“Turn the Lights Back On” – Did Billy Joel Save the Best for Last?

It has been 17 years since we heard a new song from Billy Joel. Even more than that, it’s been 30 years since he released a new album. While he’s never been completely out of the spotlight, playing once a month in Madison Square Garden since 2014 and also playing concerts in and out of the United States, Billy Joel hasn’t had mainstream attention like this in a good while.

And rightfully so, his new song, Turn the Lights Back On, deserves the attention it is getting. A hauntingly beautiful piano melody with lyrics that make you sit still and listen, that make you think of what could’ve been, that make you think of what can still be, this song is an emotional journey. Here’s a glimpse of the song’s lyrics:

And pride sticks out its tongue
Laughs at the portrait that we’ve become
Stuck in a frame, unable to change
I was wrong

Or…

I’m late, but I’m here right now
Though I used to be romantic
I forgot somehow
Time can make you blind

Joel last released new music in 2007, when he released two songs – “All My Life” and “Christmas in Fallujah”. You have to go back even further to 1993 for his last released album, which was 1993’s River of Dreams. So what happened, what inspired the new song?

According to Billy Joel himself¹, it was a chance encounter with a fan. As a favor to his doctor, he agreed to meet this alleged fan. This fan was not only an admirer of Joel, but he was also a songwriter himself. Enter Freddy Wexler. Wexler is a well established songwriter, whose credits include collaborations with the Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande, to name a few.

What Joel thought would be a quick ‘fan encounter’ ended up being much more. This meeting led to a friendship, which led to a collaboration, which led to Turn the Lights Back On.

And as good as the song itself is, the music video does not disappoint either. With the help of AI, the official music video almost becomes a ‘This Is Your Life Billy Joel’ homage.

Once you watch the music video once, you’re going to want to watch it multiple times (which I have done many times and highly encourage). I would also recommend watching the video below, straight from the Billy Joel YouTube channel. It’s the official lyric video for this song, and while Mr. Joel doesn’t appear in it at all, it is an appealing and entertaining music video in it’s own right.

The question in many of minds right now is will there be more music? Was this collaboration with Wexler a one time thing? Only time will tell, but if this is his last ‘new song’, then can we ask the question?