I'm offering up my interpretation of the song. What the man actually seemed to be implying. See, I've always been slightly offended by it, much as I can't deny having been a tiny bit influenced (as an infant - probably in-utero) by Billy Joel. I play the piano, he plays the piano. Of course I played 'Piano Man' and sang my heart out (in-utero)...
But well, She's Always a Woman. Not so much. Degrading. Mostly a kind of jock-itch approach to the vast and mysterious land of dangerously unpredictable girl-ness.
Seriously, are Women that erratic, unethical, and mostly vapid?
She's Always a Woman - Revised
She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes
and she can ruin your faith with her casual lies
and she only reveals what she wants you to see
blame it all on yourself cause she's always a woman to me.
Has the mind of a feline and nothing like ethics
Mostly likes pretty colors and saline prosthetics
Only looks in your eyes, her reflection to see
Yeah, she's not all that bright but she's always a woman to me
Oh, she takes care of herself, and she lies like a rug -
makes it up as she goes
Oh, and she never thinks twice - like she could think just once -
there's not much that she knows
She can lead you to love, or at least to Las Vegas
Let's face it, she's got all the parts in right places
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be -
yeah, you're chasing your tail when she's always a woman to me
Oh, she takes care of herself, and she lies like a rug -
makes it up as she goes
Oh, and she never thinks twice - like she could think just once -
there's not much that she knows
And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden -
hey but didn't you ask for that apple you're eatin?
Seems like she took the Fall and you just walked, scot-free
Blame it all on the snake when she's always a woman to me
She is frequently kind, then she's suddenly cruel
But she can do as she pleases, then laugh like a fool
and she can't be convicted - Insanity Plea
And the most she will do is throw shadows at you
and no one knows what that means but me
But she's always a woman to me.
La da da da da da.. La da da da da.. [insert nervous laughter] La da da da da da
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
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I completely disagree, but then when do the contrasting curves of yin ever encroach the space of yang? I have gone to these lengths in love. I have been tormented by the woman he sings about about, and yet I never have been able to think any less of her. Degrading? No, unless truth is degrading (which these political days one could make the case). The story is relevant (at least in my life) and I find it the sappier precursor to Cowboy Junkies' "Misguided Angel". Nonetheless, I have appreciated your fully fleshed out interpretation and think there might be some hidden track "Easter Egg" recording of it embedded somewhere on this site. Hmmm - let's go looking... T.J. Schwab
ReplyDeleteI had a girlfriend (true, I did, really) who was a Billy Joel fan. We went out for nine hours, but lived a complex 15 years of romantic torture. She found this song perfectly descriptive of her power over me and declares it, to this day, to be OUR song. I, on the other hand, chose Stiletto. Please, for your follow up blog, compare and contrast these two songs and your personal views on degradation. I think they are the same song, but that Stiletto has more Honesty...such a lonely word...get the feeling Billy never had a relationship with healthy communcation???
ReplyDeletei get the feeling Billy is a twit.
ReplyDelete"hey but didn't you ask for that apple you're eatin?"
this is so Krista. dig.
Ah, TJ, there you go claiming the rights to 'truth' again. Billy's truth is not my truth - and this view of women is based on 2,000 years of relegating us to this silly realm. Whether the romantic notion appeals to you or not isn't the point. Romantic notions are not truth. But then again, there is no truth, eh? Just relativity.
ReplyDeleteI'd love your take on the Bee Gees "More than a woman".... Also, I always thought their song "How deep is your love" needed the woman's reply: "Hey, how long is yours?" -
ReplyDeleteChessley