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You're Only Human (Second Wind)
Greatest Hits, I and II (1985) |
But I survived all those long lonely days
When it seemed I did not have a friend Cause all I needed was a little faith So I could catch my breath and face the world again "You're Only Human" was one of two new Billy Joel songs on Greatest Hits I and II. The song was written in light of a wave of teenage suicides that had made national news in the mid 1980's. Billy himself had contemplated and even tried to commit suicide in his early 20's (see "Tomorrow Is Today") and could relate to the emotional angst and turmoil that teens facing serious problems were experiencing. He says "but I wouldn't be telling you if I hadn't been there myself." The song became a top ten hit.
The lyrics are straightforward and clear. Musically, the song is a synth-driven bouncy romp which Billy has said was a ska beat (as opposed to a reggae beat). The song sounds a bit dated today, with the heavy use of synthesizers and somewhat contrived vocal affectations. For this reason, I'm not a big fan of the song from a musical perspective, but it conveys a hopeful message. Billy donated royalties from the song to the National Committee for Youth Suicide Prevention. Billy is a generous philanthropist, having supported many worthy causes over the years including Charity Begins at Home and Long Island Bay fishermen's groups. Billy discusses the two new songs on Greatest Hits I & II, on SiriusXM radio in 2016. Subscribe to SiriusXM.
The music video for the song featured Billy in a role similar to the character Clarence in the Frank Capra movie It's A Wonderful Life. Billy coaxes a teenager, who was about to jump off a bridge, to come down. Billy then shows him what life would be like if he had jumped and killed himself.
In one scene, Billy shows the teenager that he helped save the life of another teenager who was drowning. According to this article on Retroist, the teenager in the video who is saved from drowning is portrayed by Adam Savage (below right) who went on to become the host of the television program Mythbusters. 
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Words and Music by Billy Joel
You're having a hard time and lately you don't feel so good
You're getting a bad reputation in your neighborhood It's alright, it's alright Sometimes that's what it takes You're only human, you're allowed to make your share of mistakes You better believe there will be times in your life When you'll be feeling like a stumbling fool So take it from me you'll learn more from your accidents Than anything that you could ever learn at school Don't forget your second wind Sooner or later you'll get your second wind It's not always easy to be living in this world of pain You're gonna be crashing into stone walls again and again It's alright, it's alright Though you feel your heart break You're only human, you're gonna have to deal with heartache Just like a boxer in a title fight You got to walk in that ring all alone You're not the only one who's made mistakes But they're the only thing that you can truly call your own Don't forget your second wind Wait in that corner until that breeze blows in You've been keeping to yourself these days Cause you're thinking everything's gone wrong Sometimes you just want to lay down and die That emotion can be so strong But hold on . . . Till that old second wind comes along You probably don't want to hear advice from someone else But I wouldn't be telling you if I hadn't been there myself It's alright, it's alright Sometimes that's all it takes We're only human We're supposed to make mistakes But I survived all those long lonely days When it seemed I did not have a friend Cause all I needed was a little faith So I could catch my breath and face the world again Don't forget your second wind Sooner or later you'll feel that momentum kick in Don't forget your second wind Sooner or later you'll feel that momentum kick in 
Photo still from the music video. The actor who played the main character in the video is apparently Jason Andrews.*
Behind the scenes, Billy and the late Jeff Schock, Billy's long=time publicist and archivist. Photo credit: Unknown
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*Larry Richman in the YouTube comments for the video stated: "Wow, I can't believe how many people commented on Adam Savage but only ONE person even asked about the boy in the video! And nobody answered. He's the son of Sue and Frank Andrews of Long Beach, New York, where I grew up. My mom was best friends with them. They had a BIG family -- lots of kids -- and if I recall correctly he was their youngest son. I'll have to check with her for his first name but at the time it was a big deal in town, having their son as the star of a Billy Joel video." However, another YouTube user (Macnatty) stated it was Billy Wirth. "The kid about to kill himself in the movie is actor Billy Wirth. I know he might not be too memorable but he played the hot Vampire Dwayne in Lost Boys "Death by Stereo"! and he played Drew Barrymore's abusive druggie boyfriend in Boys on the Side. I love that movie and felt to add my two cents."