Song Parodies -> It's Still Billy Joel to Me

Original Song Title:	"It's Still Rock & Roll to Me"
Original Performer:	Billy Joel

Parody Song Title:	"It's Still Billy Joel to Me"
Parody Written by:	Mari Aranoff

This parody was inspired by Billy Joel's announcement in the late '90s that he was switching to classical music. Robert Hilburn, for the uninitiated, is the L.A. Times critic who was always dumping on Billy. (By the way, despite outward appearances, I like classical music AND Billy Joel!)

What's the problem if I play Beethoven
Can't you tell he's a dinosaur?
I'm so sick of making all rock records
Billy, you'll get to be a bore.
Are you tired of making so much money?
A concert pianist can't get a Playboy bunny.
Mozart, Schubert and Chopin, you know
It's still Billy Joel to me.

Oh, I really want to play Carnegie...
Don't you know that your tux won't fit?
And Tchaikovsky is a big shot, baby
I don't think that you can Handel it.
You're not going to get too much attention--
You can't really shine playing three-part inventions.
Liszt, Bach, Haydn, Bartok, Debussy
It's still Billy Joel to me.

Ohhhh, it's not important what you guys are all saying
I really like Ravel and Satie.
And don't call me a liar
'Cause I didn't start the fire
You can show a little honesty--
It's just pianist envy!

How about I play a Brahms concerto?
Then I'd say that your music stunk.
I could really be a virtuoso
How about if I go get drunk?
I liked you better when you were a cynic
You'll end up at a Strauss-reduction clinic
Fugue, mazurka, ala turka, waltz
It's still Billy Joel to me

I'll play a concert with the Philharmonic
Oh, they'll just get in the way.
Does it matter if I leave pop music?
It will make Robert Hillburn's day.
I can't do nothin' 'bout the news that you're bringing
But if you do the classics, then please don't be singing!
Schumann, Bloch, get off my Bach, you know
It's still Billy Joel to me.

For the longest time I may be right,
And I'm still Billy Joel to me!

http://home.earthlink.net/~duncanoff/id1.html

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User Comments Follow...

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Adagio - October 13, 2003 - Report this comment

A really good read. I liked it!

Billy Florio - October 13, 2003 - Report this comment

I hope you know that Weird All did one just like this when he had a "punkish" sound

Mr Horse - October 13, 2003 - Report this comment

Very good parody. 5-5-5 enjoyed it a lot:-) Check out my latest parody and tell me what you think! http://www.amiright.com/parody/70s/theeagles59.shtml

Spaff.com - October 14, 2003 - Report this comment

MAD: Billy's right - one of Weird Al's first hits was a parody of this same song with this same title. Your lyrics, however, are very different - and very creative. I enjoyed the BJ references, the rhymes, and the puns (especially "pianist envy").

The Hicksville Firestarter - October 14, 2003 - Report this comment

It makes no sense to stick your two cents in if you know when to leave it alone, but you went over the line, you couldn't see it was time to go home. No no no no, you had to be a big shot, didn't ya?

Claude Prez - October 25, 2003 - Report this comment

Wow! Can't believe I missed this one! Love the puns especially. Anyway I looked at your other songs and I noticed you don't seem to have done every single Billy Joel song yet, so you better get movin' :)

Laurence Dunne - October 27, 2003 - Report this comment

FAKER! Werid Al did this song! 0-0-0

Claude Prez - October 27, 2003 - Report this comment

"Faker"? LD, it's been made clear that the title's been done; do you not read the other comments? Did you even read the lyrics? They're obviously not Weird Al's, and they're quite clever.

Rick D - October 30, 2003 - Report this comment

Thanks Claude. Mari has Wierd Al's autographed underwear above her desk (From a concert where he pulls them out of his pants and throws them into the audience.) But that's the ONLY thing he ever gave her. (Besides laughs)

David Pratter - November 01, 2003 - Report this comment

While you might have come up with the lyrics yourself, originally "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody of the same song with this same title about Billy Joel. However, it's not on any of his albums, it's only available on the Doctor Demento albums.

Mari D - November 02, 2003 - Report this comment

Thanks, Claude (and of course, Rick)! LD, you can't copyright a title, and I'd rather not imagine a world with no Beatles!

Agrimorfee - November 05, 2003 - Report this comment

Constructive criticism--all of your lines before "...It's still Billy Joel" do not match the original at all...,.hence a 0 on Flow. Funny satire and Al-worthy puns, though! Ignore the folks ragging about the title.

Agrimorfee - November 05, 2003 - Report this comment

I wanted to clarify what I was talking about-- I meant to say "Pacing", not "Flow". the line should go something like: "duh-duh, duh-duh, di-di-di-di,duh-duh" (if that makes any sense), and it would be nice if the "duh-duh"s would rhyme with each other ;). Peace!

Rick D - November 06, 2003 - Report this comment

I think she's allowed artistic licence since she's working in composer names. A zero would be pretty harsh if even possible.

Mari D - November 07, 2003 - Report this comment

I had no idea that this parody would generate so many diverse comments (including a couple from my biggest fan)! Maybe I should interject... (a) Weird Al wrote his in 1999 and I wrote mine in 1997, but I know that Al did not steal from me (that would have been a hoot); (b) I was aware that some of the lines in the original have three or four rhymes within a line (�Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk�) but thought that it didn�t matter so much since �next phase� and �new wave� do not rhyme; (c) I find this kind of interchange fascinating! (d) It�s surprising that no one has done �Ode to Billy Joel.� Uh oh�

Weird Al fan - November 10, 2003 - Report this comment

Weird Al's version has been around since at least 1980

David Chrenko - November 17, 2003 - Report this comment

Solomon said, "There's nothing new under the sun." I doubt any of us has written a song that isn't similar to something that's already been done, lest we forget "My Sweet Lord (Doo-Lang-Doo-Lang-Doo-Lang)". Nice job, Mari.

Uptown Squirrel - December 05, 2003 - Report this comment

Mari, it looks like you're off the hook. There's yet ANOTHER "It's Still Billy Joel To Me". History will note that mine is the original - even pre-dating Weird Al. I wrote it in the early '40s before there even WAS a Billy Joel.

Mari D - January 17, 2004 - Report this comment

Weird Al fan -- oops. I should have checked more internet sites before assuming that the one that said 1999 was correct. Dave and Uptown Squirrel -- Right on! You know, every time I write a parody I check the "search" function to see if anyone else has covered my idea. And most of us have written something only to find that someone else has covered it on the same day.

just another weird al fan writes.. - January 17, 2004 - Report this comment

I know that weird al has written (and performed) "it's still billy joel to me" but he did not record it, since it's not on any of his albums.

neminem - February 26, 2004 - Report this comment

Yeah, like it not being on an album means you can't find it around ;-). I happen to have, after much searching, live mp3s of "You Don't Take Your Showers," "Laundrey Day," "I'll Repair for You," "Free Delivery," and "Green Eggs and Ham", as well as actual studio-recorded quality mp3s of "Headline News," "School Cafeteria," "Chicken Pot Pie," "Pacman," and "Polkamon," none of which as far as I know are on any released albums. I have the lyrics, but not a recording, of his "It's Still Billy Joel to Me", which is quite good. But this is too. Anyway, you can tell I came in here to make sure it'd already been noted that Weird Al wrote a parody with this name, given that I'm obviously obsessed with him ;-). I am impressed with your work, and also that this was written before Weird Al's.

white trash - July 11, 2007 - Report this comment

good songs i dont kno whos better als version or urs hm

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Song Parodies -> It's Still Billy Joel to Me

"It's Still Rock & Roll to Me"

Billy Joel

"It's Still Billy Joel to Me"

Mari Aranoff

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