“Only The Good Die Young” – Performed by Billy Joel
“Only The Good Die Young” – Performed by Billy Joel
Come out Virginia, don’t let me 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
They showed you a statue and told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
But they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done…..
Only the good die young
You might have 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
But that never hurt no one
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 lets in the sun
And only the good die young
You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You got a brand new soul
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
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
Sinners are much more fun…
And only the good die young
You say your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation
She never cared for me
But did she ever say a prayer for me?
The song “Only the Good Die Young” was written and performed by Billy Joel. This piece was included in Billy Joel’s album ‘The Stranger’. It was very controversial during the time of its release because of the song’s lyrics.
The hit was said to be talking about a boy trying to seduce a girl to lose her virginity and that the girl would not do it because of her religion. Some of the lines were also criticized for being an anti-Catholic.
The song became part of that time’s breaking news which prompted some radio stations to stop playing the material. But going past the criticisms and the controversies, you can totally use this as a funeral song if you only read between the lines.
The piece actually talks about people not trying to live their lives to the fullest because of the inhibitions that they have. It doesn’t necessarily have to be religion but it could also mean other things.
This song can be used in conjunction with funeral poems during the service of a young person who died at a young age. This just reflects that life cannot be controlled and we should live our lives to the fullest.
The song also tells the listeners that despite the temptation, people with strong faith will not be persuaded into doing something bad. If you want to find more songs similar to this, you can visit www.songmeanings.net.
