Keeping The Faith by Billy Joel

Album: An Innocent Man (1983)

Charted: 18

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Songfacts®:

This is an autobiographical song about Joel's teen years in the 1960s and his love for the era's music and culture. Fittingly, it is the last song on An Innocent Man, which consists of songs done in a '60s pop style ("The Longest Time," "Uptown Girl"). >>
Suggestion credit:
Andy - Arlington, VA
In the music video, Joel is on trial in a courtroom populated with acts from the '50s and '60s to determine if the singer is actually keeping the faith. The judge (Richard Shull) rules in his favor and deems him "An Innocent Man." At the end, Joe Piscopo of Saturday Night Live reads the verdict in the paper and, after tipping a shoeshine boy $100, tells him, "Keep the faith, kid."

Richard Pryor makes a cameo appearance at the beginning of the video, and Joel's wife-to-be Christie Brinkley also features in the clip as the song's "red-haired girl in the Chevrolet."

The clip was directed by Howard Deutch, who went on to direct the popular '80s movies Pretty In Pink, Some Kind Of Wonderful, and The Great Outdoors.
When VH1's Pop-Up Video covered the music clip, they made some jokes at Christie Brinkley's expense. An angry Billy Joel contacted the show about what he perceived as the harsh treatment meted out at her, adding that his daughter was being teased at school because of their wisecracks. As a result, VH1 pulled the entire episode featuring Joel's video from their schedule.
Following his ambitious rock album The Nylon Curtain, Joel knew people would be confused by the stylistic shift of the retro-themed An Innocent Man, so he penned this tune to explain himself. He told Sirius XM in 2016, "'Keeping The Faith' was kind of my way of explaining, Look, this is why I did the whole revival because I owe a great debt to that time in my life and to the wild guys I used to hang out with and the old rock and roll that really inspired me."
This was used in the movies A Family Thing (1996) and Step Brothers (2008).

Comments: 10

Stukka63 from St.augustine,fla.This song is kick ass.
It’s full of innuendos, so take it any way you want it.
Dawn from MaineOn another song site that gives more detail about the lyrics of the song, it says that "Wild Boys" are a reference to Billy Joel growing up in NY/NJ and West Side Story. This song came out when I was about 12 and I thought the "Wild Boys" were a reference to Duran Duran's song - like Billy was saying he wasn't too cool to say Duran Duran was cool too. It's a little funny I thought that though, as the songs were out simultaneously. I have seen West Side Story quite a bit, however, and can't think of anything that is named Wild Boys, capital W capital B, but maybe it just means that they were "wild boys" (lower case letters)?
Adam from York, Pa"When I made it with a red haired girl in a chevrolet"
My first dance was with a red-haired girl to a slightly more famous billy joel song, piano man.
Darrell from EugeneThis song brings back lots of memories of when I was a young man. By the way, Sen-Sen mints taste like fire.
Manuel from Santo Domingo, OtherGreat song, great lyrics, I love billy Joel
Ken from Louisville, KyAt the end of the music video, Joe Piscopo makes a cameo appearance "doing" his Sinatra immitation. He tips a shoeshine boy $100 and tells him to "keep the faith". Sinatra often gave HUGE tips to shoeshine boys and bell boys.
Ken from Louisville, KyBilly Joel performed this on NBC's "Today Show" in 2005. He said it was the first time he had ever performed this song on a television show.
Ken from Louisville, KyThe music video was VERY reminicent to George Harrison's video for "This Song", as both were set in "rock and roll court". In the plot to the Joel video, Billy was on trial for not "keeping the faith".
Ken from Louisville, KyMany radio stations dubbed in the word "Lucky's" for "Trojan's" in the line "My old man's Trojan's", not wishing to give free advertising to a brand of condoms.
John from Monvtille, NjGreat friggin' song. Billy is a superb lyricist.

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