Honesty

Billy Joel

Honesty tiene un significado especial para aquellos que crecimos con Billy Joel. Por un lado nos lanza de cabeza a nuestra adolescencia, aquellos locos años de la música disco de Fiebre de Sábado por la Noche, y por otro lado nos habla de la falta de honestidad, incluidos políticos y candidatos de turno. Para saber: algo sobre Billy Joel, y en vocabulario: wearing his heart on his sleeve

… "[the song] implies that the only way you can tell that someone really cares about you is if they tell you you're bad."

Billy Joel took piano lessons at the insistence of his mother…

"Honesty" es una canción del cantante y compositor  Billy Joel. Columbia Records lanzó la canción como el tercer disco simple de su álbum 52nd Street en 1979. "Honesty" fue escrita solo por Joel, mientras que la producción fue manejada por Phil Ramone. La canción no fue incluida en ninguna de las compilaciones de Joel lanzadas en los Estados Unidos, sin embargo aparecen en las ediciones holandesas y japonesas. "Honesty" es una “piano ballad” que habla acerca de la falta de vergüenza.

The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised its lyrics and piano instrumentation. It also received comparisons to other songs by Joel. "Honesty" peaked at number twenty-four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the album's third consecutive top forty hit. It went to Number 1 in France and has also been certified gold by Recording Industry Association of Japan for ringtone download sales of over 100,000 units. Joel performed the song live several times with Elton John and later with Bryan Adams. 

Joel en el Madison Square Garden, 1995

The song talks about the inherent lack of honesty even in the closest of relationships. In the song Joel sings the lines "Honesty is such a lonely word". Joel further sings about wearing his heart on his sleeve in "Honesty". According to Chuck Klosterman of The New York Times, "[the song] implies that the only way you can tell that someone really cares about you is if they tell you you're bad."

According to Ken Bielen, "'Honesty' is a plea for truth, not only in romantic relationships but also from the politicians who affect our lives."

Vocabulario

Wear your heart on your sleeve: to make your feelings and emotions obvious rather than hiding them.

If someone wears their heart on their sleeve, they behave in a way that makes their feelings very obvious, for example when they are in love with someone.

Para saber

Joel was born in 1949 in The Bronx, New York, and grew up on Long Island, both places that influenced his music. Growing up, he took piano lessons at the insistence of his mother. After dropping out of high school to pursue a musical career, Joel took part in two short-lived bands, The Hassles and Attila, before signing a record deal with Family Productions and kicking off a solo career in 1971 with his first release, Cold Spring Harbor. In 1972, Joel caught the attention of Columbia Records after a live radio performance of the song "Captain Jack" became popular in Philadelphia, prompting him to sign a new record deal with the company and release his second album, Piano Man, in 1973.

Billy Joel - Honesty (from A Matter of Trust - The Bridge to Russia)

Billy Joel performing Honesty: Live in Russia, 1987.

If you search for tenderness
It isn't hard to find
You can have the love you need to live
But if you look for truthfulness
You might just as well be blind
It always seems to be so hard to give

Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you

I can always find someone
To say they sympathize
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve
But I don't want some pretty face
To tell me pretty lies
All I want is someone to believe

Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you

I can find a lover
I can find a friend
I can have security until the bitter end
Anyone can comfort me
With promises again
I know, I know

When I'm deep inside of me
Don't be too concerned
I won't ask for nothin' while I'm gone
But when I want sincerity
Tell me where else can I turn
'Cause you're the one I depend upon

Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you

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