I like this song.
Ironically, those who know me probably won’t be surprised.
This is a song by Billy Joel entitled “I Go To Extremes” from his “Storm Front” album. This album is one of my favorites, and has been since it was first released. In the Billy Joel discography, it takes a back seat to the “Innocent Man” album, but I digress. The point is that Billy Joel is an extremely talented musician who has developed amazing staying power through 30 years in the oh-so-fickle music business.
His song writing is really marvelous. He philosophically dives into topics like relationships, America, people, changing culture, celebrity, and more. Using this insight, he couples it with a narrative writing style, and vivid word pictures. In fact, I would put him into the songwriters’ pantheon along with Bernie Taupin, and Bob Dylan.
Well, when it comes to this song, I listen to it, and I feel like I could have written it (if I had such talent, anyhow). It talks about that need… that compulsion… that obsession that just can’t be suppressed, nor fully understood. It is that irresistible thing inside that makes a person like me tick… it can be frightening in its’ disregard for self-preservation. It does not care if it leaves its’ host drained, exhausted…
So the song admits over and over, “I don’t know why I go to extremes.” It talks about sleepless nights, and dancing on the edge of losing it. And as with so many favorite songs, I sing along in my agreement. It is funny that some songs take on even deeper personal meaning as the years pass….
Here is the link to the music video… yes, back from when MTV actually played music videos!
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