saturday 9: my life

Saturday 9: My Life
(recommended by A Day in the Life on the Farm)

aww. i love billy joel. ♥

1) This song begins with the story of a man who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a comic. What comedian always makes you laugh?
colin mochrie 🙂 he does physical stuff but i like his wittiness, too. he’s very sharp and plays well off other people. i especially like his banter with ryan stiles.

2) The lyrics say, “You don’t need to worry about me ’cause I’m alright.” Tell us about a time when you had to reassure your family or friends.
well, i guess it was just this past wednesday, if i want to take it on a physical level. i had been an emotional wreck for a couple of weeks now and then i got the call i was waiting for, which i almost didn’t take, because i was worried about the results. i thought i’d let her leave a message (because i was at work) and then i’d call her back later when i’m home so if i have to cry, i can in the comfort of my own home. but after the fourth ring i thought i better just answer it and get it over with. luckily it wasn’t what i was expecting, but i had to spend a little while googling what she said to make sure, and then i texted my mom to let her know. my mom had been very worried so when i told her she was so relieved and told me how she worried she was. that made me cry anyway. 😛 luckily though it was lunch break so no one was really around 😛 on just a regular level of being “all right” i guess that’s kind of normal for me. i often tell people that i’m fine when i’m not just because i don’t want them to worry. i think from now on i will sing this line instead 🙂

3) This song was the original theme of the Tom Hanks sitcom Bosom Buddies. Tom Hanks is a direct descendant of Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln’s mother. Is there anyone noteworthy, celebrated or infamous in your family tree?
i don’t think so. i mean, one of my ancestors was royalty, but i don’t know that anyone celebrates her as they would do lincoln.

4) Before going solo, Billy Joel was in bands called The Echoes, The Emeralds, The Hassles and Attila. What do you think would be a good name for a band?
i am so unoriginal i’d say something like “the band.” although i think there’s already one out there named that.

5) Billy Joel wrote one of his most famous songs, “Just the Way You Are,” for his first wife, Elizabeth. Even though they divorced more than 30 years ago, fans still demand he perform the song in concert. Do you go out of your way to listen to songs that remind you of a long-ago lost love? Or do you avoid them?
that song actually reminds me of my long lost love 🙂 he used to sing it to me and swore that billy joel must’ve known me and wrote that song for me because of how much reassurance i need. 😛 i actually didn’t like when bruno mars came out with a different song with the same title because i didn’t want billy joel’s song to forgotten. but, yes, i’ll listen to that song even if it reminds me of him. but it does take a while. for the longest time (whoa oh oh oh) i couldn’t listen to “take a bow” (madonna version, not rihanna one–another one that had a different song with same title and people forgot the first one) because of the pain of a breakup of an almost-marriage i associated with it but after several years i am now able to listen to that song again without getting *too* weepy. 😛 and sometimes i do go out of my way to listen to painful songs just because i think i need them every once in a while to keep me grounded.

6) In 2008 Billy Joel had to return a $3,000,000 advance for his memoirs because he didn’t finish them. Have you ever read a celebrity tell-all?
wow. i didn’t know that. no, i don’t think i have. oh, i take that back, i read craig ferguson’s story. well, i skimmed most of the last half because i was getting tired of all the swearing.

7) Billy Joel was in a motorcycle accident and did irreparable damage to his left thumb. Are you comfortable on a motorcycle?
no! i rode on the back of one once and the driver gave me the helmet, but i threw the balance off because i was clenching so tightly with my thighs 😛 the driver had to gently tell me to relax but i was just so worried about falling off. i will never do that again.

8) In addition to riding cycles, Billy enjoys sailing in Oyster Bay. Do your summer plans include time on a boat?
no, although it’s been a while since i’ve been out on the ocean. i miss it.

9) Billy Joel is a popular college commencement speaker. If you were asked advice from the Class of 2014, what would you say?
oh, i’m so not a good advice-giver. i’d probably say something stupid that might sound inspiring but actually turns the listeners off. 😛