Well I'm on the Downeaster Alexa
And I'm cruising through Block Island Sound
I have charted a course to the vineyard
But tonight I am Nantucket bound

We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday
Left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay
Like all the locals here I've had to sell my home
Too proud to leave I worked my fingers to the bone

So I could own my Downeaster Alexa
And I go where the ocean is deep
There are giants out there in the canyons
And a good captain can't fall asleep

I got bills to pay and children who need clothes
I know there's fish out there but where God only knows
They say these waters aren't what they used to be
But I got people back on land who count on me

So if you see my Downeaster Alexa
And if you work with the rod and the reel
Tell my wife I am trolling Atlantis
And I still have my hands on the wheel

Now I drive my Downeaster Alexa
More and more miles from shore every year
Since they tell me I can't sell no stripers
And there's no luck in sword fishing here

I was a bay man like my father was before
Can't make a living as a bay man anymore
There ain't much future for a man who works the sea
But there ain't no island left for islanders like me

Yeah yeah yeah oh

Yeah yeah yeah oh

Yeah yeah yeah oh

Yeah yeah yeah oh

Overall Meaning

The Downeaster "Alexa" is a song by American musician Billy Joel. This song tells the story of a fisherman who lives on the island of Martha's Vineyard and works on his boat, the Downeaster "Alexa." The opening lines of the song reveal that he is cruising through Block Island Sound and charting a course to Nantucket. The first verse also tells us that he had fueled up on diesel in Montauk and left from the bell in Gardiner's Bay. The following lyrics reveal the struggles of the fisherman’s life. Due to changes in the fishing industry, he has had to sell his home and work extremely hard to keep his boat, which he loves and trusts to navigate the dangerous canyons out at sea. Despite his hardships, he fights to provide for his family and community back on land.

As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the fisherman is struggling to make ends meet in an industry that no longer pays what it used to. He speaks of the depleted fish populations and how he is unsure if he will be able to catch any fish at all. Despite this, he remains determined to continue fishing and providing for his loved ones. The chorus serves as a warning to the listeners, that there are fewer and fewer people who can make an honest living working the sea, and that our oceans are being depleted, leaving fewer fish for future generations. The fisherman ends the song by proclaiming that he will continue working on his boat, driving his Downeaster "Alexa," and going further and further from shore each year.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I'm on the Downeaster Alexa
I am currently on a boat named the Downeaster Alexa

And I'm cruising through Block Island Sound
I am smoothly sailing through the sea at Block Island

I have charted a course to the vineyard
I have planned my route towards the vineyard

But tonight I am Nantucket bound
I will be docking in Nantucket tonight

We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday
Yesterday, I fueled up on diesel in Montauk

Left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay
This morning, I departed from the bell located in Gardiner's Bay

Like all the locals here I've had to sell my home
I had to sell my house like all the other locals around here

Too proud to leave I worked my fingers to the bone
I worked extremely hard and pushed myself to the limit, but refused to leave because of pride

So I could own my Downeaster Alexa
I worked so hard to afford and possess my boat, the Downeaster Alexa

And I go where the ocean is deep
I travel to the deepest parts of the ocean

There are giants out there in the canyons
The canyons contain enormous sea creatures

And a good captain can't fall asleep
As a responsible captain, I cannot allow myself to fall asleep on duty

I got bills to pay and children who need clothes
I have expenses to pay and children who require clothing

I know there's fish out there but where God only knows
There are fish in the sea, but it's impossible to know where exactly they are located

They say these waters aren't what they used to be
People claim that the sea conditions have worsened over time

But I got people back on land who count on me
I have people back home who rely on me for their well-being

So if you see my Downeaster Alexa
If you come across my boat, the Downeaster Alexa

And if you work with the rod and the reel
And if you are a fisherman

Tell my wife I am trolling Atlantis
Tell my wife that I am searching for fish in the deepest part of the ocean

And I still have my hands on the wheel
And I am still in full control of the steering wheel

Now I drive my Downeaster Alexa
I am now the captain of the Downeaster Alexa

More and more miles from shore every year
I keep moving further away from the shores each year

Since they tell me I can't sell no stripers
I can no longer sell stripers as per regulations

And there's no luck in sword fishing here
I have no fortune in sword fishing in this region

I was a bay man like my father was before
Just like my father, I also used to earn my livelihood by catching fish in the bay

Can't make a living as a bay man anymore
I cannot sustain my living by fishing in the bay anymore

There ain't much future for a man who works the sea
There isn't a bright future for someone who makes their living through the sea

But there ain't no island left for islanders like me
Unfortunately, there aren't any islands left for people like me who have been living there for generations

Yeah yeah yeah oh
This line doesn't carry significant meaning but is a part of the chorus

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY JOEL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Comments from YouTube:

@EverythingAlways

8y↑1.2K

good songs... are timeless.

@bencooper6702

4y↑5

Good ? Is that it

@_neon-xeon_3966

4y↑4

Oh hey, its the marvel guy

@bencooper6702

3y↑2

@John Min what?

@bencooper6702

3y↑1

@John Min yea ok

@kcdubb84

3y↑3

Timeless 2021 and I'm in love this song

8 More Replies...

@jannilexing6597

2y↑684

Still hits hard in 2022...this song is a timeless masterpiece, a magical anthem of the sea

@Nathan-jb4gd

2y↑3

right here with you

@jannilexing6597

2y↑5

@Nathan We have just returned from our vacation in the US a couple of days ago, we also visited beautiful Cape Cod and the east coast....this REALLY gave me Downeaster Alexa vibes (Nantucket is only a few miles off the Cape Cod peninsula)🥰

@Shawn-mw6ip

2y↑4

Masterpiece

@kingofallwhites

Gay

@anupam4915

2y↑1

Same feeling

16 More Replies...

@gavinpayton8859

2y↑481

the most underrated billy Joel song of all time and a personal favorite

@nhaff13

1y↑3

agreed!!

@starsword-c2534

1y↑2

Absolutely.

@Melissa-dx5wl

1y↑1

Without a doubt

@joeykim3814

1y↑2

Couldn't agree more!!

@Vilhelm22

45w↑3

Fully agree - I have it on vinyl as one of his best albums (Storm Front was released not long after after Greatest Hits Volumes I & II). A few on there are amazing and don’t have the same fame they should.

4 More Replies...

@tenthousandagainstone7967

3y↑267

As a Newfoundlander this song speaks volumes. I was never a fisherman, but my father's family lived and died by the fishery. I know this song wasn't written about us, but I can't help but feel like it was. What a phenomenal song.

@horsesavy4570

1y↑17

It may not have been written about your area in general, but it applies to all who Spend their Life on the Sea.

@jedsteelwell2354

47w↑4

Billy Joel never fished or worried about feeding his kids so don't worry.

@leafsfan1539

46w↑3

This song is about Newfoundland all those guys fishing out in Boston are Newfoundlanders who left long ago and if they’re not they’re definitely all Irish

@matthewnitti856

42w↑5

@@leafsfan1539it’s about a Long Island fisherman who has to travel further up into New England due to fishing regulations and restrictions in New York. He references many Long Island locations in the song it’s pretty cool

@SneakyCheeseThief

35w

I expect it’s like my uncles used to say about miners — they’re all brothers and they feel each others pain, even on the other side of the Atlantic. This was in the 80s and my West Virginia kin were talking about the mine strikes in the UK. There’s nothing that makes people kindred like knowing the same pain. If they lived and died by the catch in Canada, I’m sure most fishermen out of the Sound would say this song was written for them too.

10 More Replies...

@buterflyz10

3y↑291

This song applies to everyone who knows what the struggle really is like. We might not be fishermen but we at some point in our lives know what it means to have others depend on you and we carry on and do what we must so at the end of the day they never know what it really cost to put that bread on that table we slaved for.

@ernestmatlock5755

3y↑4

👏👏👊👍

@livingwellisthebestrevenge347

2y↑4

Amen!

@adriang6259

2y↑1

100%, Brother. From Perth WA.

@amyholley4331

2y↑1

That is so true.

@aidanerickson3772

2y↑5

As a young lobster sternman who is a father this comment hit hard

MAINE

6 More Replies...

@slyfor2

3y↑684

As an avid fisherman from Long Island, guys here dont know how much we owe Billy for the return of wildlife and the amazing fishing we have again. Im a Critical Care RN now but as a kid I worked as a mate on the party boats and charter boats from Captree and Montauk and lemme tell you how accurate this song was. You couldnt catch a cold out there. This song really helped draw attention to the dying waters of Long Island. Billy donated a lot of his earnings from this song to the East End fishermen and even was arrested with some of these fishermen at a protest out East.

@williamkarbala5718

3y↑39

Well he was an Oyster chucker for a time. Also shout out to fellow Long Islander.

@slyfor2

3y↑15

@William Karbala ah i did not know that. LI represent. Tight lines and peace.

@zg6766

3y↑2

🌈Environment is the #1 worldwide priority... Neglected & life is moot☯️

@MusicKnowsAll

3y↑4

Long Island represent! My dad and I used to dig for clams in the Great South Bay but for a while you could bare keep any!

@powercityeatery264

3y↑3

Ever go to Liars?

31 More Replies...

@measlyfurball37

4y↑1K

I remember when I was very little, my dad was cleaning out his music collection. I was playing in the room at the time, not paying much attention, when suddenly this songs drifts out of the stereo and immediately captures me. For years and years afterward, I would hear this beautiful, haunting melody in my dreams. But I could never find where it came from. At one point I was convinced that it didn't exist at all. Until one day, my mom finds a Billy Joel disc shuffled behind the rest of our CDs. We put it into the car, and "We Didn't Start the Fire" fades out, the next song plays. . . and I'm hit full force with this beautiful, longing, driving melody once more. Sheer awe and nostalgia flood through every part of me as I am captured by this song once more. All I could do was sit in stunned silence for the rest of the trip.

I'm certain that no other song will ever give me such chills ever again.

Edit: spelling.

@vvmax4375

4y↑61

This is an amazing and underrated comment. Great story

@futureshock7425

4y↑42

90's kids get this

@vinaynair8053

4y↑27

This comment is so underrated

@stephenbarringer235

4y↑16

I had a smaller scale version of the same experience: shopping for the second time in a day for my family, tired and annoyed and footsore, I heard a song that brought tears to my eyes and couldn't name it except to think it was the Bee Gees. Spent the next few days trawling through tracks until finally I found it: it was "Alone". It's that surge of triumph and joy at finally finding the thing one was missing and unable to name.

@inszti

4y↑21

Wow. What a beautiful picture you just painted. Such a simple story, but captured and conveyed the emotion perfectly.

33 More Replies...

@thepool7626

38w↑64

Brings tears to me eyes every time. The weight of being a man that others count on.

@patking8112

32w↑4

Niece and Goddaughter of a Gulf Shrimper. We know your struggle and we have your back!! Fight the good fight!

@VonRammsteyn

28w↑1

...And everybody takes for granted... Nobody cares about your sacrifice. A man HAVE to provide.
How that man feels is irrelevant.

@barbarakec4971

41w↑16

My Dad used to love this song and always wanted me to sing it to him. Since he is no longer with us, I get emotional whenever I hear it. It is one of those timeless songs you will love forever.

@piotrretmanczyk8998

1y↑43

This song was written before I was born. This hit me so, so hard now. My dear grandfather was a fisherman. He spent 30 years of life on the Atlantic ocean and he gave all members of my family some sort of love for the sea and fishing. He passed the way not very long ago. I spend my best young years nearby the sea. God damn it, this so freaking touching, my eyes are sweating (damn onions cut by ninjas)... I just hit replay for more than 10 times in a row. Masterpiece, pure masterpiece even after those years. Thank you.

@dogsareprecious4842

36w↑1

I'm sorry you miss your dear grandfather---this song must be extra meaningful to you and your family......... But I'd also like to tell you that "damn onions cut by ninjas" made me LOL!

@piotrretmanczyk8998

36w

@@dogsareprecious4842 no worries all good ;)... what is more important each time when I listen this song those damn ninjas are still cutting those onions ;)

@21Pescatore

2y↑79

I'm also a Long Island fisherman, when I'm out fishing alone in the bay I blast this song, it gives me the chills.

@williamst.george7363

2y↑6

Thank you for the hard work and drive that truly keeps the true long Islanders alive

@gabrielleDC10

1y↑3

Thank you & love from Niantic Bay, CT.🍀🌹🎼

@sumodvs17

50w↑2

❤

@patking8112

32w↑1

Thank you, and your family, for your fight. My uncle, and Godfather, was a Gulf Shrimper. Not the same but still such a struggle

@adriang6259

2y↑56

I love this song. Love Billy. Haunting melody. Poignant words. Heartbreaking how hard some people have to be to survive. They keep going day after day. My hat goes off to the Battlers world wide.

@jillconnelly8206

2y↑2

Well said Adrian TY

@wicklash9065

3y↑1.4K

I come from a small town, on the coast of Nova Scotia. My father is a fisherman, my uncle , and my best friend is aswell. I unload the fish draggers and schlep the lobsters off the boats. This song gets my eyes watering almost everytime. Whenever you eat a lobster, or get fish and chips. Remember the men who sail the high seas, risking life and limb to get it. Have a good day everyone

@timitonagain

3y↑12

Thank you!

@cluniliny

3y↑13

Thank you

@MeT2338

3y↑22

A tough job for tough men and so dangerous... Best of luck to all of them.

@cluniliny

3y↑9

@Mike Tucker best of luck to us all. We sure need it.

@Enonymouse_

3y↑12

Some of my family members fished for a living, a few them died doing it.

52 More Replies...

@jennyb2719

36w↑11

Such a perfect song
Billy is a legend in his own right
Pure masterpiece And tells a beautiful story ❤

@hoch316

2y↑30

I took my wife to see Billy Joel this year for Mother’s Day. He says this song isn’t on the set list but he feels like singing it, and he played this. It was an amazing experience live.

@keithbassett4988

2y↑26

Nobody could ever sing this particular song and make it so poignant and meaningful as Billy. His vocals range and passion are only matched by his talent as a storyteller. I've been a fan since the 70's......but every time I hear this song it puts me back in college and wandering what laid ahead for my future. Some turbulent times, large threatening waves, and some turns I didn't anticipate always crop up in retrospect as the first verse rages from the speakers. Billy Joel.....the storyteller for my generation.

@TerryPark70

3y↑54

Such a gorgeous and haunting song! Billey Joel is such an incredible vocalist for our generation....God Bless his talent

@janetallen9150

My feelings too, haunting is a good word for this song it spans generations of my family who worked on the sea or rivers.

@mrfish1991

5y↑386

I will say this every day. This is one of the most under appreciated Billy Joel songs.

@clamcake52

5y↑5

It is actually the best song and the only one I like that he did, but that is a matter of taste! It has allot of soul and meaning to those who can identify with it!

@seouldier1358

4y↑1

I agree.

@seouldier1358

4y↑4

@Deborah Wallace yes. My favorite from his catalogue.

@johnhenderson2087

4y↑4

Not by those that know. The intensity and power of Billy’s sentiments are almost tangible.

Loved this the first time I heard it all those years, along with Leningrad. Stormfront is also one of the most underrated of his wonderful albums.

What an artist and what a performer. The video of him playing live with Itzhak Perlman is unmissable

@vanessamcallister4235

4y↑1

Yes

7 More Replies...

@AbdullahJan-nv1qd

3y↑23

The feel of this song is just unmatched. Amazing lyrics.

@dmger14a

43w↑14

I was sad to hear this wasn’t on his list of best songs. Might be my favorite, and I’ve listened to him since the 70s.

@horsesavy4570

1y↑7

Personally Billy Joel's best song of all time, Hands down! I was never a Fisherman, but i knew many over the years. This song is packed with Emotion. If you cant feel it, you dont know the Life.

@exequielmaya6520

32w↑5

Amo las canciones que cuentan historias. Y esta es una de ellas. Emocionante relato en la voz del gran Billy ❤️ Y se puede ver a Melissa Leo interpretando a la mujer del pescador.

@Mitsu8998

2y↑39

I loved Billy Joel even as a child and he's made some awesome songs, and this one I absolutely love. So powerful.

@kimshannon877

2y↑1

Same, even as a kid before I really knew the message of this song in particular I was captivated by it. The haunting melody and the way he sang it was so powerful!!! I've recently rediscovered Billy Joel again and it's brought me back to a happier more simple time in my life. THIS is real music!

@karlaweiss9161

5y↑69

I'm married to a boat captain whose career spans 36+ years! We've had good years and some very bad years (most recently)! Billy's song never ceases to lift me above our bad times. It's a GREAT song!!! Billy Joel is a Great Artist!

@engineerasad8606

pleasure to know mamm

@lorib.4735

1y↑10

I was as a kid and still am in love with Billy Joel and this song is one of my favorites and still makes me love him and his music so much!! ❤️ How can you not appreciate this music??

@ranyr9444

2y↑15

Meu pai foi pescador. Eu lembro dele tanto ao ouvir esta música. Era criança e ele ia pescar, eu sabia que era um trabalho duro, mas após crescer vi o quanto sofrida era a vida dele naquele trabalho, ele fazia o possível e impossível para trazer comida pra casa. É mto marcante esta música 😭

@no_kaye4916

21w↑2

So beautiful! His voice is very special!!!! ❤

@jussitikkuri6991

18w↑3

This is the quintessential Billy Joel song for North East of New England & Mass, R.I. , & New York. Every word he sings is a big reality in many peoples lives today. My Grandfather was an offshore boat Captain who owned his own offshore boat. I have the pictures with him and his friends and clients with Big Swordfish, Mako Shark ( a 17 footer).... tuna laden decks. The heyday of sportfishing . Then come the limits and restrictions . You still can't sell no Stripers. No body wants bluefish too much
Then this song comes out and gets us all excited .... actually hoping fish stocks will get better. Joel is from Oyster Bay , Long Island. There was no better person to have made this song & video. Fishing is a dying occupation and the men &women who still do it have my respect.

@nigodemoscarfo3149

1y↑18

Probably my number 1 inspirational song and I'm into hip hop. This shit give me goosebumps

@knowyourQareen

1y↑3

Stfu bruv 😅 same here im crying out laughing because i dont know y i like this damn song.

@ShiloToB

52w

Reminds me on better days and on a period we last time really lived.

@nigodemoscarfo3149

52w↑2

@KnowYourQareen its fire! The beat, the story, he named that boat after his daughter I believe

@RyanD738

6y↑79

I’ve always been a big fan of Billy Joel but this is by far hands down, my favorite song of his. It’s just a beautiful hardworking man song... Musical poetry!

@dylanfoote1602

Wholeheartedly agree, his only songs that could rival this are Italian restaurant and maybe the stranger.

@TeriNtheGirlz

5y↑2

Allentown is also very powerful. I'd check it out - it's nearly just as powerful, I think.

@JoseAlves-vb3gw

2y↑4

Que arranjo musical, que voz, que letra!!!

O replay é inevitável...

@abcdxyz8852

18w↑2

Splendid song❤

@WowWow-ow6fw

2y↑107

My husband sings this perfectly. He serenades me with it regularly. Hes currently in rehab for alcohol. Today is hard and this brings me comfort

@duncanb410

2y↑2

Best of luck to your husband from a fellow recovering addict and Billy Joel fan. Just let him know that if he sticks to his recovery it will get easier everyday. Tell him not to be afraid to reach out for help when he feels the urge to drink creeping back up on him.

@marcusblickerify

2y↑2

Aww... Stand by him. It's a beautiful song. Sometimes when people sing their soul is pouring out so if they can sing good they have a good soul. I could be wrong but I really feel that. I wish you both the best of luck. Life is so hard and challenging and I would never hold anything against anybody trying to better themselves I don't hold anything against people that have addictions because life is brutal sometimes and things just are hard. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

@beccabbyx

2y↑1

Sending you both love and hope for his recovery ❤️

@keithrathmann621

2y↑1

dedicates this listen to good luck for yall.

@WowWow-ow6fw

Unfortunately he relapsed bad.. Ended up in jail where he currently resides.

8 More Replies...

@DaveLynchJazzGuitar

3y↑4

Great song. Being a native Islander, it holds special meaning. Thanks Billy !!

@aprilsealy357

3y↑14

My dad is a 5th generation commercial fisherman in Galveston Texas. this song really hits hard because my island feels like more of a tourist town now and it's harder to go fishing because of all the regulations. My mom's sisters and brother-in-laws also were commercial fisherman in southern Louisiana. It's definitely a big part of my life.

@paulelliott3220

7y↑25

Magnificent, angry, lyrical and powerful
Billy at his best, love this

@intrepidtomato

45w↑10

Introduced my husband to this song, he loved it immediately. He's from a fishing community, had relatives going out on the sea, the kind of place where people die every year in a storm or because they overloaded their boats. The kind of place where fishermen don't learn how to swim because they believe it would just prolong their suffering if they ever fell overboard. I don't know how Billy Joel captured so much of this life in one song. It's art.

@daveb6214

47w↑11

Yet another Billy legend of a song , with such emotion, you can't help but like this song.

@carolobrien4459

3y↑6

This is my absolute favorite Billy Joel song ever. The images and feelings he elicits in this song are so visceral. The photography is gorgeous.

@larryallen4553

2y↑7

Though my life is somewhat messed up right now, hearing this song always makes me thankful for the blessing I have. Billy Joel has almost always touched my heart with his songs and THIS is an OUTSTANDING example. Gripping and haunting beautiful….

@stevendimmock4791

35w↑7

Such a powerful song, such a powerful reason for writing a song!!

@alexamcmellen2284

8y↑1.8K

you know...it's pretty cool knowing my dad named me after this song. I've always loved it and grew up to it

@svenobermann-berger3482

6y↑49

Alexa McMellen Be proud of it and take the name in your heart :) Its an nice name. Greets from germany (northern sea)

@aceleone215

6y↑16

..THAT'S SOOO COOL..!!👌👌☺

@naveeny4111

6y↑21

That's cool... Now I'll remember Yu when I hear this song!!! :) :D

@fearnation99

6y↑81

Bet you have trouble with Amazon devices now 🤣

@zlodeyzlodeev8760

6y↑6

твой отец молодец

105 More Replies...

@Vilhelm22

45w↑3

A true masterpiece - and little known due to its being released after Greatest Hits Volumes I & II (which everyone knows). It’s on Volume III, but that’s less well known. I love sailing, and I hear it in my head every time I head out on the water.

@EM-bp1qh

1y↑7

…but I’ve people back on land who count on me…

Masterpiece. Genius. Touches your soul. Bravo Mr. Joel

@wjack4728

42w↑3

Loved this song the first time I heard it, and still do. One of my very favorite songs of all time.

@fhxbx

2y↑11

for me one of the most underrated songs ever, such a masterpiece and imo his best song

@shapefixer

37w↑1

One of my all time favourite songs written and performed by a master storyteller. I play and sing this with my guitar but I always feel like a fraud because Billy is so good

@chronicstitcher7933

5y↑536

One of the greatest musicians ever.

@sonnydortmund1513

5y↑3

chronic Stitcher HERE

@qtmagic300

4y↑1

He started the fire

@harveylee51

4y↑1

@Sean Moynihan but did he ignite it? and are we still trying to fight it? 😅 this is such a moving song and video had this on one old VHS tape then to hear it gain new life here on Youtube 🤘good stuff and i'm the 5,100 th comment phewww enough of that Cheers mate!

@katydalton4759

3y↑2

@Dogzy I think he's tremendously talented, but so many critics pan him! This song in particular showcases his ability to write lyrics, melodies, to play piano and sing, and to do so brilliantly! I still got your back, Billy, and always will!

@aandc2005

3y↑1

I agree 100%

2 More Replies...

@teraliamygroovy

1y↑3

You can feel the passion and commitment behind this song. And it's not just about a small community in a small corner of the US. It's an an anthem for all struggling, proud, overlooked, hard working communities everywhere. We can all relate.

@francesrogers6993

2y↑4

Awesome song that speaks of our history, each and every single one of us! Thank you Billy Joel

@joesites

2y↑39

Living on the coast of Maine this song is like an anthem for so many. Fishermen are most loyal, proud and tough people I know. The TV shows only show about 20% of what it takes. Anytime you eat seafood remember all of those that make it possible!

@sharedknowledge1232

2y↑2

I'm on the coast of Maine as well and I grew up with this being the anthem as well

@andrewpatton5114

51w

Well, wild-caught seafood. These days, a lot of it is farm-raised.

@skeletorlikespotatoes7846

46w

Bro can I come and work up there for a boat?

@wednesday8397

2y↑8

This song gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes it's so beautiful...but Mr. Joel does that with most of his songs 💜❤️

@kingshukdas2116

2y↑11

How on earth this doesn’t get included in Billy Joel’s all time hits!
Hangover brought my attention and since I am in love with this song.
Billy Joel, a legend.

@mattdon2164

10y↑14

One of Billy's greatest songs that many beyond his best fans are not aware of. Billy always captures the culture of Long Island perfectly in his music.

@scopex2749

2y↑25

SUPERB SONG Im not even a fisherman but I feel the emotions in this song. RESPECT to all the deep sea fishermen - calm seas and fair winds to ye. Care for the sea and care for these people we are all gods children.

@ShreyashRaj47

2y↑8

Somehow this song is very powerful. Filled with energy everytime I hear this song. Truly masterpiece 🔥

@airshredder7314

52w↑6

Billy Joel has a knack at making masterpieces of musical storytelling.

@MrDonkrypton

2y↑16

Greetings from Northern Germany. I grew up at the coast and can tell, this song works everywhere in the world. Play it to someone on the Mekong Delta, the Ganges, the arabian Penisnula or on an african river - everyone will feel the water, smell the salt in the air and wants to look at the horizon.

@horsesavy4570

1y↑1

well said!

@brutus4013

2y↑4

Great song ! Goosebumps every time I hear it .😎👍🏼🖖🏼

@scotte2857

2y↑6

Still one of the best songs ever written..my opinion. Just so powerful! ❤️

@emancaindec9731

3y↑65

1:37 - 1:42 always gives me chills to my spine...

@arthurcorassini

3y↑5

That goosebump that catches your whole body, jeeeez

@nataliadiluca5305

44w

❤amo esta canción por su letra, por cómo suena estremece!!! Y es obvio que además de toda esa historia Billy piensa en Alexa, su hija.

@daveb6214

3y↑8

He has never done a bad song ever , in my books anyway , he is a one of a kind musician.
Long live Billy

@richardbraham2486

38w↑2

Great vocal range! Absolutely nailing it.

@wadebennette8327

20w

Billy is the best. Timeless classics

@Khushi-gl4ml

16w↑2

My mother’s family were fisher folk on the north east of Scotland for centuries. The women gutted the fish as they were brought in. So many fishing tragedies there. On the coast of Lossiemouth is a memorial to all my family who died out there making a living.
I wonder if race memory is a real thing. The sea pulls me . This song touches me deeply .

@SebastiaanHolStadsgids

8y↑9

This is one of my most favourite songs by Billy Joel. This evening - 29th of march 2016 - it sounds out loud in my living room, and I sing along with it, playing on my own guitar...

@JessicaKasumi1990

2y↑1

This song came out a year before I was born and heard it a lot as a kid. My musical taste is very diversified, and I owe it to greats like Billy Joel being introduced to me at a young age by my parents.

@arohbeeclem2562

18w↑1

My father grew up on Nantucket in the 50s, back when it was fishermen and a dead end, before the ultra wealthy moved in. He was an orphan raised by alcoholic adoptive parents. While my dad and I didnt see eye to eye all the time, this song makes me think of him. Billy Joel is just amazing.

@rebeccanika

3y↑5

Billy Joel is a special kind of awesome. So. Much. Respect.

@simonbridgewater2680

3y↑2

This song cuts deep into my soul. Very powerful,moves me to tears. Thank Billy,you are one of the greatest. You make all New Yorkers extremely proud. May God continue to bless your amazing talent.

@pegelpaul169

49w↑2

Even right now, as im lying drunk in my bed thinking about all those random things i can still listen to this song and it's giving me chills. This song is so rousing ❤

@dignifieddan.4198

47w↑1

It just suits every mood

@jeffhalley6139

8y↑622

One of the best lyricists and musicians of all time. Period!

@hugocody3063

8y↑10

+Jeff Halley Second that...brilliant songwriter and performer and a conscious to boot

@anazsarsour

8y↑6

agreed!!

@djplusdj

8y↑6

AMEN

@peraperic8775

7y↑1

You got period?

@danielbruckner6275

7y↑7

Jeff Halley

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@thestar4358

49w↑2

This piece is nostalgic, it's been on replay ever since I heard it on hangover

@javierblanco6667

1y↑9

No me canso de escucharlo..

@riccardoangeli802

Dal vivo ancora meglio

@trishagroves4758

3y↑2

I love how Billy makes us feel the power of the ocean and teaches us to love these men that most of us would’ve never thought about without Billy enlightening us Thank you Billy; you take us on adventures every time you sing

@jenshelsper7657

3y↑8

a timeless masterpiece! no more words needed!

@marsbar2020

42w↑2

As a Canadian maritimer (family were fisherman for over a hundred of years) this is my favourite Billy Joel song, found myself humming it today out on the lake

@maxflizero

9y↑10

Billy Joel is simply AMAZING! Musical genius in every way. We are fortunate to have been blessed to hear his 'MIRACLES'!!

@daxpecho7428

27w↑2

Such a POWERFUL SONG..!!! 💪🏽❤

@Mint_drake

21w

It's even more powerful when you're able to talk to the fishermen who lived through those hard times.

Yes, the song is about fishing. But in a broader sense, it is about the perseverance of New Englanders, we're a hearty people. Those before us lived through this, we can survive through worse.

@sash7551

2y↑6

What amazing vocals in addition to a beautiful poignant song

@RoadCone411

3y↑5

Such a powerful song- one of Joel’s best, and yet it is extremely underrated in my opinion. Living in a coastal community along LI Sound, I know some hardened fishermen type; this hits home to me. Thirty years on, the trade has only got worse - a dangerous, difficult way to try and eek out a living. I know of no other song like this one.
Well done, Billy, well done.

@gporr7004

3y↑5

I've been a long islander for the last 5 years after moving from bronx NY. This still hits home how he describes the life. Even though I never experienced it I feel like I have. That's why he's so great imo

@aurinrakkun8589

43w↑10

I'm from MA, and I don't know anyone personally but have read local stories, and this is a VERY tough job, and not for the faint of heart. For all that fish you see in the small, local fish markets, these people go out and risk their lives to get it. Much props to our fishermen and fisherwomen who do this job. o7

@siddhantaghosh1649

4y↑541

"There ain't no island left for islanders like me" this hits me hard ♥️♥️

@markcarr1605

4y↑31

Its only getting harder to stay on the island

@patrickkelly8095

4y↑53

My family has been out on the eastern end for over 50 years, until 3 years ago. Grew up on Shelter Island and Green Port. Fished the bays from the time I could walk, and know what those guys went through. I used to walk through the old boat building yards and see the unfinished hulls still in the jigs. The old oyster factory. Selling our days catch of Blue's at Alice's Fish Market.
Went back out there a few years ago and its sad what it has become. Full of dirty hipster's, insanely over priced. Claudios is owned by a hedge fund owner now. The run down fishing docks I remember from the 80's are gone, the old potato farms are now housing developments and golf clubs. River Head, what was once all farms and the raceway. Is now car dealerships, chain restaurants, and malls with traffic bad enough it takes 45 minutes to drive through on a weekend afternoon.
I nearly wept when I saw an article calling Green Port the new top hipster destination.

@erebus79

4y↑6

@patrick kelly that's depressing

@valerieannrumpf4151

4y↑5

That pretty much sums it up.

@currenwiggin8982

4y↑2

I live on Nantucket.

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@OrthodoxReview

3y↑13

The most "Long Island" song ever. Still love it after all these years.

@dexterschumi

Timeless song, still listen to get encouragement. We will coast through this pandemic. Stay strong.

@loriw.9166

3y↑5

I haven't heard this song for many moons. Loving it.

@ehub3412

1y↑1

This song inspires me to move forward and work hard for my wife and daughter !
Never give up never surrender

@vishantkumar6128

I salute the passion with which this song is sung, always be my fav

@CS-fv2sn

4y↑77

This song always gets me. I was born and raised on long island, but it's too expensive to stay here. "there ain't no island left for islanders like me" hits me hard.

@bobbazata1161

4y↑5

same here.. was an avid surfcaster.. I remember why and when he wrote this song.. I left in 94 and never get tired of hearing this song.. over and over and over .. get choked up every time.

@carrietaylor6398

3y↑3

I had to leave my beloved Island Beach State Park behind because I couldn't afford to live in the state I was born in. I've never lived more than 20 minutes from the ocean my whole life. I miss the striper runs. Now I'm landlocked, and I dream of the crash of the surf.

@ricki347

2y↑1

Still in Seaford, Long Island. Waiting for that day that I run into Billy in Cold spring harbor 💙☀️💙

@jmthomson0220

I'm a daughter of a commercial lobsterman in sandy hook,NJ and this song always gave me for bumps....... "since they told me I can't sell no stripers! And there's no luck in swordfishing here. " line gets me every time

@thomasdenzler5293

2y↑1

Yep... From a fellow Islander...

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@JustMe-zu2ml

35w↑2

What a tune!

@maikonfellps4432

1y↑3

Isso é música 🍀🙏💗❤

@maikonfellps4432

Nunca me canso 💗

@pd2545

2y↑1

I recently found this sound on Spotify and I love it! It’s also really refreshing seeing the comments on how the song gets interpreted by different people :)

@carmenronyak1321

1y↑8

Actually named my daughter because of the feeling this song evoked,and the unique name, at the era...thanks Willym...one of the best storytellin evr😄

@janetallen9150

3y↑4

This slays me every time I hear it, just discovered it. Powerful and intricate, rhythms and that voice, Wow!

@janetallen9150

@Joel Billy Thank you! My comments were straight from the heart and probably, soul. I wish you many more gigs and much happiness. It helps us all to have brilliant music makers around.

@janetallen9150

@Joel Billy and I appreciate your humility, thank you so much. :)

@janetallen9150

@Joel Billy I have subscribed to your channel now to keep up with your music, and delighted to see I get the lyrics as well as the video! :)

@kevinmcsweeney8343

5y↑65

Very powerful song demonstrating Billy’s devotion to his roots in Long Island.

@mmoney3523

3y↑1

All of his songs show his devotion to us

@katharinedalton839

2y↑1

I heard some where that Billy worked as a fisherman for a time on a boat like this. He had a genuine taste of it. It grueling, thankless work most of the time. He's not just singing about something he hasn't experienced. Gritty, brutal, beautiful song!

@anilkode6654

2y↑14

I am from India, Mumbai and I m not a fisherman but don't know why every single time I hear this song it feels so good and goosebumps. Such a wonderful song. ✌️✌️