Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)

by

Billy Joel

Album: Turnstiles      Released: 1976

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Joel wrote this from the point of view of an old man who moved to Florida in the year 2017 after New York was destroyed in an apocalypse. He figured Miami was a logical setting because that's where people go when they get old.

Joel told Yahoo! Music the inspiration for this song: "I remember when I wrote the song. It was during the time that New York was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy - it looked like the city was gonna default - and the feds basically told New York to drop dead. There was a famous (New York) Daily News headline - I think it said, 'Ford To New York: Drop Dead' - and I was living in California at the time. I lived in L.A. for three years, and that was the thing that decided me to go back to New York, because there was a certain amount of, of happiness in the L.A. community that New York was having so many problems." (thanks, Kevin - New York, NY

This took on new meaning when New York was attacked by terrorists in 2001, 25 years after Joel wrote this. He considered this a science fiction song, and never thought anything like September 11 would actually happen.

Joel performed this, along with "New York State Of Mind," at a benefit concert in Madison Square Garden that Paul McCartney set up to help victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Joel had a helmet from a fallen firefighter on his piano as he played.

This is the first track on Songs In The Attic, an album Joel released in 1981 made up of live performances of some of his lesser-known songs.

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Comments:

Ok, ok, settle down.It's not racist, it's a stereo-type, or just an opinion. When Bj sings that line about Harlem, it makes sense and moves on. We all know what he means.Not everything is meant "racist".It's an important word,let's not wear it out on trivial things. Great song! Kinda dark in it's lyrics.Kinda H.G.Wells story idea. A classic tune. Especially for Joel, but never the less, a classic. that's what makes this one stand out.I,ve seen him perform this live, many times, and the crowd sings along to every word.(Everybody). The same as Piano Man. they love it as well.
- Vito, bloomfield, NJ

He said that this was a legacy to his unborn grandchildren. Purely fictional, he just wanted to tell them a good story.
- Randy, Reading, PA

Yes, I have also heard that his inspiration for this song was the blackout in NYC in the 70's.
- Dave, Philly, PA

Larry, Billy was born in The Bronx. He moved to Long Island when he was around 10. But he lived in Manhattan after he returned to NYC from LA in 1975.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

well Larry, Billy Joel never mentioned anything about anybody in the cities ethnicity. Also i don't think its racist at all to say that in 1976 Harlem had a high crime rate.
- John, New York, NY

This is a very interesting song, well-performed, but ultimately ruined by its racist overtones. In the city, we would expect a white Long Islander to write "They burned the churches up in Harlem, but no one really cared; it always burned up there before. They said that Queens could stay; they blew the Bronx away..." What stereotypical bul! Stay on Long Island, Billy! You're not ready for the diversity of New York City.
- Larry, New York City, NY

Billy Joel performed this song on "Ellen" in 2006. He performed the first verse on his "Inside The Actors' Studio" interview in 1999, but said he couldn't perform the whole song without his band, it needed the guitars, drums and synthisizer to make it complete.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

Joel said after releasing "We Didn't Start The Fire" that if he wasn't a musician, he would have liked to have been a history teacher. In "Miami 2017" he showed his historical knowledge by referring to the Spanish Civil War of the 1930's, where government troops would burn churches that were hiding rebel soldiers ("They burned the churches up in Harlem/Like in that Spanish Civil War").
- Ken, Louisville, KY

To answer the earlier question, in Joel's ficticious scenario, the banks foreclosed on New York City in the 1970's after the city went into default, and rather that try to run the entire city themselves, they - the banks - decided to demolish Manhattan Island. Fortunately, in realk life, the City never actually went into default and that scenario never happened!
- Ken, Louisville, KY

I have more questions about this song than any other Billy Joel Song. Fisrst of all, Peter from Calgary, I like what you have to say. I never thought of it that way. I wish more Canadians were like you! My big questions about this song are these: Why does NYC fall? Who did it? (and) How did Joel come up with this?
- Tony, Boston, MA

This song gives me goosebumps every time i watch him sing it on that 9-11 concert special. just to see the faces in the crowd, and billy humbling himself to the crowd...amazing song
- Laura, Spencerport, NY

This song always reminded me of a Civil War, especially with the references to the miltary, losing electric power and how bridges and neighbourhoods were blown away. Perhaps eluding to the real American Civil War, but perhaps this time the "south" won and took vengence on NYC. What makes me think of the south winning, unfortunately, is the burning of the churches in Harlem. Sad but true. That, and the fact that the Carrier from Norfolk came and picked the Yankee's up for free. Could be the baseball team, or it could be the remaining Yankees (as opposed to Dixies) in NYC being evacuated to safer ground. Cheers.
- Peter, Calgary, Canada

It couldn't be, since the sone was released in 1976. BTW, In concert, Joel sings "Since the Mafia took over Jericho" (as in Long Island) instead of "Mexico". I always assumed the "they" as in "they said that Queens could stay...they blew the Bronx away" mean the banks that forclosed on New York City after the city defauled on its loans in Joel's fictional scenario. Also - why did a carrier pick up the Yankees and not the Mets? Because "they blew the Bonx away - they said that Queens could stay"
- Ken, Louisville, KY

I'm pretty sure this song was written as a type of social protest song...In 1974, NYC was in big fiscal trouble: it coudln't pay back its loans..etc. Officials from NYC asked the federal government for relief money,and Gerald Ford denied it...the next day, the Daily News headline read "Ford to City: Drop Dead" Upon learning of this Billy Joel wrote a song in which the city did in fact "drop dead"
- Scott, NYC, NY

Thats what I always thought too, Nicoletta. Nice to finally understand it.
- James, North Jersey, NJ

ha! my dad was wrong, he claims it was about the blackout of '77, and lookin' at the date, he was off by a year... the title always made me wonder why he mentioned miami.
- nicoletta, bronx, NY

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