• HOME
  • ALL SONGS
    • TOP TWENTY-FIVE
  • ALL ALBUMS
  • DISCOGRAPHY
    • DISCOGRAPHY (Detailed)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • STUDIO ALBUMS
    • Cold Spring Harbor (1971) >
      • Album Page - Cold Spring Harbor
      • She's Got A Way
      • You Can Make Me Free
      • Everybody Loves You Now
      • Why Judy Why
      • Falling Of The Rain
      • Turn Around
      • You Look So Good To Me
      • Tomorrow Is Today
      • Nocturne
      • Got To Begin Again
    • Piano Man (1973) >
      • Album Page - Piano Man
      • Travelin' Prayer
      • Piano Man >
        • Piano Man - Videos Page
      • Ain't No Crime
      • You're My Home
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid
      • Worse Comes To Worst
      • Stop In Nevada
      • If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
      • Somewhere Along The Line
      • Captain Jack
    • Streetlife Serenade (1974) >
      • Album Page - Streetlife Serenade
      • Streetlife Serenader
      • Los Angelenos
      • The Great Suburban Showdown
      • Root Beer Rag
      • Roberta
      • The Entertainer
      • Last of the Big Time Spenders
      • Weekend Song
      • Souvenir
      • The Mexican Connection
    • Turnstiles (1976) >
      • Album Page - Turnstiles
      • Say Goodbye to Hollywood
      • Summer, Highland Falls >
        • Summer, Highland Falls - Videos Page
      • All You Wanna Do Is Dance
      • New York State of Mind >
        • New York State of Mind - Videos Page
      • James
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man
      • I've Loved These Days
      • Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) >
        • Miami 2017 - Videos Page
    • The Stranger (1977) >
      • Album Page - The Stranger
      • Movin' Out
      • The Stranger
      • Just The Way You Are
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant >
        • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Videos Page
      • Vienna >
        • Vienna - Videos Page
      • Only The Good Die Young
      • She's Always A Woman
      • Get It Right The First Time
      • Everybody Has A Dream
    • 52nd Street (1978) >
      • Album Page - 52nd Street
      • Big Shot
      • Honesty
      • My Life
      • Zanzibar
      • Stiletto
      • Rosalinda's Eyes
      • Half A Mile Away
      • Until The Night
      • 52nd Street
    • Glass Houses (1980) >
      • Album Page - Glass Houses
      • You May Be Right
      • Sometimes A Fantasy
      • Don't Ask Me Why
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
      • All For Leyna
      • I Don't Want To Be Alone (Anymore)
      • Sleeping With The Television On
      • C'etait Toi (You Were The One)
      • Close to the Borderline
      • Through the Long Night
    • The Nylon Curtain (1982) >
      • Album Page - The Nylon Curtain
      • Allentown
      • Laura
      • Pressure
      • Goodnight Saigon
      • She's Right On Time
      • A Room of Our Own
      • Surprises
      • Scandinavian Skies
      • Where's The Orchestra
    • An Innocent Man (1983) >
      • Album Page - An Innocent Man
      • Easy Money
      • An Innocent Man
      • The Longest Time >
        • The Longest Time - Videos
      • This Night
      • Tell Her About It >
        • Making of Tell Her About It Video
      • Uptown Girl
      • Careless Talk
      • Christie Lee
      • Leave A Tender Moment Alone >
        • Leave A Tender Moment Alone - Videos
      • Keeping The Faith
    • The Bridge (1986) >
      • Album Page - The Bridge
      • Running On Ice
      • This Is The Time
      • A Matter of Trust
      • Modern Woman
      • Baby Grand
      • Temptation
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street
      • Code of Silence
      • Getting Closer
    • Storm Front (1989) >
      • Album Page - Storm Front
      • That's Not Her Style
      • We Didn't Start The Fire >
        • We Didn't Start The Fire - Videos Page
      • The Downeaster 'Alexa' >
        • The Downeaster 'Alexa' - Videos Page
      • I Go To Extremes
      • Shameless
      • Storm Front
      • Leningrad
      • State of Grace
      • When In Rome
      • And So It Goes
    • River of Dreams (1993) >
      • Album Page - River of Dreams
      • No Man's Land
      • The Great Wall of China
      • Blonde Over Blue
      • A Minor Variation
      • Shades of Grey
      • All About Soul
      • Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
      • The River of Dreams
      • Two Thousand Years
      • Famous Last Words
    • Fantasies & Delusions (2001)
    • All My Life (2007) (single)
  • LIVE ALBUMS
    • Live on WMMR Sigma Sound Studios (1972) >
      • Falling Of The Rain (Live) (1972)
      • Travelin' Prayer (live) (1972)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1972)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1972)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1972)
      • Nocturne (live) (1972)
      • Turn Around (live) (1972)
      • Long, Long Time (live) (1972)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1972)
      • Josephine (live) (1972)
      • Rosalinda (live) (1972)
      • Tomorrow Is Today (live) (1972)
    • Live At The Great American Music Hall (1975)
    • Live At Carnegie Hall (1977)
    • Songs In The Attic (1981) >
      • Album Page - Songs In The Attic (1981)
      • Miami 2017 (live) (1981)
      • Summer, Highland Falls (live) (1981)
      • Streetlife Serenader (live) (1981)
      • Los Angelenos (live) (1981)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1981)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1981)
      • Say Goodbye To Hollywood (live) (1981)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1981)
      • You're My Home (live) (1981)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1981)
      • I've Loved These Days (live) (1981)
    • Live from Long Island (1982)
    • KOHUEPT (1987) >
      • Album Page - Kohuept (1987)
    • Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)
    • Live from The River of Dreams (1993-1994)
    • 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000)
    • 12 Gardens Live (2006)
    • Live At Shea Stadium (2011)
    • A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (2014) >
      • Album Page - A Matter of Trust (2014)
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man (Live-Russia)
      • Honesty (Live-Russia)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (Live-Russia)
      • She's Always A Woman (Live-Russia)
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Live-Russia)
      • Goodnight Saigon (Live-Russia) - Billy Joel
      • Stiletto (Live-Russia)
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street (Live-Russia)
      • Baby Grand (Live-Russia)
      • What's Your Name (Live-Russia)
      • The Longest Time (Live-Russia)
      • An Innocent Man (Live-Russia)
      • Pressure (Live-Russia)
      • A Matter of Trust (Live-Russia)
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (Live-Russia)
      • Sometimes A Fantasy (Live-Russia)
      • You May Be Right (Live-Russia)
      • Uptown Girl (Live-Russia)
      • Back In the USSR (Live-Russia)
      • The Times They Are A Changin' (Live-Russia)
      • New York State of Mind (Live-Russia)
    • Live in Miami (2017) (fictional)
    • Live Through The Years (2019)
  • COMPILATIONS & SPECIAL EDITIONS
    • Souvenir (1977)
    • Greatest Hits, I & II (1985) >
      • You're Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel
      • The Night Is Still Young
    • Greatest Hits, III (1997) >
      • To Make You Feel My Love
      • Hey Girl
      • Light As The Breeze
    • The Complete Hits (1997)
    • The Essential Billy Joel (2001)
    • Movin' Out (2002)
    • My Lives (2005) >
      • My Journey's End
      • You've Got Me Hummin'
      • Only A Man
      • Oyster Bay
      • The Siegfried Line
      • New Mexico
      • Cross to Bear
      • Miami 2017 (demo version)
      • These Rhinestone Days
      • Only The Good Die Young (alternate version)
      • The End of the World
      • The Prime of Your Life
      • Elvis Presley Boulevard
      • Nobody Knows But Me
      • Christie Lee (demo)
      • I'll Cry Instead
      • House of Blue Light
      • Money or Love
      • The Times They Are A Changin'
      • Shout
      • All Shook Up
      • Heartbreak Hotel
      • When You Wish Upon A Star
      • In A Sentimental Mood
      • Motorcycle Song
      • You Picked A Real Bad Time
      • A Hard Day's Night
      • Why Should I Worry
      • Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day)?
      • Highway 61 Revisited
      • Don't Worry Baby
      • Elegy: The Great Peconic
      • So Long Reverend Ike
    • The Stranger - Legacy (2008)
    • The Hits (2010)
    • Piano Man - Legacy (2011)
    • The Complete Albums (2011)
    • She's Got A Way - Love Songs (2013)
    • Sadness or Euphoria (2017) (fictional)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • BIOGRAPHY
  • Timeline
  • NEWS (Official Site)
  • TOUR (Official Site)
  • TWITTER
  • YOUTUBE
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
    • 2020's
    • 2010's
    • 2000's
    • 1990's
    • 1980's
    • 1970's
    • Rolling Stone Articles
  • BILLY JOEL BAND
  • BOOKS & SHEET MUSIC
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
  • LINKS & LISTS
  • PHOTOS
  • ROOT BEER RAG Past Issues
  • STREETLIFE SERENADE Past Issues
  • VIDEOS & CONCERTS
    • Concerts on Video/DVD
    • Concerts on YouTube
    • Documentaries et al.
    • Face to Face Tours
    • Havana Jam 1979
    • Music Videos
    • YouTube Channel - One Final Serenade
  • CONTACT US
    • TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • HOME
  • ALL SONGS
    • TOP TWENTY-FIVE
  • ALL ALBUMS
  • DISCOGRAPHY
    • DISCOGRAPHY (Detailed)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • STUDIO ALBUMS
    • Cold Spring Harbor (1971) >
      • Album Page - Cold Spring Harbor
      • She's Got A Way
      • You Can Make Me Free
      • Everybody Loves You Now
      • Why Judy Why
      • Falling Of The Rain
      • Turn Around
      • You Look So Good To Me
      • Tomorrow Is Today
      • Nocturne
      • Got To Begin Again
    • Piano Man (1973) >
      • Album Page - Piano Man
      • Travelin' Prayer
      • Piano Man >
        • Piano Man - Videos Page
      • Ain't No Crime
      • You're My Home
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid
      • Worse Comes To Worst
      • Stop In Nevada
      • If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
      • Somewhere Along The Line
      • Captain Jack
    • Streetlife Serenade (1974) >
      • Album Page - Streetlife Serenade
      • Streetlife Serenader
      • Los Angelenos
      • The Great Suburban Showdown
      • Root Beer Rag
      • Roberta
      • The Entertainer
      • Last of the Big Time Spenders
      • Weekend Song
      • Souvenir
      • The Mexican Connection
    • Turnstiles (1976) >
      • Album Page - Turnstiles
      • Say Goodbye to Hollywood
      • Summer, Highland Falls >
        • Summer, Highland Falls - Videos Page
      • All You Wanna Do Is Dance
      • New York State of Mind >
        • New York State of Mind - Videos Page
      • James
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man
      • I've Loved These Days
      • Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) >
        • Miami 2017 - Videos Page
    • The Stranger (1977) >
      • Album Page - The Stranger
      • Movin' Out
      • The Stranger
      • Just The Way You Are
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant >
        • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Videos Page
      • Vienna >
        • Vienna - Videos Page
      • Only The Good Die Young
      • She's Always A Woman
      • Get It Right The First Time
      • Everybody Has A Dream
    • 52nd Street (1978) >
      • Album Page - 52nd Street
      • Big Shot
      • Honesty
      • My Life
      • Zanzibar
      • Stiletto
      • Rosalinda's Eyes
      • Half A Mile Away
      • Until The Night
      • 52nd Street
    • Glass Houses (1980) >
      • Album Page - Glass Houses
      • You May Be Right
      • Sometimes A Fantasy
      • Don't Ask Me Why
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
      • All For Leyna
      • I Don't Want To Be Alone (Anymore)
      • Sleeping With The Television On
      • C'etait Toi (You Were The One)
      • Close to the Borderline
      • Through the Long Night
    • The Nylon Curtain (1982) >
      • Album Page - The Nylon Curtain
      • Allentown
      • Laura
      • Pressure
      • Goodnight Saigon
      • She's Right On Time
      • A Room of Our Own
      • Surprises
      • Scandinavian Skies
      • Where's The Orchestra
    • An Innocent Man (1983) >
      • Album Page - An Innocent Man
      • Easy Money
      • An Innocent Man
      • The Longest Time >
        • The Longest Time - Videos
      • This Night
      • Tell Her About It >
        • Making of Tell Her About It Video
      • Uptown Girl
      • Careless Talk
      • Christie Lee
      • Leave A Tender Moment Alone >
        • Leave A Tender Moment Alone - Videos
      • Keeping The Faith
    • The Bridge (1986) >
      • Album Page - The Bridge
      • Running On Ice
      • This Is The Time
      • A Matter of Trust
      • Modern Woman
      • Baby Grand
      • Temptation
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street
      • Code of Silence
      • Getting Closer
    • Storm Front (1989) >
      • Album Page - Storm Front
      • That's Not Her Style
      • We Didn't Start The Fire >
        • We Didn't Start The Fire - Videos Page
      • The Downeaster 'Alexa' >
        • The Downeaster 'Alexa' - Videos Page
      • I Go To Extremes
      • Shameless
      • Storm Front
      • Leningrad
      • State of Grace
      • When In Rome
      • And So It Goes
    • River of Dreams (1993) >
      • Album Page - River of Dreams
      • No Man's Land
      • The Great Wall of China
      • Blonde Over Blue
      • A Minor Variation
      • Shades of Grey
      • All About Soul
      • Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
      • The River of Dreams
      • Two Thousand Years
      • Famous Last Words
    • Fantasies & Delusions (2001)
    • All My Life (2007) (single)
  • LIVE ALBUMS
    • Live on WMMR Sigma Sound Studios (1972) >
      • Falling Of The Rain (Live) (1972)
      • Travelin' Prayer (live) (1972)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1972)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1972)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1972)
      • Nocturne (live) (1972)
      • Turn Around (live) (1972)
      • Long, Long Time (live) (1972)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1972)
      • Josephine (live) (1972)
      • Rosalinda (live) (1972)
      • Tomorrow Is Today (live) (1972)
    • Live At The Great American Music Hall (1975)
    • Live At Carnegie Hall (1977)
    • Songs In The Attic (1981) >
      • Album Page - Songs In The Attic (1981)
      • Miami 2017 (live) (1981)
      • Summer, Highland Falls (live) (1981)
      • Streetlife Serenader (live) (1981)
      • Los Angelenos (live) (1981)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1981)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1981)
      • Say Goodbye To Hollywood (live) (1981)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1981)
      • You're My Home (live) (1981)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1981)
      • I've Loved These Days (live) (1981)
    • Live from Long Island (1982)
    • KOHUEPT (1987) >
      • Album Page - Kohuept (1987)
    • Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)
    • Live from The River of Dreams (1993-1994)
    • 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000)
    • 12 Gardens Live (2006)
    • Live At Shea Stadium (2011)
    • A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (2014) >
      • Album Page - A Matter of Trust (2014)
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man (Live-Russia)
      • Honesty (Live-Russia)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (Live-Russia)
      • She's Always A Woman (Live-Russia)
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Live-Russia)
      • Goodnight Saigon (Live-Russia) - Billy Joel
      • Stiletto (Live-Russia)
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street (Live-Russia)
      • Baby Grand (Live-Russia)
      • What's Your Name (Live-Russia)
      • The Longest Time (Live-Russia)
      • An Innocent Man (Live-Russia)
      • Pressure (Live-Russia)
      • A Matter of Trust (Live-Russia)
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (Live-Russia)
      • Sometimes A Fantasy (Live-Russia)
      • You May Be Right (Live-Russia)
      • Uptown Girl (Live-Russia)
      • Back In the USSR (Live-Russia)
      • The Times They Are A Changin' (Live-Russia)
      • New York State of Mind (Live-Russia)
    • Live in Miami (2017) (fictional)
    • Live Through The Years (2019)
  • COMPILATIONS & SPECIAL EDITIONS
    • Souvenir (1977)
    • Greatest Hits, I & II (1985) >
      • You're Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel
      • The Night Is Still Young
    • Greatest Hits, III (1997) >
      • To Make You Feel My Love
      • Hey Girl
      • Light As The Breeze
    • The Complete Hits (1997)
    • The Essential Billy Joel (2001)
    • Movin' Out (2002)
    • My Lives (2005) >
      • My Journey's End
      • You've Got Me Hummin'
      • Only A Man
      • Oyster Bay
      • The Siegfried Line
      • New Mexico
      • Cross to Bear
      • Miami 2017 (demo version)
      • These Rhinestone Days
      • Only The Good Die Young (alternate version)
      • The End of the World
      • The Prime of Your Life
      • Elvis Presley Boulevard
      • Nobody Knows But Me
      • Christie Lee (demo)
      • I'll Cry Instead
      • House of Blue Light
      • Money or Love
      • The Times They Are A Changin'
      • Shout
      • All Shook Up
      • Heartbreak Hotel
      • When You Wish Upon A Star
      • In A Sentimental Mood
      • Motorcycle Song
      • You Picked A Real Bad Time
      • A Hard Day's Night
      • Why Should I Worry
      • Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day)?
      • Highway 61 Revisited
      • Don't Worry Baby
      • Elegy: The Great Peconic
      • So Long Reverend Ike
    • The Stranger - Legacy (2008)
    • The Hits (2010)
    • Piano Man - Legacy (2011)
    • The Complete Albums (2011)
    • She's Got A Way - Love Songs (2013)
    • Sadness or Euphoria (2017) (fictional)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • BIOGRAPHY
  • Timeline
  • NEWS (Official Site)
  • TOUR (Official Site)
  • TWITTER
  • YOUTUBE
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
    • 2020's
    • 2010's
    • 2000's
    • 1990's
    • 1980's
    • 1970's
    • Rolling Stone Articles
  • BILLY JOEL BAND
  • BOOKS & SHEET MUSIC
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
  • LINKS & LISTS
  • PHOTOS
  • ROOT BEER RAG Past Issues
  • STREETLIFE SERENADE Past Issues
  • VIDEOS & CONCERTS
    • Concerts on Video/DVD
    • Concerts on YouTube
    • Documentaries et al.
    • Face to Face Tours
    • Havana Jam 1979
    • Music Videos
    • YouTube Channel - One Final Serenade
  • CONTACT US
    • TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY
  • * * * * * * * * * *

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They will tell you, you can't sleep alone in a strange place
Then they'll tell you, you can't sleep with somebody else
Ah, but sooner or later you sleep in your own space
Either way it's okay you wake up with yourself

         "My Life" was the biggest hit off of 52nd Street.  It continued the same theme found in "Movin' Out" from The Stranger, the young adult trying to move out and get on with his own life, or the young adult telling a family member to stop preaching to him.  He tells someone:  "I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright, I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home...."  And while he still belongs, he tells the listener to "go ahead with your own life, leave me alone."  It is a familiar rebellious rock and roll theme, but contained in very non-confrontational pop song.   According to this post, it is a reference to Billy's older sister telling him how to lead his life.

        Mix magazine has an interesting behind-the-scenes article on the recording of the "My Life," click here.  In it, recording engineer Jim Boyer explains that "Billy was not a studio person, so [we] weren’t going to get five takes out of him. Phil [Ramone] said, ‘I want you to record everything—record the effects and whatever you’re doing and make sure we have it on tape, because if that’s the take and we have to fix something, you’ll have a recording of what the effects were.  So it was like one, two or three takes and that was it.  When Billy said that was the take, he sometimes went home!  But he knew when he’d gotten it."       


Words and Music by Billy Joel
Picture
Got a call from an old friend
We used to be real close
Said he couldn't go on the American way
Closed the shop, sold the house
Bought a ticket to the West Coast
Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.

I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone

I never said you had to offer me a second chance
(I never said you had to)
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
(I never said)
I still belong, don't get me wrong
You can speak your mind
But not on my time

They will tell you, you can't sleep alone in a strange place
Then they'll tell you, you can't sleep with somebody else
Ah, but sooner or later you sleep in your own space
Either way it's okay you wake up with yourself

I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone

I never said you had to offer me a second chance
(I never said you had to)
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
(Of circumstance)
I still belong, don't get me wrong
You can speak your mind
But not on my time

I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone

Keep it to yourself, it's my life
Keep it to yourself, it's my life
Keep it to yourself, it's my life
Keep it to yourself, it's my life

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"Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone"

​​       The song is a quintessentially Seventies pop tune, very little hint of rock.  The Mix article notes that in Phil Ramone's biography, Liberty DeVitto stated about "My Life," “[Phil] wanted me to play a very straight beat, and I bucked him. ‘I ain’t playing that disco bullshit,’ I said. Phil got up, slammed something on the console and scolded me like he was my father. ‘You’ve been in this business for what—12 minutes? And you’re gonna tell me what you’re gonna play? Just get the hell in there and play the way I told you to play.’ I grumbled about it then, but every time I see the Gold record I received for ‘My Life’ on the wall, I mutter, ‘F—in’ guy was right!’”   Liberty discusses this same anecdote in Modern Drummer from 1982.  "My Life" reached #3 on the Billboard charts in 1978.
​
Picture
​Billy and Liberty DeVitto in or about 1982.  From Modern Drummer.  Photo: Lissa Wales.
        At one point, Billy stopped playing "My Life" in concert during the Eighties and early Nineties because he said it didn't translate well to a live concert.  But he resurrected it in the mid 1990s, and it strangely sounded like it fit in his live set again.  Perhaps because Billy was older and had been through so much that lines like "I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life, Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone" had become more meaningful.  See the live version from Billy's 2008 concert at Shea Stadium.
​

        The song also served as the opening track for the television series, Bosom Buddies, which launched Tom Hanks' career.  Decades later, Paul Rudd and Adam Scott did a parody of the opening sequence using Billy's original version of "My Life."  They also did a mock "making of" video which featured Billy being "hired" to do the song.  See video at 4:35.  

​      For a while, it was rumored that the reference to a friend who moved to the West Coast and gave them a stand-up routine in LA was comedian Richard Lewis.  But Lewis states this was not true, see this clip (Update:  link may no longer work, but in the video Lewis recounts how he asked Billy about this, and Billy said it was not about Lewis).  It was actually a reference to Billy's friend Tony Lawrence who did move to Los Angeles to become a comedian, and eventually became a TV producer.  This was confirmed by Billy in the Fred Schruers' biography of Billy Joel from 2014 at pages 141-142 in which Billy is quoted:  "The song 'My Life" is based on Tony Lawrence, a guy I knew who had a job on the East Coast but decided to be a comic and move out West to live out his dream . . . It's essentially about people who are making a transition in their life, who are moving out of a particular rut that they think they're in."

      In 2021, a new version of "My Life" was used for the Apple TV Series "The Shrink Next Door" starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd.  The version featured Billy's original vocals but with update music.  See trailer.
​
​
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Videos
​
The official "music video" for "My Life" actually starts with the intro to "Stiletto."  ​© 1978, 2011 Sony Music Entertainment. ​

This is a nice mix of Billy Joel's "My Life" with the Stone Roses' "Going Down."
Billy discusses "My Life" in this 1981 interview on Australian television.


Live version from 1982's Live from Long Island.
Billy sings "My Life" in Tokyo, from 2006.
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PicturePublicity 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.

  One Final Serenade: The Songs of Billy Joel (Billy Joel Fan Site)
  • HOME
  • ALL SONGS
    • TOP TWENTY-FIVE
  • ALL ALBUMS
  • DISCOGRAPHY
    • DISCOGRAPHY (Detailed)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • STUDIO ALBUMS
    • Cold Spring Harbor (1971) >
      • Album Page - Cold Spring Harbor
      • She's Got A Way
      • You Can Make Me Free
      • Everybody Loves You Now
      • Why Judy Why
      • Falling Of The Rain
      • Turn Around
      • You Look So Good To Me
      • Tomorrow Is Today
      • Nocturne
      • Got To Begin Again
    • Piano Man (1973) >
      • Album Page - Piano Man
      • Travelin' Prayer
      • Piano Man >
        • Piano Man - Videos Page
      • Ain't No Crime
      • You're My Home
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid
      • Worse Comes To Worst
      • Stop In Nevada
      • If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
      • Somewhere Along The Line
      • Captain Jack
    • Streetlife Serenade (1974) >
      • Album Page - Streetlife Serenade
      • Streetlife Serenader
      • Los Angelenos
      • The Great Suburban Showdown
      • Root Beer Rag
      • Roberta
      • The Entertainer
      • Last of the Big Time Spenders
      • Weekend Song
      • Souvenir
      • The Mexican Connection
    • Turnstiles (1976) >
      • Album Page - Turnstiles
      • Say Goodbye to Hollywood
      • Summer, Highland Falls >
        • Summer, Highland Falls - Videos Page
      • All You Wanna Do Is Dance
      • New York State of Mind >
        • New York State of Mind - Videos Page
      • James
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man
      • I've Loved These Days
      • Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) >
        • Miami 2017 - Videos Page
    • The Stranger (1977) >
      • Album Page - The Stranger
      • Movin' Out
      • The Stranger
      • Just The Way You Are
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant >
        • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Videos Page
      • Vienna >
        • Vienna - Videos Page
      • Only The Good Die Young
      • She's Always A Woman
      • Get It Right The First Time
      • Everybody Has A Dream
    • 52nd Street (1978) >
      • Album Page - 52nd Street
      • Big Shot
      • Honesty
      • My Life
      • Zanzibar
      • Stiletto
      • Rosalinda's Eyes
      • Half A Mile Away
      • Until The Night
      • 52nd Street
    • Glass Houses (1980) >
      • Album Page - Glass Houses
      • You May Be Right
      • Sometimes A Fantasy
      • Don't Ask Me Why
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
      • All For Leyna
      • I Don't Want To Be Alone (Anymore)
      • Sleeping With The Television On
      • C'etait Toi (You Were The One)
      • Close to the Borderline
      • Through the Long Night
    • The Nylon Curtain (1982) >
      • Album Page - The Nylon Curtain
      • Allentown
      • Laura
      • Pressure
      • Goodnight Saigon
      • She's Right On Time
      • A Room of Our Own
      • Surprises
      • Scandinavian Skies
      • Where's The Orchestra
    • An Innocent Man (1983) >
      • Album Page - An Innocent Man
      • Easy Money
      • An Innocent Man
      • The Longest Time >
        • The Longest Time - Videos
      • This Night
      • Tell Her About It >
        • Making of Tell Her About It Video
      • Uptown Girl
      • Careless Talk
      • Christie Lee
      • Leave A Tender Moment Alone >
        • Leave A Tender Moment Alone - Videos
      • Keeping The Faith
    • The Bridge (1986) >
      • Album Page - The Bridge
      • Running On Ice
      • This Is The Time
      • A Matter of Trust
      • Modern Woman
      • Baby Grand
      • Temptation
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street
      • Code of Silence
      • Getting Closer
    • Storm Front (1989) >
      • Album Page - Storm Front
      • That's Not Her Style
      • We Didn't Start The Fire >
        • We Didn't Start The Fire - Videos Page
      • The Downeaster 'Alexa' >
        • The Downeaster 'Alexa' - Videos Page
      • I Go To Extremes
      • Shameless
      • Storm Front
      • Leningrad
      • State of Grace
      • When In Rome
      • And So It Goes
    • River of Dreams (1993) >
      • Album Page - River of Dreams
      • No Man's Land
      • The Great Wall of China
      • Blonde Over Blue
      • A Minor Variation
      • Shades of Grey
      • All About Soul
      • Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
      • The River of Dreams
      • Two Thousand Years
      • Famous Last Words
    • Fantasies & Delusions (2001)
    • All My Life (2007) (single)
  • LIVE ALBUMS
    • Live on WMMR Sigma Sound Studios (1972) >
      • Falling Of The Rain (Live) (1972)
      • Travelin' Prayer (live) (1972)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1972)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1972)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1972)
      • Nocturne (live) (1972)
      • Turn Around (live) (1972)
      • Long, Long Time (live) (1972)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1972)
      • Josephine (live) (1972)
      • Rosalinda (live) (1972)
      • Tomorrow Is Today (live) (1972)
    • Live At The Great American Music Hall (1975)
    • Live At Carnegie Hall (1977)
    • Songs In The Attic (1981) >
      • Album Page - Songs In The Attic (1981)
      • Miami 2017 (live) (1981)
      • Summer, Highland Falls (live) (1981)
      • Streetlife Serenader (live) (1981)
      • Los Angelenos (live) (1981)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1981)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1981)
      • Say Goodbye To Hollywood (live) (1981)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1981)
      • You're My Home (live) (1981)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1981)
      • I've Loved These Days (live) (1981)
    • Live from Long Island (1982)
    • KOHUEPT (1987) >
      • Album Page - Kohuept (1987)
    • Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)
    • Live from The River of Dreams (1993-1994)
    • 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000)
    • 12 Gardens Live (2006)
    • Live At Shea Stadium (2011)
    • A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (2014) >
      • Album Page - A Matter of Trust (2014)
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man (Live-Russia)
      • Honesty (Live-Russia)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (Live-Russia)
      • She's Always A Woman (Live-Russia)
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Live-Russia)
      • Goodnight Saigon (Live-Russia) - Billy Joel
      • Stiletto (Live-Russia)
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street (Live-Russia)
      • Baby Grand (Live-Russia)
      • What's Your Name (Live-Russia)
      • The Longest Time (Live-Russia)
      • An Innocent Man (Live-Russia)
      • Pressure (Live-Russia)
      • A Matter of Trust (Live-Russia)
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (Live-Russia)
      • Sometimes A Fantasy (Live-Russia)
      • You May Be Right (Live-Russia)
      • Uptown Girl (Live-Russia)
      • Back In the USSR (Live-Russia)
      • The Times They Are A Changin' (Live-Russia)
      • New York State of Mind (Live-Russia)
    • Live in Miami (2017) (fictional)
    • Live Through The Years (2019)
  • COMPILATIONS & SPECIAL EDITIONS
    • Souvenir (1977)
    • Greatest Hits, I & II (1985) >
      • You're Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel
      • The Night Is Still Young
    • Greatest Hits, III (1997) >
      • To Make You Feel My Love
      • Hey Girl
      • Light As The Breeze
    • The Complete Hits (1997)
    • The Essential Billy Joel (2001)
    • Movin' Out (2002)
    • My Lives (2005) >
      • My Journey's End
      • You've Got Me Hummin'
      • Only A Man
      • Oyster Bay
      • The Siegfried Line
      • New Mexico
      • Cross to Bear
      • Miami 2017 (demo version)
      • These Rhinestone Days
      • Only The Good Die Young (alternate version)
      • The End of the World
      • The Prime of Your Life
      • Elvis Presley Boulevard
      • Nobody Knows But Me
      • Christie Lee (demo)
      • I'll Cry Instead
      • House of Blue Light
      • Money or Love
      • The Times They Are A Changin'
      • Shout
      • All Shook Up
      • Heartbreak Hotel
      • When You Wish Upon A Star
      • In A Sentimental Mood
      • Motorcycle Song
      • You Picked A Real Bad Time
      • A Hard Day's Night
      • Why Should I Worry
      • Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day)?
      • Highway 61 Revisited
      • Don't Worry Baby
      • Elegy: The Great Peconic
      • So Long Reverend Ike
    • The Stranger - Legacy (2008)
    • The Hits (2010)
    • Piano Man - Legacy (2011)
    • The Complete Albums (2011)
    • She's Got A Way - Love Songs (2013)
    • Sadness or Euphoria (2017) (fictional)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • BIOGRAPHY
  • Timeline
  • NEWS (Official Site)
  • TOUR (Official Site)
  • TWITTER
  • YOUTUBE
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
    • 2020's
    • 2010's
    • 2000's
    • 1990's
    • 1980's
    • 1970's
    • Rolling Stone Articles
  • BILLY JOEL BAND
  • BOOKS & SHEET MUSIC
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
  • LINKS & LISTS
  • PHOTOS
  • ROOT BEER RAG Past Issues
  • STREETLIFE SERENADE Past Issues
  • VIDEOS & CONCERTS
    • Concerts on Video/DVD
    • Concerts on YouTube
    • Documentaries et al.
    • Face to Face Tours
    • Havana Jam 1979
    • Music Videos
    • YouTube Channel - One Final Serenade
  • CONTACT US
    • TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • HOME
  • ALL SONGS
    • TOP TWENTY-FIVE
  • ALL ALBUMS
  • DISCOGRAPHY
    • DISCOGRAPHY (Detailed)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • STUDIO ALBUMS
    • Cold Spring Harbor (1971) >
      • Album Page - Cold Spring Harbor
      • She's Got A Way
      • You Can Make Me Free
      • Everybody Loves You Now
      • Why Judy Why
      • Falling Of The Rain
      • Turn Around
      • You Look So Good To Me
      • Tomorrow Is Today
      • Nocturne
      • Got To Begin Again
    • Piano Man (1973) >
      • Album Page - Piano Man
      • Travelin' Prayer
      • Piano Man >
        • Piano Man - Videos Page
      • Ain't No Crime
      • You're My Home
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid
      • Worse Comes To Worst
      • Stop In Nevada
      • If I Only Had The Words (To Tell You)
      • Somewhere Along The Line
      • Captain Jack
    • Streetlife Serenade (1974) >
      • Album Page - Streetlife Serenade
      • Streetlife Serenader
      • Los Angelenos
      • The Great Suburban Showdown
      • Root Beer Rag
      • Roberta
      • The Entertainer
      • Last of the Big Time Spenders
      • Weekend Song
      • Souvenir
      • The Mexican Connection
    • Turnstiles (1976) >
      • Album Page - Turnstiles
      • Say Goodbye to Hollywood
      • Summer, Highland Falls >
        • Summer, Highland Falls - Videos Page
      • All You Wanna Do Is Dance
      • New York State of Mind >
        • New York State of Mind - Videos Page
      • James
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man
      • I've Loved These Days
      • Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) >
        • Miami 2017 - Videos Page
    • The Stranger (1977) >
      • Album Page - The Stranger
      • Movin' Out
      • The Stranger
      • Just The Way You Are
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant >
        • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Videos Page
      • Vienna >
        • Vienna - Videos Page
      • Only The Good Die Young
      • She's Always A Woman
      • Get It Right The First Time
      • Everybody Has A Dream
    • 52nd Street (1978) >
      • Album Page - 52nd Street
      • Big Shot
      • Honesty
      • My Life
      • Zanzibar
      • Stiletto
      • Rosalinda's Eyes
      • Half A Mile Away
      • Until The Night
      • 52nd Street
    • Glass Houses (1980) >
      • Album Page - Glass Houses
      • You May Be Right
      • Sometimes A Fantasy
      • Don't Ask Me Why
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
      • All For Leyna
      • I Don't Want To Be Alone (Anymore)
      • Sleeping With The Television On
      • C'etait Toi (You Were The One)
      • Close to the Borderline
      • Through the Long Night
    • The Nylon Curtain (1982) >
      • Album Page - The Nylon Curtain
      • Allentown
      • Laura
      • Pressure
      • Goodnight Saigon
      • She's Right On Time
      • A Room of Our Own
      • Surprises
      • Scandinavian Skies
      • Where's The Orchestra
    • An Innocent Man (1983) >
      • Album Page - An Innocent Man
      • Easy Money
      • An Innocent Man
      • The Longest Time >
        • The Longest Time - Videos
      • This Night
      • Tell Her About It >
        • Making of Tell Her About It Video
      • Uptown Girl
      • Careless Talk
      • Christie Lee
      • Leave A Tender Moment Alone >
        • Leave A Tender Moment Alone - Videos
      • Keeping The Faith
    • The Bridge (1986) >
      • Album Page - The Bridge
      • Running On Ice
      • This Is The Time
      • A Matter of Trust
      • Modern Woman
      • Baby Grand
      • Temptation
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street
      • Code of Silence
      • Getting Closer
    • Storm Front (1989) >
      • Album Page - Storm Front
      • That's Not Her Style
      • We Didn't Start The Fire >
        • We Didn't Start The Fire - Videos Page
      • The Downeaster 'Alexa' >
        • The Downeaster 'Alexa' - Videos Page
      • I Go To Extremes
      • Shameless
      • Storm Front
      • Leningrad
      • State of Grace
      • When In Rome
      • And So It Goes
    • River of Dreams (1993) >
      • Album Page - River of Dreams
      • No Man's Land
      • The Great Wall of China
      • Blonde Over Blue
      • A Minor Variation
      • Shades of Grey
      • All About Soul
      • Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
      • The River of Dreams
      • Two Thousand Years
      • Famous Last Words
    • Fantasies & Delusions (2001)
    • All My Life (2007) (single)
  • LIVE ALBUMS
    • Live on WMMR Sigma Sound Studios (1972) >
      • Falling Of The Rain (Live) (1972)
      • Travelin' Prayer (live) (1972)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1972)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1972)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1972)
      • Nocturne (live) (1972)
      • Turn Around (live) (1972)
      • Long, Long Time (live) (1972)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1972)
      • Josephine (live) (1972)
      • Rosalinda (live) (1972)
      • Tomorrow Is Today (live) (1972)
    • Live At The Great American Music Hall (1975)
    • Live At Carnegie Hall (1977)
    • Songs In The Attic (1981) >
      • Album Page - Songs In The Attic (1981)
      • Miami 2017 (live) (1981)
      • Summer, Highland Falls (live) (1981)
      • Streetlife Serenader (live) (1981)
      • Los Angelenos (live) (1981)
      • She's Got A Way (live) (1981)
      • Everybody Loves You Now (live) (1981)
      • Say Goodbye To Hollywood (live) (1981)
      • Captain Jack (live) (1981)
      • You're My Home (live) (1981)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (1981)
      • I've Loved These Days (live) (1981)
    • Live from Long Island (1982)
    • KOHUEPT (1987) >
      • Album Page - Kohuept (1987)
    • Live at Yankee Stadium (1990)
    • Live from The River of Dreams (1993-1994)
    • 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000)
    • 12 Gardens Live (2006)
    • Live At Shea Stadium (2011)
    • A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (2014) >
      • Album Page - A Matter of Trust (2014)
      • Prelude/Angry Young Man (Live-Russia)
      • Honesty (Live-Russia)
      • The Ballad of Billy The Kid (Live-Russia)
      • She's Always A Woman (Live-Russia)
      • Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (Live-Russia)
      • Goodnight Saigon (Live-Russia) - Billy Joel
      • Stiletto (Live-Russia)
      • Big Man On Mulberry Street (Live-Russia)
      • Baby Grand (Live-Russia)
      • What's Your Name (Live-Russia)
      • The Longest Time (Live-Russia)
      • An Innocent Man (Live-Russia)
      • Pressure (Live-Russia)
      • A Matter of Trust (Live-Russia)
      • It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (Live-Russia)
      • Sometimes A Fantasy (Live-Russia)
      • You May Be Right (Live-Russia)
      • Uptown Girl (Live-Russia)
      • Back In the USSR (Live-Russia)
      • The Times They Are A Changin' (Live-Russia)
      • New York State of Mind (Live-Russia)
    • Live in Miami (2017) (fictional)
    • Live Through The Years (2019)
  • COMPILATIONS & SPECIAL EDITIONS
    • Souvenir (1977)
    • Greatest Hits, I & II (1985) >
      • You're Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel
      • The Night Is Still Young
    • Greatest Hits, III (1997) >
      • To Make You Feel My Love
      • Hey Girl
      • Light As The Breeze
    • The Complete Hits (1997)
    • The Essential Billy Joel (2001)
    • Movin' Out (2002)
    • My Lives (2005) >
      • My Journey's End
      • You've Got Me Hummin'
      • Only A Man
      • Oyster Bay
      • The Siegfried Line
      • New Mexico
      • Cross to Bear
      • Miami 2017 (demo version)
      • These Rhinestone Days
      • Only The Good Die Young (alternate version)
      • The End of the World
      • The Prime of Your Life
      • Elvis Presley Boulevard
      • Nobody Knows But Me
      • Christie Lee (demo)
      • I'll Cry Instead
      • House of Blue Light
      • Money or Love
      • The Times They Are A Changin'
      • Shout
      • All Shook Up
      • Heartbreak Hotel
      • When You Wish Upon A Star
      • In A Sentimental Mood
      • Motorcycle Song
      • You Picked A Real Bad Time
      • A Hard Day's Night
      • Why Should I Worry
      • Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day)?
      • Highway 61 Revisited
      • Don't Worry Baby
      • Elegy: The Great Peconic
      • So Long Reverend Ike
    • The Stranger - Legacy (2008)
    • The Hits (2010)
    • Piano Man - Legacy (2011)
    • The Complete Albums (2011)
    • She's Got A Way - Love Songs (2013)
    • Sadness or Euphoria (2017) (fictional)
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • BIOGRAPHY
  • Timeline
  • NEWS (Official Site)
  • TOUR (Official Site)
  • TWITTER
  • YOUTUBE
  • * * * * * * * * * *
  • ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
    • 2020's
    • 2010's
    • 2000's
    • 1990's
    • 1980's
    • 1970's
    • Rolling Stone Articles
  • BILLY JOEL BAND
  • BOOKS & SHEET MUSIC
    • Books
    • Sheet Music
  • LINKS & LISTS
  • PHOTOS
  • ROOT BEER RAG Past Issues
  • STREETLIFE SERENADE Past Issues
  • VIDEOS & CONCERTS
    • Concerts on Video/DVD
    • Concerts on YouTube
    • Documentaries et al.
    • Face to Face Tours
    • Havana Jam 1979
    • Music Videos
    • YouTube Channel - One Final Serenade
  • CONTACT US
    • TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY
  • * * * * * * * * * *