One Final Serenade: Songs of Billy Joel
 Download "Only The Good Die Young (alternative version)"
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun... "Only the Good Die Young" is one of Billy's most enjoyable and irresistible songs. It is a fast-paced pop/rock song with clever lyrics and an infectious beat and refrain. It's a classic boy-wants-girl song with a slight religious twist as the target of the singer's lust is a Catholic girl. His logic and lust is relentless, he tells her that he may hang with a tough loud crowd, "but that never hurt no one" and "the sinners are much more fun" anyway. The one-liners and lyrics fit perfectly with the song's meter, and just keep coming. This is one of Billy's most enjoyable lyrics. It's reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's "Rosalita" and helped put Billy on the map as a chronicler of urban and suburban life along with "Movin' Out."
Some Catholic schools, namely, Seton Hall University, banned the song from college radio which helped boost sales of course. But this is not a devil-worship song or even anti-religion, it's more "pro-lust" or just Billy recalling his lustful teenage days. And in the end, he doesn't get the girl anyway. Read an article about the story behind the song, here. 
Billy on Saturday Night Live (1977)
Billy performed this song and "Just The Way You Are" on Saturday Night Live in 1978, skipping his tenth year high school reunion for the gig. That SNL performance of the song is one of the best performances of the song if you can find it. The other live versions I have heard or seen on DVD or online just aren't as good as the studio version or SNL version. Also, the story goes that the execs at SNL asked him not to play this song because of the lyrics so he told them he'd do "Just The Way You Are" and another song from the album and even performed a different song in dress rehearsals. But when it came time for the actual live broadcast of the show, Billy suddenly sang "Only The Good Die Young." You have to love this guy.
The song originally started out as a reggae song, but apparently Billy's drummer (Liberty Devitto) refused to play it that way stating "the closest you've ever been to Jamaica is when you get off the train in Queens." See the video (below, right). Billy converted it to a boogie woogie-ing rock song with a shuffle. American Songwriter did a long cover story on Billy Joel in 2014, and the song was its "Lyric of the Week." The cover story and side article on the song are worth reading, very well done. |
Come out Virginia, don't let me me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late Ah, but sooner or later it comes down to fate I might as well be the one They showed you a statue and told you to pray They built you a temple and locked you away But they never told you the price that you pay For things that you might have done..... Only the good die young Only the good die young Only the good die young You might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd We ain't too pretty we ain't too proud We might be laughing a bit too loud But that never hurt no one So come on Virginia show me a sign Send up a signal I'll throw you the line The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind Never lets in the sun And only the good die young Only the good die young Only the good die young You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation You got a brand new soul And a cross of gold But Virginia they didn't give you quite enough information You didn't count on me When you were counting on your rosary Well they say there's a heaven for those who will wait Some say it's better but I say it ain't I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints The sinners are much more fun... And only the good die young Only the good die young Only the good die young[ [Spoken words] You said your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation Oh, she never cared for me But did she ever say a prayer for me? Come out, come out, come out Virginia, don't let me me wait You Catholic girls start much too late But sooner or later it comes down to fate I might as well be the one Only the good die young Only the good die young "Only The Good Die Young" (alternative version) from My Lives
Billy explains how the song evolved from a reggae tune to its current form.
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