Joel began work on the album — on which two of his major influences (Ray Charles and Steve Winwood) made guest appearances — in 1985. Charles sang a duet with Joel on the song "Baby Grand", and Winwood played Hammond organ on the song "Getting Closer". Other notable musicians who made guest appearances on the album include jazz musicians Ron Carter and Michael Brecker, who both played on the jazzy track "Big Man on Mulberry Street."
The album also had some New wave influences. For instance, the first song, "Running on Ice," is heavily influenced by the music of The Police, and the final song recorded for the album, "Code of Silence," featured Cyndi Lauper who contributed backing vocals and received co-writing credit for the lyrics (Joel would return the favor by contributing backing vocals on Lauper's song "Maybe He'll Know" for her 1986 album True Colors).
The Bridge was Joel's last album to carry the "Family Productions" logo which had appeared on all of Joel's albums up to that time as part of a deal that Columbia Records made to get Joel out of his first recording contract with Artie Ripp's Family Productions. In the closing song of the album — "Getting Closer" — Joel makes several of what are clearly attacks and observations on the iron-clad contract with Ripp, with references to "my stolen youth", "all the conmen and their acrobats who stomped me in the ground," and "I must live up to contracts."
Running On Ice
Billy Joel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know it's building up inside of me
I've got all the symptoms and the side effects
Of city life anxiety
I could never understand why the urban attitude
Is so superior
In a world of high rise ambition
Most people's motives are ulterior
Sometimes I feel as though I'm running on ice
Paying the price too long
Kind of get the feeling that I'm running on ice
Where did my life go wrong
I'm a cosmopolitan sophisticate
Of culture and intelligence
The culmination of technology
And civilized experience
But I'm carrying the weight of all the useless junk
A modern man accumulates
I'm a statistic in a system
That a civil servant dominates
And all that means is that I'm running on ice
Caught in the vise so strong
I'm slipping and sliding, cause I'm running on ice
Where did my life go wrong
You've got to run
You've got to run
As fast as I can climb
A new disaster every time I turn around
As soon as I get one fire put out
There's another building burning down
They say this highway's going my way
But I don't know where it's taking me
It's a bad waste, a sad case, a rat race
It's breaking me
I get no traction cause I'm running on ice
It's taking me twice as long
I get a bad reaction cause I'm running on ice
Where did my life go wrong
You've got to run
You've got to run
Running on ice
Running on ice
Running on ice
Running on ice
In "Running on Ice," Billy Joel paints a picture of the stress and anxiety that accompanies living in a big city. He describes himself as a "cosmopolitan sophisticate / Of culture and intelligence," but also acknowledges that he's "carrying the weight of all the useless junk / A modern man accumulates." This tension builds inside of him and he feels like he's "running on ice" - like he's struggling to keep his footing in a world that moves too fast. He can't keep up with the constant cycle of disasters and crises, and he wonders where his life went wrong.
Joel's lyrics are a critique of the urban lifestyle, with its cutthroat competition and constant pressure to succeed. He questions why people in the city feel like they have to be superior to others, and suggests that their motives are often "ulterior." He hints at the idea that the government and corporations are controlling his life, and that he's just a "statistic in a system." Ultimately, he concludes that he's "slipping and sliding" and can't find any traction, because he's "running on ice."
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lot of tension in this town
The atmosphere of the city is charged with negativity and hostility.
I know it's building up inside of me
The city's negative energy is having a personal impact on the singer.
I've got all the symptoms and the side effects
The singer is experiencing the negative physical and emotional effects of living in a city.
Of city life anxiety
The artist is suffering from anxiety as a result of living in a crowded and stressful urban environment.
I could never understand why the urban attitude
The artist is confused by the arrogance and superiority of those who live in cities.
Is so superior
The singer is puzzled by why city dwellers act as if they are better than those who live outside of cities.
In a world of high rise ambition
Life in the city is dominated by the pursuit of wealth and status.
Most people's motives are ulterior
Despite their outward ambition, many people in the city have hidden or self-serving motivations.
Sometimes I feel as though I'm running on ice
The artist feels as though they are struggling to maintain their balance and stability in their hectic city life.
Paying the price too long
The artist has endured the negative effects of city life for too long.
Kind of get the feeling that I'm running on ice
The singer feels as though they are sliding towards danger and chaos.
Where did my life go wrong
The artist is questioning the choices they made that brought them to their current situation.
I'm a cosmopolitan sophisticate
The singer sees themselves as a cultured and intelligent person who has been shaped by living in the city.
Of culture and intelligence
The singer is proud of the knowledge and sophistication they have gained from living in the city.
The culmination of technology
The singer has embraced the technological advancements that are available to them as a city dweller.
And civilized experience
The artist has lived in a world where they have been surrounded by the trappings of 'civilized' society.
But I'm carrying the weight of all the useless junk
The artist feels burdened by the material possessions and unnecessary things they have accumulated while living in the city.
A modern man accumulates
The singer recognizes that they have become a victim of the consumerist culture of the modern world.
I'm a statistic in a system
The singer feels as though they are just another number in a bureaucratic system that doesn't care about them as a person.
That a civil servant dominates
The artist feels as though their life is controlled by government employees who don't understand their struggles.
And all that means is that I'm running on ice
The artist's anxieties and fears have made it difficult for them to navigate the complexities of city life.
Caught in the vise so strong
The artist feels as though they are trapped by the forces of city life and can't escape its grip.
I'm slipping and sliding, cause I'm running on ice
The singer feels like they are losing their footing in life and are struggling to stay balanced.
Where did my life go wrong
The artist is questioning how they ended up in a situation that feels so overwhelming and difficult.
As fast as I can climb
The singer is doing everything they can to try and improve their situation.
A new disaster every time I turn around
The singer feels as though they are constantly beset by new problems and difficulties.
As soon as I get one fire put out
The singer feels that as soon as one crisis is resolved, another one arises to replace it.
There's another building burning down
The artist is using the metaphor of a burning building to describe the way that they feel like their life is falling apart.
They say this highway's going my way
The artist is trying to hold on to the idea that they are in control of their own life.
But I don't know where it's taking me
The singer feels lost and uncertain about where their life is heading.
It's a bad waste, a sad case, a rat race
The singer feels as though they are caught up in a pointless and depressing struggle for success in the city.
It's breaking me
The pressures of city life are having a negative impact on the artist's mental and emotional health.
I get no traction cause I'm running on ice
The artist feels like they are making no progress in their life despite their best efforts.
It's taking me twice as long
The artist feels as though they are struggling to achieve their goals and are moving at a painfully slow pace.
I get a bad reaction cause I'm running on ice
The singer's anxieties and fears are causing them to have negative or unproductive reactions to the challenges they face.
Where did my life go wrong
The artist is searching for answers as to why their life has become so difficult and overwhelming.
You've got to run
The singer is encouraging themselves to keep moving forward despite the struggles they face.
Running on ice
The singer is using the metaphor of running on ice to describe the difficulties and challenges they face in their life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY JOEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind