Allentown

[dolfan]

I woke up this morning with the Billy Joel song Allentown in my head. Haven't heard it in a long, long time. Ironic, given today's unemployment news, I guess. But, my real purpose in mentioning it here is that there's a lyric in that song I've never, ever heard right, and when I look it up online, it does not match what Billy Joel says in the song.

What I can find online in print says
"Something happened on the way to that place.
They threw an American flag in our face."

That's not what the song says. You can catch the vid on YouTube by entering Billy Joel Allentown and the video link pops right up. Go about 2:25 seconds into it and you can hear it yourself.

Anyone know what it says. Sounds to me like it says "they threw our union dues back in our face," but I don't think that's it, either.

Great song, always liked almost all of his stuff, and I just wanted people with better hearing than me to tell me what that line says.

Thanks!

[Pastor Gary]

Well we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line.

Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers at the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we're living here in Allentown.

But the restlessness was handed down
And it's getting very hard to staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
aaaaaaah aaahhhhh ooooooooh ooooooh ohhhhhhh.

Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved.

So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron and coke,
Chromium steel.

And we're waiting here in Allentown.
But they've taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaah.

Every child had a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got.
If something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our faaaaaaaace, oh oh oh.

Well I'm living here in Allentown
And it's hard to keep a good man down.
But I won't be getting up todaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy
aaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaaaaaaah aaaaaaaaah.

GUITAR SOLO

aaaaaaah aaaaaaah aaaaaaah oh oh oh.

And it's getting very hard to staaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

And we're living here in Allentown.

[dolfan]

If that's what he's saying, then my hearing has been worse than I ever thought, and for much, much longer.

I'm serious. When I listen to that song -- and we all have, for years -- it sounds nothing like "American flag". PG, help me! Does it sound like he says "American flag" to you? Honestly?

[Gerald Creasy]

I used to think Hearts Crazy On You was sung by an effiminate guy.

I don't know why.

[dolfan]

I used to think Hearts Crazy On You was sung by an effiminate guy.

I don't know why.

Well, now that you mention it, I guess it does sound a little (very little) like Leo Sayer.

[Gerald Creasy]

I used to think Hearts Crazy On You was sung by an effiminate guy.

I don't know why.

Well, now that you mention it, I guess it does sound a little (very little) like Leo Sayer.

EXACTLY!!

You make me feel like dancing, now that I know why.