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Monday, November 28, 2011

WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE


This song and its title was an answer to a Final Jeopardy and only one person got it right. Question (paraphrased): "What 1980's song do history teachers praise for its educational value"? I never could understand all the references on Billy Joel's song; fortunately, with this video, given the picture(s), now can "see" what our "ears" couldn't. Anyway, I checked to see the purpose behind the song. Apparently, it's Joel's homage to the 40-years of historical headlines since his birth (1949). I wish we could have appreciated the depths of this song when it was released. Twenty years later, it's amazing what Joel was able to put into music and lyrics lasting only a few minutes.

Whether you are a Billy Joel fan or not, you probably remember his great song, "We Didn't Start the Fire". Here it is, set to pictures. It's an interesting flashback through the past half century. I never did know all the words. Turn up the volume, sit back and enjoy a review of 50 years of history in less than 3 minutes! Thanks to Billy Joel and some guy from the University of Chicago with a lot of spare time and Google.

The top left gives you full screen; the top right lets you pause. The bottom left shows the year. The older you are, the more pictures you will recognize. Anyone over age 65 should remember more than 90% of what they see. But it's great at any age.

CLICK HERE for the video.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I find most Billy Joel selections to be pedestrian and imitative, but I do appreciate this one!