Billy Joel’s Turn the Lights Back On: Was it Worth the Wait?

Billy Joel has not put out an original studio track since 2017 with Christmas in Fallujah and only his second since 1993. To say there is a lot of excitement about the release of Turn the Lights Back On is an understatement. Joel fans are waiting for this drop and dreaming about this single being the lead single off of an upcoming record. The last time there was a big comeback like this was The Chicks with Gaslighter, which came after a similar 17 or so year break in between releases…and that was a masterpiece, which landed the top track on the top 50 of 2020. So, will Turn the Lights Back On lead to similar success?

The short answer is yes. The first few notes has me very optimistic for a possible album. This is classic Joel with his piano virtuosity on display and deeply personal storytelling. Turn the Lights Back On harkens back to tracks like Piano Man, Vienna and Scenes From an Italian Restaurant. Complete with strings and percussion, the track builds effortlessly to an epic bridge and final chorus. This is a hard working no frills honest song, which is the style I love from Joel. He doesn’t resort to post-production pop tricks to carry the song, but puts himself out there. He doesn’t hide. After 17 years out of the game this is a bold choice and shows the confidence he has in his talent.

Lyrically, this is Joel’s storytelling at its best. Turn the Lights Back On is about a man who fears that he may have taken his relationship for granted and now is too late to rekindle the love he longs for. It is a beautiful song that is both highly personal and easily relatable. Lyrics like “I’m late, but I’m here right now / And I’m tryin’ to find the magic / That we lost somehow / Maybe I was blind” cut to your soul and convey volumes of emotion. He may not have the range he once had on records like The Stranger or Glass Houses, but he has not lost any of his power. It still has that pop sensibility and hooks that made Billy Joel so iconic, but it does not distract from the emotion behind the track.

What I love about this song is that Joel is releasing it because he has something to say. It’s not like he had some unreleased track laying around that he wanted to cash in on, there is honesty here. I think this is some of Joel’s best work and it has me really excited for a possible new record. Some bands came out of long studio breaks with some paint by numbers filler singles…I’m looking at you Rolling Stones…but this track has heart and soul. You feel like Joel is singing just to you, which has always been his hook for me. A live performance of this track will be amazing…until then…I will listen to it for another hour straight. Much like Peter Gabriel, this is an artist at his peak who still has one more masterpiece left in him.

Listen to Turn the Lights Back On