Prelude/Angry Young Man
Billy Joel
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There's a place in the world for the angry young man With his working class ties and his radical plans He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl He's always at home with his back to the wall And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross And he likes to be known as the angry young man Give a moment or two to the angry young man With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood It's a comfort to know his intentions are good And he sits in a room with a lock on the door With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor And he likes to be known as the angry young man I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage I found that just surviving was a noble fight I once believed in causes too I had my pointless point of view And life went on no matter who was wrong or right And there's always a place for the angry young man With his fist in the air and his head in the sand And he's never been able to learn from mistakes So he can't understand why his heart always breaks But his honor is pure and his courage as well And he's fair and he's true and he's boring as hell And he'll go to the grave as an angry old man There's a place in the world for the angry young man With his working class ties and his radical plans He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl He's always at home with his back to the wall And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross And he likes to be known as the angry young man
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Written by: BILLY JOEL
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Genre ClassificationThe song "Prelude/Angry Young Man" by Billy Joel belongs to the rock genre, with elements of progressive rock infused within the composition.
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Album InclusionThis song is part of Billy Joel's 4th studio album, "Turnstiles" which was released in 1976.
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Live PerformancesThe percussive piano solos make "Prelude/Angry Young Man" a crowd favorite at Billy Joel concerts. Despite its length and complexity, Joel performs it regularly at his live concerts.
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Instrumental ComplexityThe introductory prelude section is known for its fast, repetitive piano part that involves intricate beating of single piano keys, producing a rhythmically complex and technically demanding melody.
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Song Theme"Prelude/Angry Young Man" is a satirical song, which lightly mocks the passionate idealism of youth. It reflects on young people with highly critical attitudes who are eager to change the world but are often misunderstood.
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Writing CreditsBilly Joel is the sole writer of the song. The lyrics indicate a mix of cynicism and empathy towards the titular "Angry Young Man".
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Legendary Piano SoloThe song's intro is one of the most famous piano pieces in rock music, noted for its fast and repetitive nature which showcases Joel's impressive piano skills.
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Length of SongIn its album form, "Prelude/Angry Young Man" clocks in at just over 5 minutes long. This makes it one of the longer songs on the "Turnstiles" album.
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Not a Chart TopperDespite its popularity among fans, "Prelude/Angry Young Man" was never released as a single and hence didn't make it to the Billboard charts.
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Song InspirationThe song is often perceived as a semi-autobiographical reflection of Joel's own experiences as a young man in the music industry, dealing with skepticism and criticism.
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First Appearance"Prelude/Angry Young Man" first appeared live in Billy Joel's concert setlists years before the release of the album "Turnstiles". Over the years, the song has undergone several changes in its live rendition.
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Unique Song StructureThe song is unique in that it has a 'song within a song' structure. The lengthy piano-driven prelude leads into the main body of the song, the "Angry Young Man" section.
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Citation
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