The haunting Billy Joel song he wanted to be “a little bit ethereal”
Billy Joel might not be one of the most esteemed or acclaimed songwriters in music history, but he certainly knows how to pen a song for the masses. ‘Uptown Girl’ is a certified party playlist staple, soundtracking weddings in abundance. ‘Vienna’ has endeared itself to millions with its reflections on ageing and piano flourishes. And ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ has left listeners desperately trying to keep up with Joel’s historical summaries for decades.
Joel’s trademarks are relatively simple. Rich piano instrumentation, fairly straightforward lyrics, and radio-worthy melodies. But rarely has the piano man set out to create an atmosphere with his songs. But in 1989, while penning his 11th album Storm Front, Joel started penning a particular song with a vibe — and a real-life experience — in mind.
“I wanted it to be a little bit ethereal,” Joel said of an album track called ‘State of Grace’ during a chat with Sirius XM. The track certainly isn’t as atmospheric and otherworldly as the swirling dream-pop soundscapes of Cocteau Twins or the soft shoegaze of Slowdive, but it pushes Joel’s sound into slightly more interesting territory than his radio hits.
The instrumentation features Joel’s usual distinctive vocals and keys, with a gentle piano solo and organs beneath it all. It’s nothing too out there and is certainly only a “little bit” ethereal, but Joel was pushing into something new. Lyrically, the song thrives by doing exactly what Joel does best: turning relatable moments and intrinsically human feelings into sonic stories.
According to the songwriter, the track was inspired by those awkward moments when you’re in a conversation with someone, but you can tell that they’re not quite listening. “You’re talking to somebody,” he explained, “‘There you go, slipping away into a state of grace,’ and they’re just somewhere else. No matter how you try to get through to them, they’re above it all.”
Joel captured this moment in the idea of a state of grace. “I know the look that comes across your face, it’s so familiar to me,” Joel sings, “Here I am, trying to keep you in my line of sight, I’m never certain that you read me right.” His words aren’t particularly flowery or interesting. There are no complex metaphors or thoughtful pieces of imagery. Joel is no Bob Dylan. But his lyrics still manage to capture that feeling we’ve all had, that desperation to regain the attention of your friend mid-conversation, and the reluctant acceptance that it has been lost.
“Sometimes you just can’t get through to people,” Joel shrugged, “I think that’s what the essence of the song was.” While this may have been the inspiration for the song’s subject matter, Joel seems to have no problem getting through to people in the studio. The straightforward yet resonant nature of the lyrics allows listeners to paste their own experiences onto the song, to remember those moments of misunderstanding from their own relationships.
‘State of Grace’ wouldn’t go on to become one of Joel’s biggest hits. In fact, every other song to appear on Storm Front would be completely overshadowed by the mammoth success of ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. But ‘State of Grace’ was a cute little song nonetheless, one that reaffirmed Joel’s ability to turn small human moments into relatable songs and showed him looking to obtain something new instrumentally.
