"Allentown" by Billy Joel

I can't stop listening to this song on repeat. I think it's this line:

"The Restlessness was handed down."

Ain't that the truth.

...


"For the promises our teachers gave
IF we worked hard
IF we behaved.

So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real..."

It's hitting home for me.

"Every child had a pretty good shot to get at least as far as their old man got."

That we expect at Least as much as our parents had.

"But something happened on the way to that place"

Allentown has become somewhat of a ghost town bc all of the industry has left.

"And it's hard to keep a good man down.
But, I won't be getting up..."

Today, "Allentown" has emerged as an anthem for America. It's a blue collar town that's factories have closed and left them without work. It's a song written by Billy Joel in 1982. Highlighting the working class' aspirations and frustrations.

But...

this Restlessness isn't isolated to desolate towns; it can be found Today, in any mall in Suburbia!

The Restlessness of:

IS THIS IT???

Restlessness, in the more we buy, in the more money we make and...still Today, we are not happy.

So what do we DO?!?

I think the answer and most important message Billy Joel tells us isn't in any of his songs. Its how he ends all of his concerts:

"Don't take any Shit from anybody."

Xo