally perform "Half A Mile Away" live in 2018, then Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive."
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Mike Delguidice and Big Shot perform "Half A Mile Away" at the Paramount Theater in 2015
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Publicity photo (1981)
All music and lyrics by Billy Joel, except as noted. Lyrics to Billy Joel songs are © Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. This is an unofficial fan site providing information and commentary on Billy Joel's music. This site has no advertisements, makes no money, and does not collect any personal information. It is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Billy Joel, UMPG, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Sony Music, Columbia Records, Maritime Music, or any Billy Joel organization. Billy Joel's official site is at BillyJoel.com.