An Innocent Man by Billy Joel

Album: An Innocent Man (1983)

Charted: 8 10

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On a July 16, 2006 blog for the Australian newspaper The Herald Sun, Billy Joel said that the music for this song was inspired by the songs of Leiber and Stoller, which were recorded by Ben E. King and The Drifters. He added that the words came from personal experience.
The whole An Innocent Man album was done in the style of 1950s and '60s popular music. It was Joel's homage to the '60s-era R&B that he grew up on as well as his own romantic experiences as a teenager. Joel said in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "Usually I agonize over every note, but this time the songs came pouring out of me."
The lyrics are about a woman who's afraid to take a chance on love because she's had her heart broken in the past. She's projecting her fears on to Joel, an innocent man who tries to reassure her that he's not like the other guys.
The impressive high note is a thing of the past for Joel, who passes it off to backing vocalists during live performances. But the singer knew his upper register wouldn't hold out forever. "I had a suspicion that was going to be the last time I was going to be able to hit those notes, so why not go out in a blaze of glory?" he recalled in a 1997 Billboard magazine interview. "That was the end of Billy's high note."
This was a #1 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart.
After exhausting himself with the creation of the thematically heavy and sonically complex album The Nylon Curtain, Joel wanted to cut loose and have fun. "I wanted to have a good time on the next recording," he told Sirius XM in 2016. "As it turns out, I was newly divorced, I was dating Christie Brinkley and Elle Macpherson. I was having a fun time, I felt like a teenager again. I wanted to recapture that feeling by writing songs that were stylistically from that era - from the early '60s, the late '50s, when rock and roll was a lot more lighthearted... it was a big departure from my earlier style to a lot of people, but it was a lot of fun."
Although Joel wanted to have a good time, he still took his time in the studio seriously, which is why he was so irked when his guitarists, Russell Javors and David Brown, were goofing around while he was having a discussion with producer Phil Ramone. Because the band didn't always take the easygoing producer's assertiveness seriously, Ramone had to come up with a different tactic.

In his 2007 book, Making Records: The Scenes Behind The Music, Ramone explained how he concocted a plan to get the guitarists back in line. He invited Eric Gale, a guitarist from Paul Simon's band, to sit in on the next session. Ramone instructed him to simply show up, sit between Javors and Brown, plug into his amp, and start to play.

"On the night of the session, Eric came in without saying a word. He sat down between David and Russell, and started playing during the first rehearsal. Russell and David didn't play a note - they just looked at him. We went to the next take, and Eric immediately fell in. I didn't speak to either Russell or David during the entire session; all of my comments were directed to Billy, Liberty, Eric, and Doug Stegmeyer. I could tell that my sternness - coupled with Eric's formidable presence - was rattling Russell and David.

After that session, Russell and David snapped back into line. 'Things are much cooler when you guys cooperate,' I said casually on the subsequent date. 'What we're doing isn't about you or me - it's about the guy at the piano."

Comments: 17

AnonymousWho was the backup singer in innocent man? With high soprano voice?
Jo from EnglandIts just great ,a man who gets women . The lyrics explain it all, such an insight. Maybe a women helped out
Jeffrey Nolan from Bedford , MaBilly Joel is the absolute best combination of pure unadulterated talent , genius , longevity , passion , finesse , and perfection as he writes hit after hit of truly unique and powerful music incorporating the greatest lyrics , notes , and harmonies in a way not seen since the days of Beethoven and Mozart, with one exception , Billy is better !!!
Michael from VirginiaThis song always reminds me of a girl I knew from high school. She was attacked by a man that hit her on the forehead and damaged her skull. Then went on to violently rape her. "Robyn" never fully recovered from this. These lyrics really hit me hard when I visit her grave "I know you don't want to hear what I say I know you're gonna keep turning away" "Robyn" took her life about 5 years after being attacked. She simply tuned all of us out. Many times after paying my respects I have caught myself muttering those words, "I am an innocent man".
Lee from New YorkBeautifully written comment Lora from Danbury. Amazing song!
Lisa from Lake Mary, FlI always thought Billy was singing to a girl that he was in a relationship with who had been raped or abused in the past. She was dealing with PTSD and he was reassuring her that he's not like the guy who had hurt her.
Michael from Wilmington DeSo I'm at Billy Joel concert in Philly August 13 2013. Billy's wife had given birth the day before and He's clearly inspired. Maternity video during My Life, amazing 1970's era song choices and He crushes An Innocent Man. I'm stunned. He had not played it very much since 1984 tour of that LP. And that tour he had a 5 man backing vocal choir with a designated "High" vocal guy. And He explained in 1984 that He had sung that part on the record but could ruin his voice for the rest of the show if he went too high. So 2015 was a mystery...........Until a few months ago I stumbled across Mike DelGiudice and Big Shot a tribute band on YouTube killing Innocent Man. And suddenly mystery solved......Mike was hired by Billy in 2014 to play guitar and sing background. And does so with power and style. And He's helping Billy be amazing at 70 years of age. May of 2019 in Philly with Jason Bonham guesting With Billy they went into Whole Lotta Love and Mike sang lead and killed it.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm
Billy Joel's wife, Alexis, gave birth to a baby girl named Della Rose on August 12th, 2015.
The baby weighed in at 7 pounds, 6.5 ounces...
Billy also has a 29 year-old daughter...
Congratulations and best wishes to the Piano Man and his family.
Lora from Danbury, CtI approach this from the point of view of Brian, it could be about a therapist and client. Except I think it could also be about a loving and deep relationship between friends or lovers. The lyrics describe different ways that people have difficulties in relationships, and how to overcome those difficulties. The key idea is that the innocent man, who understands himself to be innocent, has the capacity to reach out to the one having difficulty. It is when another person's weakness reminds us of our own weakness that we feel guilt and shame and think of ourselves as "guilty" of something. If both people "feel the fear of a touch" , "stay far away from the door" or "will not listen to anyone so noone tells them a lie", then the relationship will be limited. The innocent man is someone who can detach emotionally from another person's issues, yet still feel compassion and empathy, without a sense of being at fault himself. For the innocent man, the relationship is worth having, despite the other person's acknowledged difficulties. This song has very deep things to say about human love.
Ellen from Chicago, Ilps: Seriously Matt? A drum machine? Amazing what sounds come out of those things!
Ellen from Chicago, IlScott, in Melbourne, I fully agree about the finger clicking in concert! In fact, this entire song plays so well in concert, I was sad not to hear it recently when he and Elton John played in Chicago.
Brian from Chicago, IlI don't know whether he meant it this way, but the way I see it is that this is a song describing the relationship between a psychotherapist and their client. It fits perfectly except for the emphasis on the therapist being an innocent man. Perhaps it emphasized just to convince a client that the therapist is not like all the others. Give it a listen with this in mind. Every single verse works well with this idea.
Randy from Reading, PaHe got the lyrics during a big snow storm in New York. He wandered outside the house to see the snow and he heard a neighbor asking if he was alright. He really didn't want to talk to the guy.

"Some people stay far away from the door
If there's a chance of it opening up
They hear a voice in the hall outside
And hope that it just passes by"

He said the song just took off from there.
Bob from Deer Park, Long Island, NyBilly Joel ahs written and performed probably the best songs of my generation. What a gift that God has given Billy.Not only the gift of being able to come up with these great lyrics but the ability to put the music to the lyrics, play the instruments, then have a good enough voice to be able to sing the song. He should thank the big guy upstairs EVERY night. As for this song, if I didn't know any better, I could swear Billy was singing about ME.
Matt from Huddersfield, United Kingdomthe finger clicks are on a drum machine
Scott from Melbournecan anyone else agree with me that he had the loudest and greatest click of the fingers to this song when played live at his concerts. GENIUS.
Enzo from Fairbanks, AkGreat song, can't believe that there are no comments!! it's so true in so many ways. it is amazing how much we shape ourselves to fit in and how unsecure so many people are. great song by a great artist

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