The 1982 song, 'Allentown' by Billy Joel "was a big song. It talked about a variety of things." But by 1997, "things are different now. It's time to kind of close the chapter on that deal."
'Allentown' sought to explore the hard times, lost dreams and unfulfilled promises. However "Allentown is not the same kind of city that is portrayed in Billy Joel's song." Billy pointed out, "It's a metaphor for the American dilemma. It represents more than just a town. Believe it or not, I tried to write the song 'Levittown' before I tried to write 'Allentown' but it doesn’t sing as well."
One musician made the observation, "Joel's not the kind of songwriter who sugarcoats the truth. If this song gets near the Top 10...there'll be millions of people who'll have heard of Allentown and wonder what it's all about." Billy believed, "The mood and the inherent in the music always dictated what the lyric was going to be. Now, I'm simply writing the music without the words, and I'm finding that it's more liberating to be able to develop a melody outside of the strict pop song form."
