Joel, Billy - Streetlife Serenader Lyrics






Streetlife serenader
Never sang on stages
Needs no orchestration
Melody comes easy

Midnight masquerader
Shoppin' center heroes
Child of Eisenhower
New world celebrator

Streetlife serenaders
Have such an understanding
How the words are spoken
How to make the motions

Streetlife serenaders
Have no obligations
Hold no grand illusions
Need no stimulation

Midnight masqueraders
Workin' hard for wages
Need no vast arrangement
To do their harmonizing





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Joel, Billy Streetlife Serenader Comments
  1. B.... M....

    Child of Eisenhower. Best lyric

  2. J.... A....

    This is when Billy was still a singer songwriter. Maybe there are others like me who tend to like artists before they hit the big time

  3. d.... ....

    I've always heard BJ is not popular or even well known outside of North East. Can any non NY transplants confirm this?

  4. S.... ....

    Goosebumps. Fantastic Billy boy x

  5. L.... F....

    Can someone explain “ child of Eisenhower “?

    L.... F....

    Eisenhower was the U.S. President from 1953 to 1961. Billy Joel was born in 1949, so his childhood was right in this time period. It’s another way of saying “ a child of the ‘50s”.

    L.... F....

    Only cooler

  6. C.... T....

    18 people should have their thumbs removed

  7. L.... H....

    I was one of the fortunate ones. I stumbled on this album when it was released, because KSHE in St. Louis was actually PLAYING music from it!! I purchased the vinyl...and I still have it. It is iconic and yes, this is my FAVORITE BIlly Joel song. Midnight Masquerader, working hard for wages.... boy, Billy - did it pay off.

    L.... H....

    Good story thx

  8. I.... B....

    Billy is classy. Period.

  9. r.... e....

    Good stuff:)

  10. D.... H....

    I remember years ago, when I started buying Billy Joel's records cause I wanted to collect them. I bought this one cause I wanted one with the many unknown songs to me as possible. I had to order online cause in my country is too hard to find his music and by then there was not all the options we had now to listen online, and well, I had no internet at home.

    The day I received it by mail I was so happy, I listened that day on my old player and I loved that I discovered almost all the songs cause I had heard like two songs in this recorsd. The rest were new to me and that was amazing, was a whole experience for the 19 y/o me that had loved Billy Joel since I was like 10 or 11. I will always thank my mom for showing me how to record music on cassettes, that´s how I recorded piano man and it all started. Love his music, his lyrics and the way you connect with his words and so many songs you can relate to

  11. R.... A....

    Billy Joel. Unico artista che ha pubblicato solo Album belli .. Ognuno un gioiello ... Ha la musica nelle sue mani e nella sua mente ... Talento

  12. F.... ....

    Streetlife serenader
    Never sang on stages
    Needs no orchestration
    Melody comes easy

    Midnight masquerader
    Shoppin' center heroes
    Child of Eisenhower
    New world celebrator

    Streetlife serenaders
    Have such understanding
    How the words are spoken
    How to make the motions

    Streetlife serenaders
    Have no obligations
    Hold no grand illusions
    Need no stimulation

    Midnight masqueraders
    Workin' hard for wages
    Need no vast arrangements
    To do their harmonizing

  13. H.... P....

    Amazing how fortunate are we all

  14. A.... B....

    I love this song, but I think it had more potential. I think the whole album is a little bit hollow because all the songs are so short and repetitive (Billy said he didn’t have much material then). Either way, very good

    A.... B....

    Please stop it...

  15. d.... ....

    How is it possible to love a song so much that hits you so hard emotionally and makes you want to cry?

    d.... ....

    It's overwhelming

  16. F.... V....

    AWESOME!

  17. L.... B....

    I've always loved this song...

  18. R.... ....

    I absolutely love 3:47 - 4:03. I've never heard anything quite like that before in a pop song.

  19. J.... S....

    I became a Billy Joel fan, at age 8, in 1978, when he put out 52nd Street. I am so happy that he put out Songs In The Attic, in 1981. I had no idea that he had put out so much great material, before becoming a huge success. This enabled me to go back and check out his earlier stuff, as I had become curious. His early records are great!

  20. F.... ....

    I was in college when this song came out and I've had the words memorized since then.

  21. S.... ....

    Voice is weird

  22. d.... a....

    amazing.

    d.... a....

    Its called youth, fool...

  23. C.... U....

    It’s 2:30 in the morning and I’m blasting this song just the best

  24. C.... U....

    Best song

  25. R.... A....

    W Piano MAN

  26. c.... a....

    Sin duda alguna Billy Joel ha sido uno de los artista mas subestimado que yo he conocido, muchas personas no conocen su pasion por la musica Billy es y sera uno de los musicos mas completos que ha parido la tierra , cabe destacar su actuacion el el Festival de Mar y Sol, alla por el año de 1972. Su actuacion, aunque no fue muy comercial ,lo llevo al estrellato y ha sido hasta los momentos uno de los mejores interprestes del mundo.

    c.... a....

    cesar antonio Cartaya me alegra encontrar a alguien que hable español por fin ,muy pocos son los que en realidad aprecian a este gran artista ,es de los mejores y enserio me alegra encontrar gente de habla hispana por aquí ,saludo !!

  27. B.... B....

    I can't put my finger on it exactly, but there's a longing in my soul when I hear this.

  28. A.... M....

    What a talented man.

  29. W.... ....

    LOVE LOVE this song!!!! What a talent... this man is brilliant!

  30. G.... G....

    The man's a God...all those years he's given us...

  31. s.... ....

    This or Highland Falls must be the best he has ever written. This might shade it.. Its an epic..

    s.... ....

    I agree!

  32. C.... S....

    I had a Billy Joel Streetlife Serenade cassette tape in 1975 when I had returned from my first Westpac cruise and was home in Civilized San Diego, I used to play it a lot, that was a great album & was most definitely underrated. My favorite songs on the Streetlife Serenade album are Root Beer Rag which is the opening theme song of the San Diego Padres baseball pregame & postgame radio broadcasts, Los Angeleos, & the Mexican Connection.

  33. j.... ....

    I probably heard this on the radio as a kid years ago, in New York WNEW. Great song.

  34. A.... J....

    This is what came up when I shazamed the motel scene from the movie Gloria (1999) with Sharon Stone. This is not the music. But part of this song renders the music from the movie. I wish I could get my hands on the original Motion picture soundtrack.

    A.... J....

    Alandon Joe just look near the end of the movie’s credits. All the songs in a movie are generally listed there.

  35. J.... S....

    This was a symphony written at age 24. Brilliant !!

  36. M.... L....

    Bart Langen

  37. D.... ....

    Love Billy

  38. A.... A....

    Billy Joel
    a true long Islander

    Jones Beach
    Tommy Hilfiger Stage

    Long Island

    No Jewyork
    No woma
    The Flock Of Seals

  39. j.... s....

    Like all of Billy's pre Innocent Man albums this one as mostly been ignored and yet to me this Turnstiles, Piano Man ,The stranger and 52nd street are far better albums

  40. o.... ....

    .....takes a SERIOUS talent to take something more from a song like "Beware Of Darkness" - and make it ALL his OWN..... they can definitely exist separate and equal from each other.....

  41. D.... E....

    Great song I only recently heard. Only took me 43 years to discover it while radio stations play Piano Man & Uptown Girl endlessly.

    D.... E....

    This song runs rings around Uptown Girl !!

    D.... E....

    Well you're here now so welcome :)

  42. M.... P....

    I know every word to every Billy Joel song but this one just isn't my favorite but I still respect it , my favorite song of this album is root beer rag and souvenir

    M.... P....

    Oh I almost forgot Los Angelenos, Billy said that song was written for rob Stewart to record because of Stewart's raspy voice fitting the song

    M.... P....

    Hi Margaret like you I know all Billy's songs off by heart all everybody seems to know are songs from the Innocent man album.For me tracks like New York state of mind , Honesty , Vienna Summer highland falls and the Entertainer are some his best stuff . It was a real shame when he stopped recording new songs there just isn't anyone to compare with him anymore

    M.... P....

    I’m sure you two do

  43. Z.... T....

    his best !!!!

  44. P.... P....

    Who misses mainstream music being this good!

    P.... P....

    YEP, when an artist could write music & lyrics all by himself & tour on it by singing & performing live on stage, night after night.

    P.... P....

    Not to mention, when a label would nurture an artist. This was not a "hit" album, by any means. They stuck in there, with him, and look at what that brought, in the years after. And, when he became huge, his backlog sold big, too. Including this record.

    P.... P....

    This wasn't mainstream.

  45. a.... M....

    After being a fan my entire life, I have finally decided on this as my favorite Billy song.

    a.... M....

    That's neet

    a.... M....

    a MUSEd Yes ! It has such a mystical and rare quality! Play it over and over

    a.... M....

    I totally agree. Hauntingly beautiful. He doesn't play it because he can't hit those highs, methinks

  46. B.... K....

    Billy Joel's most underrated album

    B.... K....

    His first 4 albums were seriously underrated. Until "The Stranger" his work was not truly respected as it should have been. Albums like The Nylon Curtian, Cold Spring Harbor, Streetlife Serenade, and Piano Man are highly underrated.

    B.... K....

    I couldn't agree more this album Turnstiles and 52nd street are very underrated albums. Everybody just seems to remember an Innocent man. It really was a sad day when Billy stopped recording new stuff there's just no one to compare to him today

    B.... K....

    stranger was CBS biggest ever album until thriller

    B.... K....

    One of my favorite albums of his agreed severly underrated got a vynal copy at a thrift store for 1.00

    B.... K....

    @james stewart and songs in the attic

  47. A.... M....

    excellent

  48. T.... N....

    This song haunted me from the first time I heard it. It's stunning melodically, and there's that sadness in his voice that gets to me every time. <3

    T.... N....

    Well said

    T.... N....

    @George Clark I feel the same way....."love this song"

    T.... N....

    awesome

    T.... N....

    Thash Nathan

    Yes! Brilliant lyrics...raw, unbridled truth...

    Never mind the fact that he is vastly talented...and has a simple, yet enthralling voice that demands and keeps your attention. He IS the piano man!

  49. D.... K....

    Fabulous talent he has comes through on low selling records like this one- doesn't make sense, but what a creative
    genious Billy is.
    Thank you for sharing - very inspiring music and piano styles.

    D.... K....

    indeed, and nowadays with all the crap the mainstream spits out do we cherish it.

  50. M.... ....

    ♡ My favorite from Billy Joel such a beautiful song!!

  51. M.... S....

    Anthony Newley.

  52. T.... K....

    Cant imagine, making such beautiful music at the age of 25, I'm approaching 34 and was raised on his music but this song hits hard.

    T.... K....

    Tim Kelly i was so young!!! I am 50s going to be 57 July 21 anyway..Im sure i was 17 when this came out..my brother whom is only 4yrs older worked since he was 15 ..I was the youngest i was spoiled,haha

  53. M.... S....

    I prefer him as the singer songwriter that released his first four albums. The Stranger had a couple good songs that hold up but after that, BJ the Pop Star lost me. Would pick a song or two from each of the albums that came after. Such as Rosalinda's Eyes, She's Right On Time, And So It Goes, This Is The Time, etc., etc., etc. Saw him once on The Stranger Tour and he and the band were superb. He sold millions more records after The Stranger album so obviously most of his fans were happy.

    M.... S....

    +matt helm Piano Man and Streetlife Serenader are 2 of my favourite albums of all time.

    M.... S....

    52nd street is a pretty good album

    M.... S....

    Good Call Matt - agree completely.
    I'm just glad Billy made these creative pieces before the commercial ones, it really shows his talent !

  54. S.... ....

    Easily in my top 5 Billy Joel tunes

  55. P.... T....

    Melody comes easy...

  56. K.... Z....

    I've hit this song a thousand times, but this is my first time making a comment. Need I say more.

    K.... Z....

    "The Piano Man" will always be my favorite, but this is brilliant, just too long for Top 40 back then. I never heard this until it came upon "The Billy Joel Channel" on Sirius XM in 2014!

    K.... Z....

    @FRANK RIZZO Sirius runs that channel about every year , it just ended channel 30 november 2018. I just dont know what to say he is amazing this one right up there with my fav's of his , in awe every year when it comes on.

  57. D.... P....

    Steffan Pila

    A Pretty and Smooth Version of "Streetlife Serenader." This is definitively one of Billy Joel's best vocal songs ever!!!!!!!!!!!!

  58. T.... R....

    Kick ass song, one of my favorites by Billy!!!!

  59. N.... ....

    63/63 people know what's up!

  60. b.... ....

    A forgotten gem from LI's native son.  Keep making us proud, Billy!     

  61. R.... R....

    MY ANTHEM.

  62. T.... H....

    This song is hauntingly beautiful. Love the piano in this one.

  63. A.... W....

    mr. joel is awesome.

  64. s.... ....

    He's the best!

  65. T.... M....

    BJ, I have always and will always love your music!!!