My Life (Billy Joel song)

"My Life"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album 52nd Street
B-side	"52nd Street"
Released	October 28, 1978
Format	7"
Recorded	1978
Genre	Pop Rock
Length	4:44 (Album Version) 3:50 (Single Version)
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Billy Joel
Producer	Phil Ramone
Certification	Platinum (RIAA)
Billy Joel singles chronology
"The Stranger" (1978) "My Life" (1978) "Big Shot" (1979)

"My Life" is a song by Billy Joel that first appeared on his 1978 album 52nd Street. A single version was released in the fall of 1978 and reached #2 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart. Early the next year it peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Song information

The song begins with drums and electric bass, followed by a keyboard riff. The riff is also used as a fill between verse and chorus sections and is also played at the end. The section order is intro-verse-fill-chorus-bridge-v-f-c-b-solo-c-outro.^{[original research?]}

The verse about an old friend who "closed the shop, sold the house, bought a ticket to the west coast, now he gives them a stand up routine in LA," is a reference to comedian Richard Lewis.^{[citation needed]}

Chicago members Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus performed the backing vocals and sang along with Billy Joel during the bridge and in the outro ("Keep it to yourself, it's my life").^{[citation needed]}

"My Life" was used as the theme song for the ABC television series Bosom Buddies (1980-82), however due to licensing issues it does not appear on the DVD release of the series, nor is it used in the show's syndicated airings; in both cases, it is replaced by a vocal version of the show's closing instrumental theme, "Shake Me Loose", sung by Stephanie Mills.^{[citation needed]}

The melody in the song's chorus bears a striking resemblance to the melody from the song Sha-La-La-La-La by The Walkers.

Single and Album edits

The differences between the single and album versions are the following:

• The intro and the interlude that follows are abridged.
• The interludes between the verses and refrains are cut in half.
• The instrumental break that follows the second bridge is deleted, which was done by a very crude razor blade splice, such that drummer Liberty DeVitto's cymbal crash appeared to be audibly severed.

Other uses

A portion of the lyrics were used in A's track "Number One" from their debut album How Ace Are Buildings, earning Joel a writing credit.

The lyrics borrowed are:

"Got a call from an old friend, used to be real close
Said he couldn't go on the American way
Sold his house, sold his car
Bought a ticket to the West Coast
Now he gives 'em a stand-up routine in L.A."

Chart positions

Chart (1978/1979)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	6
Austrian Singles Chart	11
Canadian Singles Chart[1]	3
Dutch Top 40[2]	22
Irish Singles Chart	3
Japan Oricon Singles Chart	37
New Zealand Singles Chart	6
Spanish Singles Chart	13
Swiss Singles Chart	4
UK Singles Chart	12
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	3
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	2

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
UK[3]	Silver	1 February 1979	200,000

References

1. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0091a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=r0b0fvnmfdiiqb8dm7jlqidr00
2. ^ Dutch Top 40 1979. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
3. ^ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved 2 September 2008)

External links

• "My Life" Music Video on YouTube / ⒞1985 Sony BMG channel