Billy Joel
US history and social problems
through music
Dai FUJII (Japan)
kelalda@yahoo.co.jp
2009 Institute for Training and Development, Amherst, MA
Summer Institute for the Study of the United States
for Secondary School Teachers and Teacher Trainers
Contents
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Introduction
Why Billy Joel?
Billy Joel: Biography and Discography
Lesson Plan
Sample Lesson
Conclusion
References
Introduction
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When I was fifteen years old,
my English teacher introduced her favorite song
to us. The song was Billy Joel’s ‘The Stranger’.
Since then, I have been into the piano man’s
masterpieces. My passion for his music
eventually let me to form a band and performed
his songs when I was nineteen. Sometimes, not
always, the music has an immense power to
change the course of your future.
Why Billy Joel?
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Brief History of Protest songs
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Pete Seeger, Woody Gathrie
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Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Marvin Gay, John Lennon
Billy Joel
 Bruce Springsteen, Public Enemy,
REM, U2
 Rage against the Machine, Eminem
Biography: William Martin Joel
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Born in 1949 in Hicksville, New York
His father was an engineer at General Electric
Started piano lessons when he was just 4
His father, Howard, left the family when Billy
was only 7
Had to work nights to support his mother
Dropped out from High School due to many
absences
The Power of Music
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His first two bands were unsuccessful
Suffered a mental breakdown at 21
Met Elizabeth, who became his wife
Hit his first Top 40 with ‘Piano Man’ in 1973
Released Grammy awarded ‘The Stranger’ in
1977
‘He is simply a sharp observer who writes
perceptive songs with soaring melodies about
ordinary people and basic values.’
(Tony Schwartz in Newsweek)
Voices of our Generation
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Vietnam War
Cold Spring Harbor, 1972
Oil Crisis
Piano Man, 1973
Women’s Lib
Streetlife Serenade, 1974
Watergate
Turnstiles, 1976
Jimmy Who?
Cold War
The Stranger, 1977
Neo-conservatism
52nd Street, 1978
Soviet Intervention
in Afghanistan
Glass Houses, 1980
Reaganomics
The Nylon Curtain, 1982
SDI
An Innocent Man, 1983
Greatest Hits Volume I & II, 1985
Perestroika, Glasnost
The Bridge, 1986
Black Monday
The Fall of Berlin wall
Storm Front, 1989
The End of Cold War
The lesson plan
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Subject: English
Class: 3rd Graders of JHS (14-15 years old) or 3rd
Graders of SHS (17-18 years old)
Topic: Billy Joel - US history and social problems through music Time Allocation (6-8 periods)
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Introduction (Listening/Note-taking) (1)
Understanding lyrics (Reading Comprehension, Listening) (1)
Research Project (Task-based) (3-5)
Discussion/Feedback (Speaking/Summarization) (1)
The objectives
Through the study of this topic, students will
 Learn a brief sense of history and social problems of
the U.S.A. such as Cold War, Vietnam War, labor
problems, and teenage suicide prevention, etc.
 Listen to songs and understand the lyrics.
 Make their own research about the songs introduced
related to the U.S. history and social problems.
 Discuss differences of social problems in the U.S.A.
and Japan.
Sample Lesson: Billy Joel
What Titles Tell You
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Only the Good Die Young
Allentown
Goodnight Saigon
Uptown Girl
Only Human (Second Wind)
Leningrad
Cold War
Religious Conservatism
Social Class
Teenage Suicide
Unemployment
Vietnam War
The Cold War
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Why is it called the ‘Cold’ War?
During the Cold War, what did the Soviet Union
want to do?
What did the United States do against the spread
of communism?
Now let us listen to ‘Leningrad’. As listening,
why don’t you try to answer questions on your
worksheet!
Leningrad
Viktor was born in the spring of '44
And never saw his father anymore
A child of sacrifice, a child of war
Another son who never had a father after
Leningrad
Viktor was sent to some Red Army town
Served out his time, became a circus clown
The greatest happiness he'd ever found
Was making Russian children glad
And children lived in Leningrad
Went off to school and learned to serve the state
Followed the rules and drank his vodka straight
The only way to live was drown the hate
A Russian life was very sad
And such was life in Leningrad
But children lived in Levittown
And hid in the shelters underground
Until the Soviets turned their ships around
And tore the Cuban missiles down
And in that bright October sun
We knew our childhood days were done
And I watched my friends go off to war
What do they keep on fighting for?
I was born in '49
A cold war kid in McCarthy time
Stop 'em at the 38th Parallel
Blast those yellow reds to hell
And cold war kids were hard to kill
Under their desk in an air raid drill
Haven't they heard we won the war
What do they keep on fighting for?
And so my child, when I came to this place
To meet him eye to eye and face to face
He made my daughter laugh, then we embraced
We never knew what friends we had
Until we came to Leningrad
Discography and US History
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Vietnam War
Cold Spring Harbor, 1972
Oil Crisis
Piano Man, 1973
Women’s Lib
Streetlife Serenade, 1974
Watergate
Turnstiles, 1976
Jimmy Who?
Cold War
The Stranger, 1977
Neo-conservatism
52nd Street, 1978
Soviet Intervention
in Afghanistan
Glass Houses, 1980
Reaganomics
The Nylon Curtain, 1982
SDI
An Innocent Man, 1983
Greatest Hits Volume I & II, 1985
Perestroika, Glasnost
The Bridge, 1986
Black Monday
The Fall of Berlin wall
Storm Front, 1989
The End of Cold War
Research Project
Procedure:
1. Pick up one song you would like to research. Then make groups.
2. Examine the lyrics with his biography and find some keywords
from them. Then look up the keywords on the Internet.
3. Analyze the lyrics and make 3-5 questions about the lyrics. A
research worksheet (not shown here, sorry!) should be provided
to help Ss’ research. 3-5 lesson hours are expected to complete
the project.
4. Make a presentation with Power Point.
5. Give your presentation to others and others give some feedback.
Conclusion
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Songs may increase students’ motivation to learn
and open a different way to learn more about
the topic.
The lyrics, if carefully examined, tell us a lot of
information as not only the songwriter intends
but the listener interprets.
Knowing the background of songwriting may be
helpful to understand why the songwriter wrote
the song and expand your knowledge.
Thank you for your Attention
We never knew what friends
we had until we came to…
Amherst!
References
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Billy Joel Official Website, http://billyjoel.com (July10,2009)
Gale Research. (1994). “Billy Joel.” Newsmakers 1994, Issue 4. Reproduced in Biography
Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2009.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC Document Number: H10000050447
Gale, T. (2004). Contemporary Authors Online. Reproduced in Biography Resource
Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2009.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC Document Number: K1608004365
Gale, T. (2005). “Billy Joel.” Contemporary Musicians, Volume 52. Reproduced in
Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2009.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC Document Number: K1618000257
SARUYA, K. (1998). Kono Issatsu de America no Rekishi ga Wakaru. Tokyo: MikasaShobo. 猿谷要 「この1冊でアメリカの歴史がわかる！」 三笠書房
Verdaman, Jr. J, M. and MURATA, K. (2005). What Young Americans Know about
History. Tokyo: Japan Book. ジェームス・M・バーダマン，村田薫 「アメリカの小学生が学ぶ歴史
教科書」 Japan Book