Album: An Innocent Man (1983)

Charted: 78

License This Song 

• Didn't I say
  I wasn't ready for romance?
  Didn't we promise
  We would only be friends?
  And so we danced
  Though it was only a slow dance
  I started breaking my promises right there and then
  
  Didn't I swear
  There would be no complications?
  Didn't you want
  Someone who's seen it all before?
  Now that you're here
  It's not the same situation
  Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore
  
  This night is mine
  It's only you and I
  Tomorrow is a long time away
  This night can last forever
  
  I've been around
  Someone like me should know better
  Falling in love
  Would be the worst thing I could do
  Didn't I say
  I needed time to forget her?
  Aren't you running
  From someone who's not over you?
  
  How many nights
  Have I been lonely without you?
  I tell myself
  How much I really don't care
  How many nights
  Have I been thinking about you?
  Wanting to hold you
  But knowing you would not be there
  
  But this night you're mine
  It's only you and I
  I'll tell you to forget yesterday
  This night we are together
  
  This night is mine
  It's only you and I
  Tomorrow is a long time away
  This night can last forever
  
  This night
  Ooh
  Ooh
  
  Tomorrow is such a long time away
  This night can last forever Writer/s: Billy Joel
  Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

• Neil from Detroit, MiThe song was released as the 4th track on Billy's 1983 album "Innocent Man", then later released as a B-Side to "Leave A Tender Moment Alone".
• Neil from Detroit, MiThis is another one of Joel's underrated, forgotten, yet great masterpieces of art and passion combined into a single, great musical piece.
• Sonate from Yorktown, NyKenny, A whiter shade of Pale is loosely based upon JS Bach's "Wachet Auf" and Air on a G string, not Beethoven's Pathetique.
  
  Beethoven was never a great song writer like Schubert or Schumann but seldom has the earth produced one of his ability to develop themes used in creating a musical architecture which was able to support his profoundly deep level of expression and spirituality. Often I feel that clipping a phrase and using it in a pop song trivializes rather than honors him.
  
  
  
  
• Brian from Scottsdale, AzLove the song. Midnight Blue was by Louise Tucker, by the way.
• Kenny from Nyc, Ny"Leave it Billy to take a passage from Beethoven and turn it into such a wonderful song."
  - Ron, Lakewood, CO
  Unfortunately, there have been several uses of Beethoven's sonata "Pathetique" by various musicians throughout the years. Procol Harum in the 60's with the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale"; KISS in the 70's with "Great Expectations"; Racer X used as an intro for the song "Hammer Away" in the early 80's.
• Leyna from SpIt's a sweet song, very romantic.
• Dennis from Anchorage, AkI always thought it was funny how Joel credited the songwriting on this, as if it were an actual collaboration between Beethoven and himself. Some people probably thought it was pompous of him, but I always assumed it was a bit of a joke.
  
  Interestingly, this was not the first popular song based on this particular piece of classical music. Someone else (I forget who) released a song called "Midnight Blue" a year or two before this which was a minor hit. I was in music school at the time, and we studied the piece in class. I loved the melody and wanted to write a song using it myself, but dropped the idea when TWO people beat me to it.
• Ron from Lakewood, CoLeave it Billy to take a passage from Beethoven and turn it into such a wonderful song.
• Justin from Felts Mills, NyI believe it is one of Billy Joel's most under-rated compositions. It's a very melodic song, and well-written (well, with a little help from Beethoven). Still, it's a great song.
• Rick from Buffalo, NyVery popular prom song when it came out.

More Songfacts:

Piano ManBilly Joel

"Piano Man" was inspired by Billy Joel's time playing at a piano bar in Los Angeles. The "real estate novelist" was a guy who always talked about writing a book, but spent all his spare time in the bar.

HeartbeatDon Johnson

Don Johnson, who starred as Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice, was also a singer. He had a #5 hit in 1986 with "Heartbeat."

Love Won't WaitGary Barlow

Madonna wrote a song called "Love Won't Wait" that she didn't want, but became a UK #1 hit for Gary Barlow.

My Name IsEminem

Eminem sampled a song by Labi Siffre on "My Name Is." Siffre, a gay activist, made Em take out some gay humor in the lyric before allowing it.

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)AC/DC

AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" is titled after a phrase Roman gladiators said heading into battle: "We who are about to die salute you."

Back In The U.S.S.R.The Beatles

"Back In The U.S.S.R." by The Beatles was play on "California Girls" by The Beach Boys, with "Moscow girls" and "Ukraine girls" instead of the all-American girls.

Editor's Picks

Eagles Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A TimelineSong Writing

Untangling the events that led to the "Stairway To Heaven" lawsuit.

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Krishna DasSongwriter Interviews

The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."