One Final Serenade: Songs of Billy Joel
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Streetlife Serenader
(Streetlife Serenade) (1974) |
The title track "Streetlife Serenader" (audio only). © 1974, 2011 Sony Music Entertainment.
 Download "Streetlife Serenader"
Steetlife Serenaders The title track "Streetlife Serenader" is an elegaic ode to street corner singers and buskers. They "hold no grand illusions" about what they do but still seek to inspire. The piano introduction and interludes in the song are reminiscent of classical music, like Claude Debussy or other romantic composers. "Streetlife Serenade" is a beautiful song, but the lyrics are somewhat underdeveloped and impressionistic. Billy uses metaphorical labels such as "child of Eisenhower" and "midnight masquerader" to convey the persona of a street singer, but it seems a bit too vague and impressionistic. Perhaps this was intentional, but something seems missing as if this were a fragment of a larger piece rather than a fully developed song.
Billy recorded a live version of the song on 1981's Songs In The Attic. He rarely performs it in concert these days, but many fans think it is one of the better songs from early in his career. |
Streetlife Serenader
Never sang on stages Needs no orchestration Melody comes easy Midnight masquerader Shopping center hero Child of Eisenhower New world celebrator Streetlife Serenaders Have such understanding How the words are spoken How to make emotions Streetlife Serenaders Have no obligations Hold no grand illusions Need no stimulation Midnight masqueraders Workin' hard for wages Need no vast arrangements To do their harmonizing 
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