Fourth of July (Do you remember?)

Do you remember how we held hands as we ran through the thunderstorming rain. Do you remember that Fourth of July evening?  I remember it as if it were just last week. We ran and we stopped under a tree which provided some shelter from the storming lightning and thunder. You said you were scared, so I held you close to me. Then our lips collided and we found ourselves in a whirlwind as our innocence was lost among the thorny bushes and beneath the ancient tree.

Soundtracks of My Life – Billy Joel

What he did for 22 years, from “Cold Spring Harbor” through “River of Dreams,” was change the worlds of millions of people. He gave them encouragement to be who they were; to think for themselves but to not forget the ones who loved them. He told us about our past before we even had one to hear about, he told us about the bars, the taverns, the street corners, about the crazy summer in New York City with blackout, heat wave and the 44 caliber killer. He told us to sing along with the Piano Man because even the Piano Man needs the support to make it through the songs. He told us about “Keeping the Faith” and about his meeting with a Russian clown, Viktor, who made his daughter laugh. He sang to us about his mood swings, how he goes to extremes and he has no idea how to control them. He is the piano man, he is the Streetlife Serenader, the Fisherman trying to stay afloat despite the laws and regulations all stacked against him. He is the everyday guy who, well learned stickball, found how to dance and still look tough and of course, made it with the red haired girl in a Chevrolet.