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And So It Goes

This article is about the 1989 song by Billy Joel. For other uses, see And So It Goes (disambiguation).
"And So It Goes"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album Storm Front
ReleasedOctober 1990[1]
StudioThe Hit Factory and Times Square Studio, New York City
Length3:38
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)
Billy Joel singles chronology
"That's Not Her Style"
(1990) 		"And So It Goes"
(1990) 		"Shameless"
(1991)

"And So It Goes" is a song written by Billy Joel in 1983, though it was not released until six years later. It appeared as the tenth and final track of his 1989 studio album Storm Front. The original 1983 demo was released on the 2005 box set My Lives.[2] Joel wrote the song about a doomed relationship with model Elle Macpherson. Due to their 15-year age difference, their relationship was dramatic. In 1983, Macpherson was about 19 years old while Joel was around 34. Joel dated Macpherson for only a brief time, and shortly after became involved with model Christie Brinkley. She ultimately became his second wife in 1985.

The song was inspired by the Scottish ballad "Barbara Allen", and is unique for Joel as it is written in iambic tetrameter.[3] In the original demo version of "And So It Goes," Joel sings the melody simply, accompanied by a simple piano backdrop, in a style very reminiscent of a hymn. On the 1989 album version, Joel sings and plays all the instrumentation (piano and synthesizers). The official video is from a live performance in front of a concert audience.

At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, when asked to name the definitive Billy Joel song, Joel said "And So It Goes."[4]

Release

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The single peaked at No. 37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart in 1990. It has been covered by many subsequent artists. The King’s Singers and others have developed several vocal harmony arrangements of the song, which are often performed by high school and college choirs.[5][6]

Charts

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Chart (1990–1991) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[7] 108
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 30
Japanese Singles Chart[9] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 37
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[11] 5

References

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  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 437. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
  2. ^ "Amazon.ca". Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  3. ^ "And So It Goes - Billy Joel".
  4. ^ Billy Joel PICKS His All-Time Favorite Song | 2024 GRAMMYs | E! News, 4 February 2024, retrieved 2024-02-06
  5. ^ "King's Singers – Male Chorus". Singers.com. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  6. ^ "And So It Goes, Pop Choral Series – Hal Leonard Online". Halleonard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  7. ^ "Bubbling DownUnder Week commencing 10 December 1990". www.bubblingdownunder.com. December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1286." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  9. ^ Oricon Singles Chart Oricon Singles Chart (Retrieved 2 November 2012)
  10. ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  11. ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2017.


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