Billy Joel

Misheard lyrics (also called mondegreens) occur when people misunderstand the lyrics in a song. These are NOT intentional rephrasing of lyrics, which is called parody. For more information about the misheard lyrics available on this site, please read our FAQ.

This page contains a list of the songs that have stories about their misheard lyrics submitted.

Song names are sorted by first letter, excluding A and The. This is sorted by song title only, not by song title and performer. So if two different performers preformed the same song, you'll see misheard lyrics for both on the same page (provided the song title was spelt the same both times, and misheard lyrics have been submitted for both!).

Billy Joel - Greatest Hits Vol. 1-2 album at Amazon.com

Billy Joel's, "Allentown"

The Misheard Lyrics:

They threw a noomer rookin back in our face.

The Real Lyrics:

They threw an American flag in our face.

The Story: My wife and I always wondered what a 'noomer rookin' was. - Submitted by: Andrew Priest

Billy Joel's, "Allentown"

The Misheard Lyrics:

They threw it up and ripped a flag in our face.

The Real Lyrics:

They threw an American flag in our face.

The Story: The problem is that the accents in the music are opposite to the accents in the word American, so it sounds like um-air-rick-un. So my brain kept wanting to make words that had accents on those syllables. Even now that I know the correct words, whenever I hear that song it's just plain annoying to have the word 'American' mispronounced like that. - Submitted by: Orson Scott Card

Billy Joel's, "Allentown"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania pinnocle crowd.

The Real Lyrics:

Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found.

The Story: My husband sang this one day and I almost fell out of the car! He argued with me that he was right. Too funny! - Submitted by: Jeanne Miller

Billy Joel's, "Big Shot"

The Misheard Lyrics:

You had to be a big shot digit

The Real Lyrics:

You had to be a big shot, didn't cha?

The Story: I've been listening to this song almost all my life and I just -- at 28 years of age -- figured out the correct lyrics. My brother was the one who clued me in. He now refers to his index finger as his big shot digit. - Submitted by: Kate Harold

Billy Joel's, "I Go To Extremes"

The Misheard Lyrics:

And if I stand on all fours,
its all or nothing at all

The Real Lyrics:

And if I stand or I fall,
its all or nothing at all

The Story: When I would sing to the song, it didnt even occur to me that someone would be singing about standing on all fours. Finally, I realized how stupid that sounds and was able to figure out what he was really singing about! Boy did I feel stupid for that one!! - Submitted by: Katie Shaughnessy

Billy Joel's, "Innocent Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I am the Edison Man.

The Real Lyrics:

I am an innocent man.

The Story: The power company in our city is Detroit Edison, and when I was little I though this song was about the Edison Man. - Submitted by: Bridget

Billy Joel's, "It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me"

The Misheard Lyrics:

How about a pair of pink sand-wiches
And a bight orange pair of Kants?

The Real Lyrics:

How about a pair of pink sidewinders
And a bright orange pair of pants?

The Story: I eventually figured out the correct lyrics from context...I was wondering, in a song about Rock n' Roll, why Billy Joel was talking about Immanuel Kant and sandwiches, especially with such (respectively) inappropriate colours as pink and bright orange. - Submitted by: Kelpylion

Billy Joel's, "Just The Way You Are"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I can't love you, Eddie Vedder.

The Real Lyrics:

I can't love you any better.

The Story: My girlfriend is convinced that this is what Billy Joel was singing. I asked her if Eddie Vedder was even born when this song came out. Ohoho, the times we share. - Submitted by: Olvan The Terrible

Billy Joel's, "Just the Way You Are"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I said I loved you, sasspawilma

The Real Lyrics:

I said I loved you, that's forever

The Story: My college roommate asked me what 'saspawilma' was, and I said What? And he said, you know, in that Billy Joel song he says 'I said I loved you, sasspawilma!' - Submitted by: Robert

Billy Joel's, "Keeping The Faith"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Bought a fresh pack of Luckys and a mint Carl Simpson.

The Real Lyrics:

Bought a fresh pack of Luckys and a mint called Sen-Sen.

The Story: I just assumed a Carl Simpson was a brand of flavored cigar. - Submitted by: John

Billy Joel's, "Keeping The Faith"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Kick in the face

The Real Lyrics:

Keeping the faith

The Story: My sister was singing this song. When I finally heard what she was saying was 'kick in the face', we rolled on the floor and laughed hysterically. We were so young then, she didn't know. Still gives me a chuckle when I think about it! - Submitted by: Leslie

Billy Joel's, "Miami 2017-I've Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Seen the rats lie down on Broadway

The Real Lyrics:

I've seen the lights go out on Broadway

The Story: Not on the original recordings, but was included on the live version released in 81 on "Songs In The Attic" - Submitted by: Nick H

Billy Joel's, "Modern Woman"

The Misheard Lyrics:

She's my damn woman.

The Real Lyrics:

She's a modern woman.

The Story: When this song was first released and popular, I was at a Christmas party with my co-workers. My co-worker's daughter got up to sing this song for all of us. She was about 11 at the time and knew every single word, except the main title/chorus of Modern Woman. - Submitted by: Albert marino

Billy Joel's, "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"

The Misheard Lyrics:

The n***** can't drive with a broken back
At least he can polish the fender.

The Real Lyrics:

And if he can't drive with a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders.

The Story: I was sitting there listening to his song. Every time that part would come on, I tried to make out what he was saying. I even put the close caption on once. I was doing something else when that song came on. When I heard that line, my head snapped up. I kept waiting for him to repeat it. Every time it comes on I keep telling myself, 'No, that's not what he said, you're hearing things.' [Ed.'s note: I assume that Arleen is not a racist.] - Submitted by: Arleen

Billy Joel's, "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Who needs a house made out of hacky sack?

The Real Lyrics:

Who needs a house out in Hackensack?

The Story: I just heard this song on 95.9 The Fox (on-line), afternoon drive DJ, Matt Zako just played it. And it came back to me, that I saw this misheard lyric printed in one of the mondegren books a few years ago, and I have to admit when this song first came out in the late 1970's, I thought Billy Joel actually sang this line (because I couldn't understand at the time, that he was singing about the city of Hackensack). -:) - Submitted by: Peter

Billy Joel's, "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"

The Misheard Lyrics:

You should never argue with a crazy mama, mama, mama.

The Real Lyrics:

You should never argue with a crazy m-m-m-mind.

The Story: For decades, I have associated this lyric with your typical, crazy, hardheaded, Italian mother...namely mine. - Submitted by: Ed Perkins

Billy Joel's, "Only The Good Die Young"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Only the good tie 'um.

The Real Lyrics:

Only the good die young.

The Story: When I found out Billy Joel is Jewish, I realized why my Catholic friends found the song offensive. See, I thought Joel was Italian, which would make him a Catholic; and thus, I assumed he was criticizing his own religion. - Submitted by: John

Billy Joel's, "Only The Good Die Young"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Only the good times

The Real Lyrics:

Only the good die young

The Story: I sang this lyric one time in a Bill Cosby-like voice. I got made fun of by my friends...a lot. - Submitted by: Devon

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

And the piano sounds like a camera
And the night owl sounds like a beer.

The Real Lyrics:

And the piano sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer.

The Story: Although fairly familiar with this song, I'd never listened closely to all the words. While sitting in a Subway sandwich place eating with friends, I heard this playing on the radio in the background. All the words I noticed up until the last verse were pretty much what I would have thought they were. But in the last verse, I noticed the words seemed less familiar, and the above mishearing is the best I could make of them, playing as they were in the background, competing to be heard with the conversation of my friends. - Submitted by: Regina Olsen

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

And the piano, it sounds like a comic book.

The Real Lyrics:

And the piano, it sounds like a carnival.

The Story: When I was a little kid, this song used to confuse the h*** out of me. I wondered how a piano could sound like a comic book if they didn't make any noises except for when you turned the pages. - Submitted by: Michelle Chevallier

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

And you've got a spinnet, all right.

The Real Lyrics:

And you've got us feelin' all right.

The Story: For so long, I thought this was the correct line, since a spinnet is, after all, a type of piano. - Submitted by: R.j.s.

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his erotic Aunt Jen.

The Real Lyrics:

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin.

The Story: My 12 year old daughter had listened to my Billy Joel C.D. Later that day, while we were driving in the car, she asked me why the old man in the bar was 'making love to his erotic Aunt Jen'. I nearly wrecked the car laughing so hard. - Submitted by: Kalyn Johnston

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Making love to his chiny-chin-chin

The Real Lyrics:

Making love to his tonic and gin

The Story: My friends and I were on our way to school one morning when 'Piano Man' came on and i quietly sang along. one of my friends was humming with it too, but stopped when she got the the 'tonic and gin' line to ask me if it said 'making love to your chiny-chin-chin.' She looked confused and appalled at the thought. I corrected her, but not before nearly swerving into the other lane because I was laughing so hard. - Submitted by: Renee

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

The piano sounds like a cannon ball.

The Real Lyrics:

The piano sounds like a carnival.

The Story: My brother in law, who is a professional jazz pianist corrected me on this when I used this song to help describe some of his gigs to my wife. I assume he was right and have yet to do any research to verify. - Submitted by: Fang

Billy Joel's, "Piano Man"

The Misheard Lyrics:

There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to Tony and Jim

The Real Lyrics:

There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

The Story: I used to sing it this way alll the time when I was a little kid. Once it came on in the car and I just belted out my own lyrics confidently and my Mom started laughing hysterically. It's still a family joke; if the song comes on when my family's around, I sing it my own 'special' way. - Submitted by: Sarah Rehim

Billy Joel's, "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Joe DiLevy's in his heavy machine,
it's a scene down on Sunset Boulevard.

The Real Lyrics:

He joins the lover in his heavy machine,
it's a scene down on Sunset Boulevard.

The Story: I honestly did mishear this... then one day recently I wondered why a guy would have a name that was part Italian (Di___) and part Jewish (Levy). Didn't make sense so I looked up the lyrics, boy was I embarrased for all the times I've sung this loudly with the windows open! With Billy Joel's Long Island accent and the faster singing, it really got me confused. - Submitted by: Jess

Billy Joel's, "She's Always A Woman To Me"

The Misheard Lyrics:

But she's a weasel woman to me.

The Real Lyrics:

But she's always a woman to me.

The Story: When my daughter was little, we were riding in the car, and this song came on. After a while, my daughter asked, 'Daddy, what's a weasel woman?' - Submitted by: Tom

Billy Joel's, "She's Always A Woman"

The Misheard Lyrics:

She's a weasel woman to me

The Real Lyrics:

She's always a woman to me

The Story: Maybe it's stretching it a bit to count this, because it happened when I already well knew the correct words to the line. But one day, listening to the car radio and hearing this song the 'misheard' lyrics just 'clicked' in my mind, like that wery well could have been what I was hearing, if I didn't know better. It was a sudden flash of thought (simultaneous with the real lyrics) that made me suddenly break into laughter and startle everybody else in the car until I explained what had happened. - Submitted by: Lauren Overstreet

Billy Joel's, "Sometimes A Fantasy (Live)"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Ah, sure it would be better
If I had a hit of bromine, be bop a lula.

The Real Lyrics:

Ah, sure it would be better
If I had you here to hold me, be bop a lula.

The Story: I realized 'a hit of bromine' made no sense, but since this was before I had the studio version of the song and before the days of lyrics sites on the web, I really didn't know what he was saying. - Submitted by: Errol M. O'Neill

Billy Joel's, "Still Rock And Roll To Me"

The Misheard Lyrics:

You could really be a full brahma, baby.

The Real Lyrics:

You could really be a Beau Brummell, baby.

The Story: I just assumed 'full brahma' was a hipster's term for someone well-dressed. I finally learned about Beau Brummell (1700s fashion icon and arbiter of style) this year (2006), after having done an article on him. It all makes sense now. - Submitted by: Robert

Billy Joel's, "The Entertainer"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I am the end potato.

The Real Lyrics:

I am the entertainer.

The Story: I shared a room with my brother. He sets his stereo alarm to wake up playing a CD. One week he had a Billy Joel album in the alarm, and it would play 'The Entertainer' every morning. I thought the lyrics were 'I am the end potato' Of course, I thought that was a dumb song. Towards the end of the week, I was grumpy and yelled, 'I'm sick of listening to that stupid end potato song!' He was confused and asked me what I was talking about. I sand in a mocking voice, 'I am the end potato, I am the end potato - it's such a dumb song!' He laughed for weeks. - Submitted by: Kevin

Billy Joel's, "The Longest Time"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I don't care what concert winds it brings.

The Real Lyrics:

I don't care what consequence it brings.

The Story: I can't sing, but I was singing along pretty loudly to the radio when my (former) husband upon hearing my mis-singing said, 'Deb, what did you just say?' So, like a little kid, I looked down and very quietly said, 'I don't care what concert winds it brings'. He said, 'No, it's 'Consequence'. Then we got a divorce. Just kidding. - Submitted by: Debra Jane Zeller

Billy Joel's, "The Longest Time"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I so expired by you.

The Real Lyrics:

I'm so inspired by you.

The Story: This was my daughter's favorite song as a toddler, no doubt because of how much it tickled her daddy and me to hear her screaching, 'What else can I DOOOO? I so EXPIRED by youuuu!' Until I die, I'll never use the phrase, 'You kill me!' It's 'I so expired by you.' - Submitted by: Christina Dunigan

Billy Joel's, "The Longest Time"

The Misheard Lyrics:

Whoa-o-o-oh, come along this time!

The Real Lyrics:

Whoa-o-o-oh, for the longest time!

The Story: When I was younger, I heard the song a few times, but...I thought it was about calling to his girlfriend to come with him or something. - Submitted by: Ra'akone

Billy Joel's, "The Night Is Still Young"

The Misheard Lyrics:

I can see the town coming
When I'm gonna throw my suitcase out.

The Real Lyrics:

I can see the time coming
When I'm gonna throw my suitcase out.

The Story: When I first listened to this, I thought, 'Man, the town must really have a shortage of suitcases or something!' - Submitted by: Larcen Tyler