Matt Knight’s “4:20 HIT of the Day” – 6/27/22
Every weekday at around 4:20pm, I’m going to drop a song that I think you should listen to and make the remainder of your workday a bit more mellow with the 4:20 HIT of the Day. What does this mean? Simply, it’s a song that I think will give you some good vibes, ‘spark up’ nostalgia or just remind you about a tune that you might love but just haven’t heard in a while.
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Today’s HIT is Billy Joel’s “Vienna” from his 1977 album ‘The Stranger.’
Originally released as a B-Side to “Just The Way You Are”, the song has grown in popularity as it has become one of Billy Joel’s most streamed songs on Spotify in 2022.
Joel has stated that Vienna is a metaphor for old age, but also may have been subconsciously about his father. Speaking more broadly about the song’s message, he said in a 2008 interview that it conveys “you don’t have to squeeze your whole life into your 20s and 30’s trying to make it, trying to achieve that American dream, getting in the rat race and killing yourself. You have a whole life to live. I kind of used ‘Vienna’ as a metaphor, there is a reason for being old, a purpose.”
It’s a deep cut for sure, but the more you listen to it the more you realize that lyrically, this is a pretty amazing song. Here’s a lyrics video for you to enjoy “Vienna.”
