Billy Joel – Allentown (Official Video)
Inspiration Behind Allentown:
Allentown was conceived from Billy’s personal experiences living on the East Coast, a regional observation, and a deep empathy for working-class struggles. Located in the Rust Belt of America, Allentown was impacted by closing steel mills due to America shipping manufacturing jobs overseas. While the entire he Lehigh Valley was impacted by mill closures, the city of Allentown was selected as the name felt well into the lyrics.
Biblical Application:
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return,” Genesis 3:17-19.
Exegesis of Allentown:
Well, we’re living here in Allentown
And they’re closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem, they’re killing time
Filling out forms, standing in line
A second about current events, how the closure of steel mills throughout the cities within the Lehigh Valley was impacting some towns like Allentown.
Well, our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance, danced with them slow
Billy speaks to his generation in this stanza. How most fathers served in World War II, where families spent their summer vacations, where their parents met and how they fell in love.
And we’re living here in Allentown
But the restlessness was handed down
And it’s getting very hard to stay
This oasis in the mountains was greatly impacted by shipping manufacturing jobs overseas. Finding a good paying job outside the steel mill was getting harder and harder.
Well, we’re waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard, if we behaved
This economic situation began to impact students as children began to lose hope, likely taking a toll on grades.
So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No, they never taught us what was real
Billy’s teachers were never fully transparent with teachers. Giving the company line which wasn’t real or helpful.
Iron and coke, chromium steel
Contents inside the mills.
And we’re waiting here in Allentown
But they’ve taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled away
Natural resources were starting to dry up. People were waiting for change, but even the Unions struggled.
Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got
But something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our face
Whoa-oh-oh
The America Dream took a hit, lowering the standard for future generations. If you can’t get a job, go serve in the military.
Well, I’m living here in Allentown
And it’s hard to keep a good man down
But I won’t be getting up today
The economic situation was rough, even for the highly motivated.
And it’s getting very hard to stay
And we’re living here in Allentown
While some stayed, many had to move to find a good paying job.
Final Thoughts:
Since today is my birthday, I wanted to write about a town that I grew up 2 hours away from. Just north of Allentown is the Pocono Mountains where I first learned to ski. Blue Mountain is where I took my children where they first learned to ski and snowboard. On one of my birthdays, I took the family to Dorney Park, an amusement and water park. This was one of my more memorable days at a park as we rode all the coasters early and spent the afternoon at the waterpark. This is what Allentown has to offer today.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 