Allentown
Billy Joel
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Well we're living here in Allentown And they're closing all the factories down Out in Bethlehem they're killing time Filling out forms Standing in line Well our fathers fought the Second World War Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore Met our mothers in the USO Asked them to dance Danced with them slow And we're living here in Allentown But the restlessness was handed down And it's getting very hard to stay Well we're waiting here in Allentown For the Pennsylvania we never found 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 Iron and coal And chromium steel And we're waiting here in Allentown But they've taken all the coal from the ground And the union people crawled away Every child has a pretty good shot To get at least as far as their old man got But something happened on the way to that place They threw an American flag in our place Well I'm living here in Allentown And it's hard to keep a good man down But I won't be giving up today And we're living here in Allentown
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Written by: Billy Joel
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Song Creation"Allentown" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, which was first released in 1982 on his album "The Nylon Curtain."
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InspirationThe song is about the decline of the steel industry in the United States, specifically in the town of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
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PopularityEven though the song is about a city's economic struggle, it became an immense hit, reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Local ImpactThe song created friction among Allentown residents upon its release as some felt it painted a negative portrait of their city. However, it also drew national attention to the city's economic plight.
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Song MeaningJoel has clarified that while the song title refers to Allentown, it's actually a story about the American industrial working class as a whole, not one specific town.
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Song CompositionThe song features acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica, and a distinctive flugelhorn solo near the end.
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RecognitionOver the years, "Allentown" has continued to earn recognition, such as in Rolling Stone's list of "100 Best Singles of 1984."
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Usage in Media"Allentown" has been featured in several movies and TV shows, including the film "The Hangover" and the TV show "The Office."
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Live PerformancesJoel often performs "Allentown" in his concerts. In sarcastic response to the initial mixed reception by the locals, he started introducing the song by saying, "This is a song about a city you've probably never heard of."
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Award NominationThe song was nominated for a Grammy award in the 'Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male' category in 1983.
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Citation
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"Allentown Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/23038682/Billy+Joel/Allentown>.
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