Still Playing

Essays on music, aging, and the art of living with purpose

I have seen Billy Joel in concert some 10+ times and probably six times at Madison Square Garden. You may have noticed one of my recent pieces used his some “Angry Young Man” as a jumping point about whether an angry young man will become an angry old man.

Joel’s song suggests the answer is yes — if nothing changes. The song implies a sense of futility in the angry young man’s struggle. He never learns from his mistakes and remains perpetually discontented, his honor and courage acknowledged, but also contributing to his inability to find peace or happiness.

So there are clear life lessons we can infer from Mr. Joel. I will publish a series of articles that use song titles and lyrics as jumping points. I will publish them first in Sixty and Me and then here on Substack and this post will serve as a repository. So every article will link you back here.

1. There’s Always a Place for the Angry Young Man
   The angry young man can grow up. But he needs help getting there.
   

2. Vienna Waits for You

   What Billy Joel learned in Austria — and what American culture forgot about growing old with dignity.