Billy Joel Just the Way You Are

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Billy Joel Just the Way You Are

Billy Joel Just the Way You Are

Soft Rock Music

Billy Joel has said that the melody and chord progression came to him while he was dreaming –with a little bit of inspiration from The Four Seasons song “Rag Doll.” Joel had written the song for his wife at the time Elizabeth Weber and gave it to her as a birthday present. (She was also his business manager.) Joel played a Fender Rhodes electric piano on the track, using a shifter effect. Drummer Liberty DeVitto has said that he and their producer Phil Ramone “came up with the kind of crazy rhythm that started out as a samba beat, like a bossa nova with a brush and a stick.” The alto sax solo was by Phil Woods. He was well-known in the jazz world and was criticized by jazz purists for venturing into the pop rock world, but it exposed his work to a wider audience. He also did session work for Steely Dan and Paul Simon.

The song was released on Joel’s 1977 album The Stranger and as a single, backed with “Get it Right the First Time.” This was his first U.S. Top 10 and U.K. Top 20 single. It also earned RIAA gold record certification. “Just the Way You Are” went to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Easy Listening Chart, #2 in Canada, #6 in Australia and New Zealand, #7 in Ireland, and #19 in the U.K.

Billy Joel began his career in the music business in 1965 and has been going ever since. He continues to tour and perform.

Here are the lyrics to “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel:

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
We never could have come this far
I took the good times; I’ll take the bad times
I take you just the way you are

Don’t go trying some new fashion
Don’t change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care

I don’t want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you?

I said I love you and that’s forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are

I don’t want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are

For More 70s Tunes

The System has daily featured music from all sorts of genres of 1970s music. You’re welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections in The System. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel.

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