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I am, as I’ve said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.

Billy Joel

I’m not sure about life after this; god knows I’m not a spiritual man.
BILLY JOEL

Men Not Spiritual Sure
Forced to recognize our inhumanity, our reason coexists with our insanity. And though we choose between reality and madness, it’s either sadness or euphoria.
BILLY JOEL

Madness Philosophy Reality Sadness
I was drawn to boxing because I got beat up as a kid. I was the kid with the piano books in a New York neighbourhood.
BILLY JOEL

Book Country Kids
Historically, musicians know what it is like to be outside the norm – walking the high wire without a safety net. Our experience is not so different from those who march to the beat of different drummers.
BILLY JOEL

Musician Safety Wire
Artist – musicians, painters, writers, poets, always seem to have had the most accurate perception of what is really going on around them, not the official version or the popular perception of contemporary life.
BILLY JOEL

Artist Perception Sea
Out of respect for the things that I was never destined to do, I have learned that my strengths are a result of my weaknesses, my success is due to my failures, and my style is directly related to my limitations.
BILLY JOEL

Results Style Success Weakness
Say goodbye to Hollywood Say goodbye my baby Say goodbye to Hollywood Say goodbye my baby.
BILLY JOEL

Baby Country Goodbye Hollywood
I don’t know why people thought I was retiring.
BILLY JOEL

People Retirement Retiring
If you make music for the human needs you have within yourself, then you do it for all humans who need the same things.
BILLY JOEL

Human Music Need Same Things
I haven’t met the person I can sustain a relationship with yet. So I’m discontented about that. I’m angry with myself. I have regrets.
BILLY JOEL

Angry Discontented Regret Relationship
I see the winos talking to themselves and I can understand.
BILLY JOEL

Insanity Talking Winos
I am the entertainer, the idol of my age I make all kinds of money when I go on the stage You see me in the papers.
BILLY JOEL

Age Entertainer Idols Magazines Money
Slow down you’re doing fine You can’t be everything you want to be before your time.
BILLY JOEL

Fine Slow Down Want
Musicians know all about unemployment. You’re unemployed a lot, and I think there’s a great deal of empathy between musicians and people who are out of work.
BILLY JOEL

Empathy People Thinking
Some people stay away from the door for the chance of it opening up.
BILLY JOEL

Doors Opening People
In a way, we are magicians. We are alchemists, sorcerers and wizards. We are a very strange bunch. But there is great fun in being a wizard.
BILLY JOEL

Alchemist Fun Wizards
This is our moment, here at the cross-roads of time. Time is relentless and as the past dissappears, we’re on the verge of all things new.
BILLY JOEL

Moments Past Relentless
Honesty is the best part of any art form. If you don’t have that, you’re kidding yourself and your listener.
BILLY JOEL

Art Honesty Kidding Part Truth
Working too hard can give you a heart-attack.
BILLY JOEL

Giving Heart Work
Don’t go changing to try and please me You never let me down before Don’t imagine you’re too familiar And I don’t see you anymore I would not leave you in times of trouble
BILLY JOEL

Anymore Familiar Fashion Hair Love Please
My daughter sent me on a mission to get as many autographs as possible.
BILLY JOEL

Autograph Daughter Missions
In hell there’s a big hotel where the bar just closed and the windows never opened. No phone so you can’t call home, and the TV works, but the clicker is broken.
BILLY JOEL

Evil Home Open Phones Window
I was having a hard time a couple of years ago… I’m a good driver, I just had bad luck.
BILLY JOEL

Booze Couple Hard Nothing Times
If I need a cause for celebration, Or a comfort I can use to ease my mind, I rely on my imagination, And I dream of an imaginary time.
BILLY JOEL

Dream Imagination Mind
Like family, we are tied to each other. This is what all good musicians understand.
BILLY JOEL

Family Like Musician Tied
There ain’t much future for a man who works the sea, there ain’t no island left for islanders like me.
BILLY JOEL

Islands Men Sea
What if she figures out you’re not very smart?
BILLY JOEL

Smart Unanswered Questions

I am, as I’ve said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.

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I am, as I’ve said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.

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