Photo: Don Hunstein. Fictional single cover.
Well you pay for your satisfaction
Somewhere along the line "Somewhere Along The Line" is another of Billy's underrated gems from the early 1970s. "Somewhere Along The Line" is much better live than the studio version, which is somewhat tame. In concert, Billy belts it out and his band follows right along with stronger and funkier solos and backing.
Lyrically, the song has a nice progression, first dealing with the momentary pleasures of fancy wine and cigarettes, and how they will come back to haunt you later (hangover, cancer) and then proceeding to lust and ambition, and how those vices will also come back to get you, somewhere along the line. It's also a fun and relatively simple song to play on the piano. Go buy the sheet music and check it out. When played alone on the piano (or acoustic guitar), it is reminiscent of a Bob Dylan or James Taylor song. Billy frequently played it in concerts through about 1977, then it disappeared from his setlist and has not bee resurrected. There are no live versions of the song since the 1970s. Perhaps the theme of the song does not make sense for Billy to sing now that he is in his "old" age because he has continued to be successful in his old age, and time does not seem to have caught up to him. With a new, young wife and two new young kids, he does not appear to be paying the price for the excesses and indiscretions of his youth. And he is more popular and revered than ever, playing sold-out shows at MSG on a regular basis. A reviewer on Amazon.com likened the song, or at least the theme of the song, to the poem The Reckoning by Robert W. Service. |
Well it's a rainy night in Paris And I'm sitting by the Seine It's a pleasure to be soaking in The European rain Now my belly's full of fancy food and wine Oh, but in the morning there'll be hell to pay Somewhere along the line Well, in the morning there'll be hell to pay Somewhere along the line Sweet Virginia cigarette Burning in my hand Well you used to be a friend of mine But now I understand You've been eating up inside me for some time Oh, and I know your gonna get me Somewhere along the line Yes I know your gonna get me Somewhere along the line Somewhere along the line Well I know it's just a matter of time When the fun falls through and the rent comes due Somewhere along the line Well, you know I love my woman And I would not let her down And I did my share of lovin' When I used to get around Now I'm satisfied that she is lookin' fine Oh, but you pay for satisfaction Somewhere along the line Well you pay for your satisfaction Somewhere along the line Hey, it's good to be a young man And to live the way you please Yes, a young man is the king Of every kingdom that he sees There's an old and feeble man not far behind And it surely will catch up to him Somewhere along the line Oh it surely will catch up to him Somewhere along the line Well you know it's gonna catch up to him Somewhere along the line 
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Videos
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Studio version from the album Piano Man (1973) set to various still photos I cobbled together. "Somewhere Along the Line" is © 1973 Sony Music Entertainment
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This is a live performance from Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (1973).
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Live version from 1976, Live at the Capitol Theater.
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Excellent live version of "Somewhere Along The Line" from a 1978 televised concert in Germany.
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This is a rocking live version (audio only) from Billy's 1977 concert at Nassau Coliseum at the end of the year. The song was always better when performed live.
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This is apparently a demo version of "Somewhere Along The Line."
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