My Life (Billy Joel song)
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| "My Life" | ||||
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| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album 52nd Street | ||||
| B-side | "52nd Street" | |||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Pop Rock | |||
| Length | 4:44 (Album Version) 3:50 (Single Version) |
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| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer | Phil Ramone | |||
| Certification | Platinum (RIAA) | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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"My Life" is a song by Billy Joel that first appeared on his 1978 album 52nd Street. A single version was released in the fall of 1978 and reached #2 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart. Early the next year it peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Contents |
[edit] Song information
The song begins with drums and electric bass, followed by a keyboard riff. The riff is also used as a fill between verse and chorus sections and is also played at the end. The section order is intro-verse-fill-chorus-bridge-v-f-c-b-solo-c-outro.
The verse about an old friend who "closed the shop, sold the house, bought a ticket to the west coast, now he gives them a stand up routine in LA." is a reference to comedian Richard Lewis.
Chicago members Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus performed the backing vocals and sang along with Billy Joel during the bridge and in the outro ("Keep it to yourself, it's my life").
"My Life" was used as the theme song for the television series Bosom Buddies (1980-82), however due to licensing issues it does not appear on the DVD release of the series.
[edit] Single and album edits
The differences between the single and album versions are the following:
- The intro and the interlude that follows are abridged.
- The interludes between the verses and refrains are cut in half.
- The instrumental break that follows the second bridge is deleted.
[edit] Other uses
A portion of the lyrics were used in A's track "Number One" from their debut album How Ace Are Buildings, earning Joel a writing credit.
The lyrics borrowed are:
"Got a call from an old friend, used to be real close
Said he couldn't go on the American way
Sold his house, sold his car
Bought a ticket to the West Coast
Now he gives 'em a stand-up routine in L.A."
[edit] Chart positions
| Chart (1978/1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 | 23[1] |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 11 |
| Japan Oricon Singles Chart | 37 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 2 |
[edit] References
- ^ Dutch Top 40 1979. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
