When I first heard Billy Joel's "Vienna", I thought to myself, "There is no way that I could ever relate to this song". The reason why I thought this was because my mother told me that Billy Joel loves performing “Vienna”. At first glance, it appears that the song was written for a particular place- Vienna, Austria- and in a way, it was. However, I would later come to realize that “Vienna” is so much deeper than just a single song about a specific place.
After deeply evaluating the song, I realized that the song is about so much more than one specific place. It represents the importance of slowing down and enjoying life and everything it has to offer.
Personally, I believe that Joel's "Vienna" actually represents more than just Vienna, Austria. When Joel sings, "When will you realize Vienna waits for you?", he is saying that adventure always awaits you- no matter where you are.
In the song, Joel talks about the importance of slowing down. For me, this is something that I need to desperately work on. I feel like most of the time, I am always in the "on-the-go" mentality that I forget to live in the moment. One of the lines that strikes me the most is when Joel sings, "Slow down you're doing fine. You can't be everything you want to be before your time". One of my biggest worries in life is not doing or being everything that I want to be before my time is up. Through this song, Joel taught me that doing what you're meant to do will always be enough. It is much better to do what you can and do it well than try to do everything and half-way see it through.
This song changed my life in a way I never thought a song truly could. It taught me that life is an adventure meant to be lived. I need to slow down and appreciate the things in life- from every day little moments to the great travels and adventures I am blessed to have. There is no need to rush through life because adventure awaits me.
Another verse that struck me was, "Slow down you crazy child. Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while. It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two." This verse stuck out to me mainly because although this song was written in 1977, well before the age of technology and social media, it is something that can very well be applied into the lives of millennials today. There is such an importance in getting away. You can afford to unplug your life- even for just a day or two. It is vital for your sanity and overall mental health.
Lastly, when I first heard "Vienna", I thought to myself, "As much as I'd like to, I may never make it to Vienna, Austria". I now know that one day, I will. Might I actually make it to Vienna someday? I'm not sure. However, I do know that I will make it to my "VIenna". My life is full of adventure and I have so much left to live. Billy Joel, thank you for inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone. Thank you for helping me make up my mind about my future. Where I once saw so much uncertainty, I now know that life is my adventure to live and I am so excited to experience it all.
