Well, this song has been on an interesting journey.  It's a deep cut from Billy Joel's most successful album, the 1977 release, "The Stranger" (which has been certified Diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 Million Units).  It first showed up as the B-side to his break-out top 5 smash single, "Just the Way You Are", and then became a popular song to include in his live performances, and has been a relatively regular concert staple ever since.

However...somehow, it got a whole new life in recent years, which is so appropriate for the song, which we'll discuss in a moment.  It has emerged as a very popular song in Billy's catalog, especially among new younger listeners.  It is currently the third most played Billy Joel song on Spotify, with nearly 700 MILLION streams on that platform alone.  It's become so popular that they even made an official music video and released it to YouTube in 2024, 47 years after it was recorded, and, as of this writing, it already has nearly 5 Million views.  Basically, it's a hit that was never actually a hit.

One of the things I love about writing these blog posts is that part of the process is listening more closely to the song I'm talking about than perhaps I have before, and doing some research about it, as well as seeking out what I think is the best, or most interesting, or most important performance of it by the artist to share with you.  I spend a whole morning with the song and I always walk away a better person and a better musician for it....and this tune is no different.

The meaning of this song REALLY resonates with me today in a way it didn't used to.  When Billy was just a little boy, his parents split up and his father moved to Europe.  As a young man Billy tracked his father to Vienna, Austria and went to see him.  There was an elderly woman sweeping the sidewalks and Billy asked his father, "Dad, why is this nice old lady doing that work, can't they hire someone younger for that?"  And his father explained that in that culture, everyone continues to participate in the community throughout their life.  That older people want to feel like they have a purpose, that they can still make a meaningful contribution to the whole, rather than feel pushed aside to make room for the new as if they have already died.  This had a profound effect on Billy, and he used "Vienna" as a metaphor in the song to essentially say that life doesn't end when you turn 40 or 50....you still have value, you still have purpose, and you can still make a contribution that is meaningful to someone....don't try to squeeze all of your living into your 20s and 30s because "Vienna waits for you."

This message is hitting me more intensely now than ever.  I don't feel particularly old, but I am likely at or have crossed the midpoint of my life, and it has definitely caused me to focus and reflect.  There's so much I thought I would have accomplished by now that I haven't....there are so many things that I have failed at or screwed up that I never could have guessed I would have...there are so many wonderful things that have happened that weren't on my bingo card before they occurred.  But now, how I spend my time feels ever more important to me.  I don't want to go to bed at night feeling like I largely wasted my day.  I want to feel like more of my moments are spent engaging in things that matter to me and the people I want to serve....my family, my friends, my students, my fans, and my local, national, and global communities at large. 

But, I still sometimes get caught in the "rat race" mentality that I have certain things I must accomplish by a certain age, or the opportunity will be lost.  I suppose that could be true in some cases....I'm not likely to ever have children at this point for example because my love interest is past the point where she feels safe doing it.  That's okay....I've made my mind right with that...there are many other ways to get that satisfaction.  But most everything else is something that I needn't assign a "due date" to.  Because the truth is, it isn't the completion that matters to me....it's the journey....the daily practices that might lead to the completion.  It's filling my moments up with something meaningful and purposeful.  Sometimes a laugh, sometimes an expression of love and affection, sometimes learning something new, sometimes creating valuable content for whoever wants to consume it....that's what I want my life to be....and I don't ever want to reach a day when that stops.  

Maybe as I get older the shape, color, and flavor of those things will change and evolve, but the essence of feeling like it matters that I'm still alive never will.  There's so much living that can still be done in advanced years.....you can volunteer, start a side hustle, learn new skills, make new friends, see new places....and yes....even fall in love....and that feels just as good when you're older as it does when you're 20...maybe even better because you have enough life experience to know what you've found.

I've always loved this song, but today I'm feeling an affection for it that I haven't previously had after diving deep into what it's really about.  It gives me great comfort to know that I have ALL the remaining days of my life to, in the words of marketing expert and cultural commentator Seth Godin, do work that matters for people who care.  "Vienna" indeed, waits for me.....and it waits for you too.

Enjoy my cover of this song from a livestream show I did on July 5, 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and then check out one of my favorite performances of it by Billy Joel himself at the Philadelphia Spectrum during his 1986 tour in support of his album, "The Bridge", as well as the 2024 official music video made for this 1977 gem. 

If you'd like to explore my piano method more deeply, my best students use my video courses and join me for conversation and twice monthly Q&A Livestreams in my private community...you can find it all HERE. Thanks.

If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube

If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube

 
If the video doesn't show above, use THIS LINK to see it on YouTube