Only the Good Die Young
Billy Joel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
You Catholic girls start much too late
Aw, but sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well will be the one
Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
Aw, but they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done
Well, only the good die young
That's what I said
Only the good die young
Only the good die young
You mighta heard I run with a dangerous crowd
We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud
We might be laughing a bit too loud
Aw, but that never hurt no one
So come on, Virginia, show me a sign
Send up a signal, I'll throw you the line
The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind
Never let's in the sun
Darlin', only the good die young
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa
I tell ya only the good die young
Only the good die young
You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You got a brand new soul
Mmm, and a cross of gold
But, Virginia, they didn't give you quite enough information
You didn't count on me
When you were counting on your rosary
Oh-whoa-whoa
And they say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better, but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun
You know that only the good die young, oh, baby
I tell ya only the good die young
Only the good die young
Said your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation
Aw, she never cared for me
But did she ever say a prayer for me?
Oh-whoa-whoa
Come out, come out, come out, Virginia, don't let me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
Sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well will be the one
You know that only the good die young
Tell you, baby
You know that only the good die young
Only the good die young
Only the good
Only the good die young
Ooh-ooh, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-ooh, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-ooh, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo
Only the good die young
Only the good die young
In Billy Joel's song "Only the Good Die Young," he is singing to a Catholic girl named Virginia. The song expresses his desire for her to break free from the restrictions of her Catholic upbringing and live in the moment, specifically when it comes to sexual experiences. He believes that only the good die young and that they should make the most of the time they have. Joel seems to be suggesting that living a virtuous life, as Catholics are supposed to, is not as important or fulfilling as enjoying life's pleasures.
The lyrics "They say there's a heaven for those who will wait, some say it's better, but I say it ain't" shows that Joel does not believe in waiting for the afterlife to enjoy oneself but rather that life's pleasures should be embraced now.
Throughout the song, Joel urges Virginia to come out and break free from the constraints of her conservative upbringing. He refers to himself as part of a "dangerous crowd" of sinners who might laugh too loudly but ultimately have more fun than the saints.
Overall, "Only the Good Die Young" is a critique of Catholic teachings and encourages listeners to live in the moment and enjoy life's pleasures while they can.
Line by Line Meaning
Come out, Virginia, don't let me wait
Please do not hesitate to show yourself, Virginia.
You Catholic girls start much too late
The religious beliefs of Catholicism prevent women from being sexually active outside of marriage.
Aw, but sooner or later it comes down to fate
Ultimately, the destiny of life is predetermined by fate.
I might as well will be the one
I want to be the person who takes your virginity.
Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray
The church teaches worship and prayer towards religious icons.
They built you a temple and locked you away
The church restricts women's sexual freedom.
Aw, but they never told you the price that you pay
The church never warned you about the regret that comes from missing out on romantic experiences.
For things that you might have done
You missed out on various experiences that you could have had.
Well, only the good die young
People who are fun and enjoy their lives tend to pass away early.
That's what I said
I am certain of this.
You mighta heard I run with a dangerous crowd
I am associated with people who engage in risky behavior.
We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud
We are not the most attractive or dignified group of people.
We might be laughing a bit too loud
We may act in an inappropriate manner at times.
Aw, but that never hurt no one
There is no harm in having fun.
So come on, Virginia, show me a sign
Please communicate with me, Virginia.
Send up a signal, I'll throw you the line
Let me know what you want and I will give it to you.
The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind
Your religious beliefs are preventing you from fully experiencing life.
Never let's in the sun
You're missing out on the joys of life.
Darlin', only the good die young
People who live life to the fullest tend to die young.
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa
I tell ya only the good die young
I am convinced that only those who fully live their lives pass away early.
You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You have recently had a religious celebration and are dressed in white.
You got a brand new soul
You are pure and innocent.
Mmm, and a cross of gold
You wear a valuable cross as a symbol of your religion.
But, Virginia, they didn't give you quite enough information
The church has not explained to you the full extent of life's experiences.
You didn't count on me
You never expected me to come into your life.
When you were counting on your rosary
You were focused on your religious beliefs.
And they say there's a heaven for those who will wait
It is believed that those who abstain from sin will go to heaven.
Some say it's better, but I say it ain't
I do not agree that abstaining from sin is better.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
I prefer to enjoy life with those who break the rules than to follow rigid religious teachings and be unhappy.
The sinners are much more fun
Those who engage in sinful activities have a lot more fun in life.
You know that only the good die young, oh, baby
You are aware that those who live life fully tend to pass away at a young age.
Said your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation
Your mother believes that I only want to sleep with you.
Aw, she never cared for me
Your mother dislikes me.
But did she ever say a prayer for me?
Do you think your mother ever prayed for my well-being?
Come out, come out, come out, Virginia, don't let me wait
Please come out of hiding, Virginia.
You Catholic girls start much too late
Catholic teachings prevent women from being sexually active before marriage.
Sooner or later it comes down to fate
Ultimately, life's outcome is predetermined by fate.
I might as well will be the one
I would like to be the one to take your virginity.
You know that only the good die young
Those who fully live their lives tend to pass away at a young age.
Tell you, baby
Only the good die young
People who enjoy their lives to the fullest tend to pass away early.
Only the good die young
Fun-loving individuals tend to die young.
Ooh-ooh, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-ooh, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo
Ooh-ooh, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo
Only the good die young
Those who live life to the fullest tend to pass away early.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Billy Joel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
"Only the Good Die Young" was controversial for its time, with the lyrics written from the perspective of a young man determined to have sex with a Catholic girl. The song was inspired by a high school crush of Joel's, Virginia Callahan. The boy/narrator believes that the girl is refusing him because she comes from a religious Catholic family and that she believes premarital sex is sinful. Read Full Bio"Only the Good Die Young" is a song from Billy Joel's 1977 rock album "The Stranger". It was the third of four singles released from the album.
"Only the Good Die Young" was controversial for its time, with the lyrics written from the perspective of a young man determined to have sex with a Catholic girl. The song was inspired by a high school crush of Joel's, Virginia Callahan. The boy/narrator believes that the girl is refusing him because she comes from a religious Catholic family and that she believes premarital sex is sinful.
Attempts to censor the song only made it more popular, after religious groups considered it anti-Catholic, and pressured radio stations to remove it from their playlists.
"When I wrote 'Only the Good Die Young', the point of the song wasn't so much anti-Catholic as pro-lust," Joel told Performing Songwriter magazine. "The minute they banned it, the album started shooting up the charts."
In a 2008 interview, Joel also pointed out one part of the lyrics that virtually all the song's critics missed – the boy in the song failed to get anywhere with the girl, and she kept her chastity.
The song begins with a piano introduction and builds in intensity with Joel's high tempo vocals. Billboard Magazine described "Only the Good Die Young" as one of Joel's "strongest and catchiest" songs. Cash Box said that "Billy grabs the fun with a rollicking, handclapping beat, raspy sax solo and racy piano licks."
A demo, included in the box set "My Lives", is a slower, reggae version of the song. Joel reprised the song's motif in this version with a church organ. Joel has stated publicly that he changed the reggae beat to a shuffle beat at the request of his long time drummer, Liberty DeVitto, who hated reggae music.
Key Limner
LYRICS
Come out, Virginia, don't let me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
Aw, but sooner or later, it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one
Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
Aw, but they never told you the price that you'd pay
For things that you might have done
Only the good die young
That's what I said
Only the good die young
Only the good die young
You might-a heard I run with a dangerous crowd
We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud
We might be laughing a bit too loud
Aw, but that never hurt no one
So come on, Virginia, show me the sign
Send up a signal, I'll throw you the line
The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind
Never lets in the sun
Darlin', only the good die young
Ooh-whoa, whoa, whoa-oh
I tell you only the good die young
Only the good die young
You've got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You've got a brand-new soul, mm, and a cross of gold
But, Virginia, they didn't give you quite enough information
You didn't count on me
When you were countin' on your rosary, oh, whoa, whoa
And they say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better, but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun
You know that only the good die young
Oh-oh, oh, baby
I tell ya, only the good die young
Only the good die young
You said your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation
Aw, she never cared for me
But did she ever say a prayer for me?
Oh-whoa, whoa
Come out, come out, come out Virginia, don't let me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
But sooner or later, it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one
You know that only the good die young
Tell ya, baby
You know that only the good die young
Only the good die young
Only the good
Only the good die young
Ooh-hoo, hoo, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh, hoo, ooh
Ooh-hoo, hoo, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh, hoo, ooh
Ooh-hoo, hoo, ooh-hoo
Ooh-ooh, hoo, ooh
Only the good die young
Only the good die young
Ooh-ooh, hoo, ooh-hoo
SCRATCHING FOR CASH
Anyone in 2022 still rocking out to this beside me?
Walls117x
All of us.
Daniel Robinson
yup
love this song
Dave Pham
Billy Joel's legacy lives on. Also, a couple of his tracks features in The Boys and got my ears itchin'
Göran Fälth
Lost my brother two weeks ago... Think this is the song,.
SCRATCHING FOR CASH
@Göran Fälth I’m so sorry for you loss. I hope you and your family find peace my friend. Life is so unfair Sometimes.
Calvin O'Brien
If this isn’t playing at my funeral then I don’t want to be there.
energy
what if you die old?
runzoni
What a beautiful statement! GODSPEED.
Gbks Gbks
@energy food for thought