06 Philadelphia Freedom
Billy Joel/Elton John Lyrics
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If a cause was right
I'd leave to find the answer on the road
I used to be a heart beating for someone
But the times have changed
The less I say the more my work gets done
'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man, yeah
Gave me a piece of mind my daddy never had
Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love you, yes I do
If you choose to you can live your life alone
Some people choose the city (some people the city)
Some others choose the good old family home (some others choose a good old)
I like living easy without family ties (living easy)
Till the whippoorwill of freedom zapped me
Right between the eyes
'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man
Mm mm, gave me a piece of mind my daddy never had
Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love you, yes I do
Oh, Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love,
You know I love , you know I love you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
I love you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
You know that I love you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Don't you know that I love you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Don't you know that I love you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
In Billy Joel/Elton John's song "Philadelphia Freedom," the singer reminisces about the days when he used to be a carefree wandering soul who would leave his home to find answers on the road in the name of a just cause. He also used to be deeply in love with someone, but time has passed, and his heart has grown cold. He now lives only for the freedom that Philadelphia represents. He was born there and has lived his life waving its flag with pride. Philadelphia freedom has given him peace of mind that his father never had. The singer calls for the light of Philadelphia freedom to shine on him and guide him through life. Finally, he confesses his love for Philadelphia freedom.
The song seems to be about losing one's way in life, becoming jaded, and finding comfort in a familiar place - in this case, Philadelphia. The singer is seeking guidance, which he believes only Philadelphia freedom can provide. It's unclear what exactly the freedom symbolizes, but it's likely a combination of things, including the city's role in American history and its reputation for being a place of tolerance and freedom.
Interesting Facts:
Line by Line Meaning
I used to be a rolling stone you know
I was once a restless wanderer, always seeking answers on the go
If a cause was right
I would leave everything to find the truth if the cause was just
I'd leave to find the answer on the road
I was so dedicated to my cause that I was always on the move
I used to be a heart beating for someone
I used to be head over heels for someone
But the times have changed
But things are different now
The less I say the more my work gets done
I've learned that the more I do and the less I talk, the more effective I am
'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
I'm passionate about the freedom that Philadelphia represents
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
I've been proud of my affiliation with Philadelphia since birth
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man, yeah
Philadelphia freedome gave me the confidence I needed to become a man
Gave me a piece of mind my daddy never had
Philadelphia freedom brought me peace of mind that my father never experienced
Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Philadelphia freedom is so important to me and I revel in its brilliance
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
I want this freedom to shine through and inspire those who have not yet experienced it
If you choose to you can live your life alone
It's possible to live a solitary life if you so choose
Some people choose the city (some people the city)
Some people prefer city life to solitude
Some others choose the good old family home (some others choose a good old)
Others prefer the comfort of their family homes
I like living easy without family ties (living easy)
I'm happy living a life free of familial pressure and expectation
Till the whippoorwill of freedom zapped me
Until I was struck with the realization of what true freedom can bring
Right between the eyes
It hit me hard and directly in my consciousness
Don't you know that I love you
I'm so deeply in love with the concept of Philadelphia freedom
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernard J.P. Taupin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephdonohoe4755
BS band Liberty DeVitto drums, percussion
Mark Rivera – saxophone, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, percussion
Tommy Byrnes – lead guitar
Crystal Taliefero – percussion, backing vocals, saxophone, harmonica
Dave Rosenthal – keyboards, musical director
Tom Wolk – bass guitar, accordion, mandolin
EJ band Ray Cooper – percussion
Charlie Morgan – drums
Bob Birch – bass guitar, vocals
John Jorgenson – guitars, saxophone, pedal steel, mandolin, backing vocals
Guy Babylon keyboard's vocals
Davey Johnstone – lead guitar, musical director, backing vocals
@daniellikesalbum3301
If you or someone that you know have any uncirculated audio, videos or photos of Elton John, Billy Joel or Dire Straits and are willing to share them, please feel free to send an email over to daniellikesalbum@gmail.com
@AlwaysGladYouCame
This was the first concert I ever attended! I was 13 years old. My parents and my best friend’s parents surprised us with tickets the night before. I can still remember it like yesterday. I was a huge Billy fan and only really knew a few of Elton’s songs from the radio at that time— “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, “The One” and the brand new “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” all stand out in my memory. I got really into Elton’s music after seeing him live. They were both amazing and Ray Cooper’s percussion solo blew me and my friend away!
@mikesutter5700
Fascinating time in both of their careers! Billy had just finished his recording career but nobody knew it yet, and was still fresh off the hit singles from that album. Meanwhile for Elton, the Lion King had not even come out a full month prior, he had been sober for about four years at this point, and he was suddenly entering a brand new career renaissance. This is basically the only time these two guys could tour together and claim not to be a full-on oldies act. For sure an interesting time for the two of them. I'm sure there were a lot of young ears in the F2F 1994 audiences. Even in the twilight of their careers now, these guys have such cross-generational appeal and staying power.
@AlwaysGladYouCame
This concert… Night 3 in Philly on July 12, 1994… was my first concert ever. I was 13 years old. My best friend (14 years old) was with me. So you’re spot on!
@jamesrogala
I was there! It was so hot that night. Great recording.
@AlwaysGladYouCame
So was I! Such a great show!
@BabyLambCreations
I love hearing Elton cover "New York State of Mind" during his set.
He honored Billy while also doing it in his own unique style. Would've been cool to hear him sing it again in later years during the tour. Also I just LOVE seeing the two play off each other on the piano during "Bennie and the Jets".
@Tijnt99
The way Billy sings ‘Im not a present for your friends to open’ at 1:48:16 really sounds like how he sang when he was younger in the ‘70s
@axl2262
FANTASTIC🎶🎶🎶😎😎🙏
@riccardoangeli802
Due Giganti ... Con Stevie Wonder rappresentano il meglio degli ultimi 40-50 anni 🎹👏🎹👏🎹👏