Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel

Artist: Billy Joel
Song: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Year: 1977
Album: The Stranger

This song is about every second generation immigrant who works endless hours to provide for a family, while sacrificing the family bonds. More hours turns into more money. More money turns into moving to the suburbs. Moving to the suburbs turns into working harder. Working harder turns into health problems. That all leads to the collapse of the "American Dream".

My impressions of this song when I was a kid, were the ack-ack-ack-ack-acks. I could always recognize the song, from an early age, by that and the upbeat tempo at the beginning. I've always been a fan of Billy Joel, even when it wasn't fashionable.

You have to admire a guy who quits while he is ahead. So far, he hasn't gone back on his word to make any new albums. He is touring quite a bit, but the new pop music hasn't hit him... yet. I'm sure that in time, it will hit again. You can't go for that long without enjoying what you do. Inspiration hits at inopportune times.

I do miss his songs. I can remember getting a little excited each time he would release an album of new material. The public would digest it and the critics would tear it apart. His songs were catchy and some still hold true today. The sounds may be a little dated, but there is something left in those songs. Why else would a musical be made from these songs?

Lyrics:
Anthony works in the grocery store,
Saving his pennies for Sunday.
Momma Leoni left a note on the door,
She said, "Sonny, move out to the country."
But working too hard can give you a heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack!
You oughtta know by now...
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that all you get for your money?
And it seems such a waste of time,
If that's what it's all about...
Momma, if that's moving up, then I'm moving out!

Sergeant O'Leary is walking the beat,
At night, he becomes a bartender;
He works at Mr. Cacciatorre's down on Sullivan Street,
Across from the medical center,
And he's trading in his Chevy for a Cadillac-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack!
You oughtta know by now...
If he can't drive with a broken back,
At least he can polish the fenders.
And it seems such a waste of time,
If that's what it's all about...
Momma, if that's moving up, then I'm moving out!

You should never argue with a crazy my-my-my-my-my-mind!
You oughtta know by now...
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime;
Is that all you get for your money?
And if that's what you have in mind,
Yeah, if that's what you're all about...
Good luck moving up, cause I'm moving out!