Billy Joel
American · 20th-21st century
American singer-songwriter and pianist known for hits including 'Piano Man,' 'The Longest Time,' and numerous other pop-rock classics.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Uncle Jerry identifies Taylor's use of 'for the longest time' in cardigan as an echo of Billy Joel's 1983 song 'The Longest Time,' which shares themes of lost innocence and romantic reconnection.
Notable Works
- The Longest Time, Piano Man, Uptown Girl, Just the Way You Are
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
The Longest Time
“I knew I'd curse you for the longest time”
Uncle Jerry identifies 'for the longest time' as an echo of Billy Joel's 1983 song 'The Longest Time.' He quotes from the Joel song, noting its themes of lost innocence and reconnection: 'Once I thought my innocence had gone. Now I know that happiness goes on. That's where you found me. That's when you put your arms around. I haven't been there for the longest time.' He notes that in the Joel song the couple gets back together, which parallels the ambiguous question of whether James and Betty reunite, but leaves this unresolved.