One of the most popular singer-songwriters of the twentieth century is releasing his first new song since a 2007 single “All My Life” and his last album from 1993, River of Dreams. the 74-year-old Billy Joel has announced a new song, “Turn the Lights Back On,” will be released February 1, 2024.
Joel, of course, has not been in retirement all this time, doing other projects, including his performances as part of a residency at Madison Square Garden in recent years. Seeing one of those performances takes one back in time as Joel puts on a great show with his deep catalog of popular hit songs.
So many are excited to see him releasing a new song. Although Joel usually wrote alone, the new song was co-written by Arthur Bacon, Wayne Hector and Freddy Wexler. “Turn the Lights Back On” is being initially promoted with a teaser trailer.
The trailer appears to provide some piano chords from the new song but not much more. But if you look closely, the trailer opens with Joel turning the page on a music book page with the song “Famous Last Words.” That song appeared on his last album, 1993’s River of Dreams, and included images of the end of a party with words about “And these are the last words I have to say / Before another age goes by.”
And so Billy Joel “returns” with a little flash of humor, referencing his lyrics from more than thirty years about about ending his run after not having more to say. But even that song let us know that the pop songwriter with so many hit songs might return another day, another time.
These are the last words I have to say,
That’s why it took so long to write;
There will be other words some other day,
But that’s the story of my life.
At this point, we do not know if there will be additional music forthcoming (might we wish for an album?) or if this release will just be the one song. Either way, it is a nice treat to look forward to from one of the great American pop songwriters. We’re all in the mood for a melody, and this piano man has us feelin’ alright.
UPDATE: And here is the new song:
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