The band existed for almost a decade before mainstream success. The members met and played in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School under the name Pezz and remained underground in Toronto's indie music scene until 2001. The band renamed itself Billy Talent after running into legal trouble with the old name. It was then that Kowalewicz's connection with an employee of Warner Music Canada's A&R department landed the band a record deal and launched them into mainstream success. Since then, Billy Talent has made three multi-platinum records in Canada and continues to expand their success overseas; this included touring for 20 months supporting their second album. They released their third album, Billy Talent III, in 2009, and their fourth album, Dead Silence, in 2012. Dead Silence was followed up by a full UK tour throughout October and November 2012. To commemorate the longevity since the release of their first studio album, the band has released a greatest hits album entitled Hits in 2014. In 2015, they began to prepare material for their fifth studio album. Just before entering the studio, drummer Aaron Solowoniuk decided to sit out the recording sessions while he continued his longstanding battle with multiple sclerosis. Fellow Canadian Jordan Hastings was quickly recruited to play as Solowoniuk's studio stand-in, and, in early 2016, the group completed work on Afraid of Heights, which was released in July of that year. The band's most recent album is Crisis of Faith, released in January 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Talent
Studio albums
Billy Talent (2003)
Billy Talent II (2006)
Billy Talent III (2009)
Dead Silence (2012)
Afraid of Heights (2016)
Crisis of Faith (2022)
Hey Hey My My
Billy Talent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye hey hey my my (Hey)
Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue
The King is gone but he's not forgotten
(Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
This is the story of a Johnny Rotten
(Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
It's better to burn out than to fade away
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Hey hey my my rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye hey hey my my
Hey hey my my (Ha) hey hey my my
Hey hey my my hey hey my my
The lyrics of Billy Talent's "Hey Hey My My" seem to convey a message about the timeless power and resilience of rock and roll music. The phrase "rock and roll can never die" suggests that despite changing trends and the passing of time, the spirit and impact of rock music will always endure. The line "there's more to the picture than meets the eye" implies that there are deeper meanings and layers of significance within the genre that may not be immediately apparent.
The following lines, "out of the blue and into the black, you pay for this, but they give you that," allude to the unpredictability and sometimes unfair nature of the music industry. It suggests that artists may face unexpected challenges and sacrifices while trying to navigate through the industry. "And once you're gone, you can't come back, when you're out of the blue and into the black" could be interpreted as a commentary on the fleeting nature of success, where artists may experience a rise to fame but struggle to maintain their relevance once they fall out of the spotlight.
The mention of "Johnny Rotten" could refer to the iconic punk musician and frontman of the Sex Pistols, highlighting the rebellious and boundary-pushing nature of rock and roll. The line "it's better to burn out than to fade away" echoes Neil Young's lyrics from his song "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" and has been famously referenced by Kurt Cobain in his suicide note.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey hey my my rock and roll can never die
Rock and roll music will always be alive and relevant
There's more to the picture
There is a deeper meaning or significance
Than meets the eye hey hey my my (Hey)
Beyond what is initially apparent or obvious
Out of the blue and into the black
Without warning or explanation, going from a positive to a negative situation
You pay for this, but they give you that
Although you invest or sacrifice, you receive something unexpected or undesired
And once you're gone, you can't come back
Once you leave, there is no returning
When you're out of the blue
When you are unexpectedly in a negative situation
And into the black
Transitioning into a state of darkness or despair
The King is gone but he's not forgotten
Even though the influential figure is no longer present, their impact remains in memory
(Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
Referencing Johnny Rotten, a punk icon associated with rebellion and nonconformity
This is the story of a Johnny Rotten
This is the narrative surrounding someone like Johnny Rotten
(Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
Expressing the contradictory traits and reputation of Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out than to fade away
It is preferable to make a dramatic impact or exit rather than slowly losing significance
Hey hey my my rock and roll can never die
Rock and roll music will always be alive and relevant
There's more to the picture
There is a deeper meaning or significance
Than meets the eye hey hey my my
Beyond what is initially apparent or obvious
Hey hey my my (Ha) hey hey my my
Emphatic repetition of the opening line
Hey hey my my hey hey my my
Emphatic repetition of the opening line
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young, Jeff Blackburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheDeathOfAnEra
How am i just hearing this now for the first time? This has to be one of the best covers yet. Incredible!
william poulin
TheDeathOfAnEra were you a billy talent fan or Neil Young?
Insane Nicky
You guys are my favourite <3
I was lucky enough to get in the front row right in front of Ian on Your concert in Poland, could literally see sweat dripping of his forehead. Whenever I feel bad I'm just thinking about this event and I feel immediatly happier Your songs scream inside my heart. While everybody around me was jumping/dancing, screaming/singing I was just leaning on the 'fence' and watched you guys silently. I could not believe that I'm so close to You. (Probably I would make you uncomfortable if you realized that I'm staring at You like a maniac... :( ) Thank You for the best memory of my life, while everything around me is gray I can at least hear You play. If You will ever read that, I am sorry for taking Your time with this ... 'essay'. I hope I will see You again in Poland, Poznań~ You are making my life brighter, Thank You.
-Nicky
P.S. Ben Your voice is amazing <3 I love You guys so much!
Teresa Pham
Insane Nicky totaly feel the same way haha
CANDYTRAP
I understand your feelings, sister ♥️ billy talent is much more than simple rock band with good music and lyrics. It's like something I don't know it's like the only reason to live sometimes. Cause their music understand you, mentally hug you and support you. I didn't have any chances to come at the concert, but I think when I will have a chance come to listen to them in real, I will be staying and starring at them just like you did
Mare Hounslow
I was up front for their Canadian tour! So worth it
hjue44
Had a similar experience last year in frankfurt, germany. But i definitely sang along. They do amazing shows to this day
We_Be_Nerds
One of my favorite bands covering my favorite Neil Young song? This is rad as hell, my dad would have loved it!
Sunny Disposition
This one is brilliant. Totally awesome when Ian's guitar is loud and raw like that. Only saw Billy Talent once at this tour (plus 3 times via stream) but they made such a good performance! All bandmembers sounded truly amazing.
Because this is a Neil Young cover: I saw Neil Young once "in concert" in 2002 at a festival in Germany. To be honest: I just knew a few songs from him before ("Harvest Moon" which candidly just isn't my taste, sorry; also I knew "Heart Of Gold" and of course "Rockin' In The Free World" which I like both); I didn't expect anything like a guitar hurricane at all. But that's exactly what happened as Neil played his guitar/s so sublime that I thought: "This man has found his calling". He looked like "there's no better job in the whole wide world than this one." Even kids asked me: "who's that?!?". Everyone watching was blown away.
Eppigenie auf Tauris
I would love you guys to make a cover album. Covers in a "Billy Talent style" always sound awesome. Cold Turkey, Ever Fallen in love now that ... just great