It's just a fantasy
It's not the real thing But sometimes a fantasy Is all you need The second track on 1980's Glass Houses, "Sometimes A Fantasy," continues the harder sound of the album. It's a hard-driving, manic song with a staccato beat like many New Wave rock songs from that time. The meaning of the song is straightforward, sometimes a fantasy about someone is just as good as the real thing. In a nice bit of alliteration, Billy sings that while it would be better if his fantasy girl was here to hold him, "be better baby but believe me it's the next best thing."
The music video for the song is one of the first of Billy's "acting" music videos in which he acts out a concept rather than just performs the song. Apparently Billy himself came up with the concept of talking or singing into the telephone receiver. Many fans did not recognize that the bearded "bad guy" in the video was also Billy. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV back in the early 1980s. Billy on "Sometimes A Fantasy" from SiriusXM.
The single version of the song was actually longer than the album version, featuring a longer guitar solo by David Brown (rather than fading away). It can be heard here. Toward the end of the single version Billy yells out, "I've got blisters on my blisters!" a reference to Ringo Starr screaming "I've got blisters on my fingers!" on The Beatles' "Helter Skelter." "Sometimes A Fantasy" reached #36 on the Billboard charts in 1980, one of four top 40 singles from Glass Houses.
In 1987, during one of Billy's groundbreaking concerts in Russia, he had an onstage tirade while performing "Sometimes A Fantasy" and famously flipped over a keyboard. Billy was upset that the film crew or lighting personnel were lighting up the audience and inhibiting their participation in and enjoyment of the concert, as The New York Times reported. But that didn't prevent his record company from making a great live music video from his performance many years later when A Matter of Trust: The Bridge To Russia was released. See the video below (right).
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Billy and Christie at the Hard Rock Cafe NYC in front of a wall-mounted piano commemorating Billy's Russian tour and trashing of a piano while singing "Sometimes A Fantasy. Photo: Larry Busacca (1988) Getty Images.
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Words and Music by Billy Joel
I didn't want to do it but I got too lonely
I had to call you up in the middle of the night I know it's awful hard to try to make love long distance But I really needed stimulation Though it was only my imagination It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing But sometimes a fantasy Is all you need When am I gonna take control get a hold of my emotions Why does it only seem to hit me in the middle of the night You told me there's a number I can always dial for assistance I don't want to deal with outside action Only you can give me satisfaction It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing But sometimes a fantasy Is all you need Sure it would be better if I had you here to hold me Be better baby but believe me it's the next best thing I'm sure there's many times you've wanted me to hear your secrets Don't be afraid to say the words that'll move me Anytime you want to tell them to me It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing But sometimes a fantasy Is all you need It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing It's just a fantasy It's not the real thing
"Be better baby but believe me it's the next best thing"
Columbia Records publicity photo (1980) 
"When am I gonna take control get a hold of my emotions, why does it only seem to hit me in the middle of the night?"
Columbia Records publicity photo (1980) |
Videos
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The music video for "Sometimes A Fantasy" was quite clever, with Billy playing two characters. He is almost unrecognizable as the "greaser" character with his beard and slicked back hair. © 1980 Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
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Billy performs "Sometimes A Fantasy" live in Houston in 1979 before the release of Glass Houses in 1980.
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Billy performs "Sometimes A Fantasy" live in Russia in 1987 before a raucous and well-lighted crowd. This was the 80s.
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