Sing us a song, Billy.

We're all in the mood for a melody.

After seventeen years of silence, Billy Joel “turned the lights back on” this week with a new song release.¹ I only had to listen once to decide it was worth the wait. It brought me back to June 25, 2022—a magical night at the University of Notre Dame.

After a long walk around campus and dinner out with five of our besties who we see about once a year (they hail from Calgary, Toronto, and North Carolina), we stood at the gates of the stadium, flashed the e-tickets on our phones, found our seats, and settled in for an amazing concert!

When we heard Billy Joel was coming to Notre Dame—twenty minutes from our home—we were in! That was in the spring of 2020. Of course, that June concert was canceled and rescheduled for 2021. A year later—canceled again. (Thanks a lot, COVID.)

Finally, in 2022, we were more than ready. And we were not disappointed.

We swayed to the music we grew up with and sang along to “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “Only the Good Die Young” (a little risque on the campus of “Our Mother,” under the shadow of “Touchdown Jesus” 😉). Our two 20-something daughters sat about five rows behind us, singing their hearts out to “Vienna,” and “Only a Woman.” Then, we all held our phones up in the dark along with about 40,000 other points of light as the lyrics and broken chords of “Piano Man” moved me to the edge of tears.

It was good “to forget about life for awhile.” Especially after a pandemic, a contentious election, racial tension, a war in Ukraine…it was very good. And when Billy sang “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” it reminded us that this wasn’t the first time the world had seen tension and upheaval.

So yeah. I guess you could say I’m a Billy Joel fan-girl. And his new song? It’s full of more beautiful, flowing, broken chords reminiscent of “Piano Man,” and delivers lyrics I find layered with meaning.

At first glance, it’s a ballad with a romantic story. Someone returns to their lover after an absence. Asking forgiveness, the lover asks if he’s “waited too long to turn the lights back on.”

I'm late, but I'm here right now
Though I used to be romantic
I forgot somehow
Time can make you blind

Can you relate a little? Being in a marriage for over 35 years, suffice it to say I’ve had to ask for and grant forgiveness more times than I can count. We’ve had to remind ourselves repeatedly to “turn the lights back on” and reignite that spark that still burns.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. If you want to spark romance again, listen to Billy Joel’s new song. (Another suggestion: Read “Keeping the Spark Alive”²—it’s one of my most popular posts, all about avoiding marital burnout).

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Is this song only about romance? I doubt it. There are more layers here. It’s been suggested that Billy Joel is talking to his fans when he says:

I'm late, but I'm here right now
And I'm tryin' to find the magic
That we lost somehow

Seventeen years is a long time to leave fans hanging. The man is (can you believe it?) 74 years old! Is he apologizing for being so late? It’s likely.

We all have dry spells. When life gets in the way, my writing—the way I connect with my community of readers—loses a bit of its magic. How many times are we “late” in doing the things we know we should? We forget to call our friends and arrange that coffee date. We slough off sending a get-well or sympathy card even though we meant to. We procrastinate the things we once said were priorities, like exercise, meal-planning, planting a garden, or connecting with family.

I'm late, but I'm here right now
Is there still time for forgiveness?

I forgive you, Billy. I hope others forgive me too when I’m late in finding the magic.

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I wonder if Billy had our friendships and online relationships in mind as well.

Please open the door
Nothing is different, we've been here before
Pacing these halls, trying to talk
Over the silence
And pride sticks out its tongue
Laughs at the portrait that we've become
Stuck in a frame, unable to change
I was wrong

Social media has become, for many, a place to vent and rudely say whatever is on their mind. Others have gone silent, leaving social media altogether, in an effort to avoid any confrontation or argument.

What happened to civil discourse? To listening with an open mind and heart? And to apologizing?

When will we be able to forgive each other, accept our differences, and live in harmony? I don’t know if it’s possible. But trying to “turn the lights back on” in our relationships with one another is a goal we should aim for.

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This year, Valentine’s Day will do double duty for Catholics and many Protestants around the world, as it falls on Ash Wednesday—the first day of Lent³.

I highly doubt Billy Joel had anything religious in mind when he composed this latest song. But when a song is filled repeatedly with words like darkness, forgiveness, and light, I can’t help finding a deeper meaning—at least for myself.

I'm here right now
Yes, I'm here right now
Looking for forgiveness
I can see as we're layin' in the darkness
Yeah, as we're layin' in the darkness
Did I wait too long
To turn the lights back on?

We’re all in need of forgiveness. We can be blind, wrong, indifferent, or unable to change (all words you can find in these new lyrics). Thankfully, it’s never too late to “turn the lights back on.”

Forgiveness is free for the asking. The Light will always shine for us.

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Whichever layer of meaning you choose to hear in this new tune, I think it’s safe to say that this fan-girl is happy. Our piano man, after seventeen years, knew we were in the mood for a melody.

And he’s got us feeling alright.

1. Billy Joel Drops 'Turn the Lights Back On,' His First New Song in 17 Years — Listen! as reported by People Magazine. Music Video here.

2. Written just weeks before the world stopped (Feb, 2020), “Keeping the Spark Alive: Five Secrets to Empty Nest Love” continues to help and inspire couples in their later years to reignite that spark!

3. Lent: the forty days (minus Sundays) before Easter is a time when Christians remember their need for forgiveness and look forward to the saving grace of Jesus’ death and resurrection. If you’re looking for a devotional to help you focus on and connect with Jesus during these forty days, check out: Lent through the Little Things: Encountering Jesus in Life’s Ordinary Moments