​<<

​​​>>

---

       Time is relentless
       And as the past disappears
      We're on the verge of all things new
      We are two thousand years

---

     "Two Thousand Years" is in some sense a grander, more melodic, and sweeping version of "We Didn't Start The Fire."  In "Two Thousand Years" Billy recounts in broad strokes the past 2000 years (rather than the episodic countdown of the last 40 years in "We Didn't Start The Fire") a time when "man was triumphant, armed with the faith and the will" and we now stand at the "crossroads of time."  There is some question about what mankind has wrought -- "is this a curse or blessing that we give?"  But overall, it is a hopeful song, predicting miracles that will come, "the last war," and a world where both "science and poetry" will rule.  As the end of the millennium approached, it was a beautiful vision.

     This vision of a peaceful and progressive future for the world is reminiscent of Marc Chagall's mural "Peace" on stained glass.  See photo below.  Prophets and angels give us the power to see, what an amazing future there will be.  We didn't quite get there, but it was a noble goal and hope.

Vertical Divider

Words and Music by Billy Joel

In the beginning
There was the cold and the night
Prophets and angels gave us the fire and the light
Man was triumphant
Armed with the faith and the will
Even the darkest ages couldn't kill

Too many kingdoms
Too many flags on the field
So many battles, so many wounds to be healed
Time is relentless
Only true love perseveres
It's been a long time and now I'm with you
After two thousand years

This is our moment
Here at the crossroads of time
We hope our children carry our dreams down the line
They are the vintage
What kind of life will they live?
Is this a curse or a blessing that we give?

Sometimes I wonder
Why are we so blind to fate?
Without compassion, there can be no end to hate
No end to sorrow
Caused by the same endless fears
Why can't we learn from all we've been through
After two thousand years?

There will be miracles
After the last war is won
Science and poetry rule in the new world to come
Prophets and angels
Gave us the power to see
What an amazing future there will be

And in the evening
After the fire and the light
One thing is certain, nothing can hold back the night
Time is relentless
And as the past disappears
We're on the verge of all things new
We are two thousand years

Billy on "Two Thousand Years" from SiriusXM.

​*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *​

      The live version of the song (from 2000's The Millennium Concert) featured guitar which gave the song a richer and warmer sound, and a more folk-like feel, which is appropriate.  You can listen to it here and in the video below (right).  I would love to hear an acoustic version of the entire River of Dreams album as I think some of the songs like this one and "Famous Last Words" could have used a more simple accompaniment and production.  

     Here is a fan video of the song by Tony Walker with some rare photos of Billy Joel.

Videos

Fan video for "Two Thousand Years" consisting of still photos and images.  Song is © 1993 Sony Music Entertainment

---

In this excerpt from the Shades of Grey documentary, Billy performs "Two Thousand Years" solo on the piano and discusses songwriting.

---

Billy sings "Two Thousand Years" at the end of the millennium, and then "Auld Lang Syne."

In this 2022 interview, Billy explains how he may have been naively optimistic about the future in 2000.

---

"Peace" by Marc Chagall, on stained glass.  In memory of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld (1967).  Click  here for background.

Comments
​

---

Return to Top