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Connor Johnson

9/22/14

Vienna
My topic of discussion is the song Vienna by Billy Joel, which is a song that
showcases his skill & finesse with both his voice and the piano. If Vienna alone would be
specified to a specific genre, it would probably be considered a soulful yet poppy late
70s song, which features incredible vocals, very particularly crafted lyricism; laced with
pinpoint piano playing. Other songs that could be placed in this same category (minus the
time frame) would be like Elton Johns Bennie and the Jets, or John Legends All of
Me because both songs are the hardboiled combination of insanely talented singers who
accompany themselves with equally astounding piano capability.
Some conventions for this specific genre of music would be firstly a voice with a
high range, even tone, power, and a touch of soul to showcase the emotion behind the
piece. Another equally important convention is the accompaniment of a keyboard/piano
at an expert or even master like level. One of the last main components within the genre
is the impeccable writing and meaning behind the song, to the point where they are able
to showcase all of the emotion the song held for them via the words, and to top it off, the
story it tells is definitely worth a listen. The song that Billy Joel constructed from his
musically adept mind is pretty much making Vienna a place that is practically a metaphor
for the rest of your life. When he was asked and interviewed about the reasons behind the
songs lyrics and why they were relevant, he told the story of how he visited his father for
the first time around his mid-twenties. He explained that while walking the streets of
Vienna he came across an old woman who was sweeping the street and he inquired about
why she was doing such a job to his father. His father then followed up Joels question by

Connor Johnson
9/22/14

explaining that the woman was just doing a job; that she felt useful and was actually
providing a service. This racked Joels mind and brought about an epiphany; the older
citizens in the U.S. are almost swept under the rug and almost forgot about, but over in
the older places of the world such as Vienna, older people are highly respected and arent
a burden to their communities. This brought about the lyrics Vienna waits for you to
Joel, because it made him realize he shouldnt fear getting older. The song as a whole is
practically Joel spelling out a lesson to his listeners, how they shouldnt get ahead of
themselves and learn that there are times where you can sit back and relax without feeling
as if your missing out or falling behind, reminding the audience that when youre older
you wont be burnt out, youll still have a life to live and even if its the last leg of your
chapter in life, its still something to be appreciated.
Some constraints set for this genre would be the absence of other very prominent
instruments such as a lead guitar, brass instruments, or even a flute. This is to say that the
genre is almost entirely a one man band show; man and piano. Another constraint is the
limitation of voices, for instance; someone like Bob Dylan who is one of the greatest
songwriters of all time who can only sing at a mediocre level wouldnt fit into the genre
due to his inability as a singer when compared to the prowess that is Billy Joel. On a note
where Bob Dylan would be applicable to the genre is his astounding ability to write great
hits, which leads to my next constraint: a song cant fit into the genre if it is filled with
subpar lyrics that are slightly more compelling than the rambling of a person who never
learned to speak comprehendible language.
The Intended purpose of the song Vienna, and other songs like it is first and
foremost to entertain, because as Im sure you know, thats what most all of music is

Connor Johnson
9/22/14

made for. Other purposes the song carries lie in the message the artist intended to deliver
within the song, a unique sound to boast the individuality the artist holds, and a way to
showcase not only their ability, but their hard work and passion for the music they spend
their lifes work on. The intended purpose of this finite genre of soul-singing piano men
falls in line with the purpose Vienna exhibits. These purposes are the objective of
providing entertainment, showcasing skill, individuality, and to take the listener on a
musical journey provided by the lyrics that hold a story from the artist. This serves as a
representation of an attempt the artist is making to create a unique composition in hopes
of providing you, the listener with something that will leave an impression in hopes of
genuinely affecting you and making you a fan of the artist.
Vienna accomplishes these purposes because it appeals to an extremely large
audience for all of the reasons explained above. People love someone who can sing a
beautiful story accompanied by their skill with a piano, or any instrument for that matter.
Some rhetorical devices that can be found in this small sect of music is the use of
anecdotes; I mean, thats practically what every song is. Rhetorical devices can be found
in this genres lyrics, like for any good song. These devices include Analogies, tapered to
the diction they include, or even nostalgia if the song has the innate ability to take you
back to place you were once fond of, and brings about memories that bond the song to
you in a unique way. The response Vienna intends to bring about specifically falls on
Billy Joels intentions, which is understandable; a songs intention is built by the
person(s) who wrote them.
The intended audience for this song, and songs like it can range from a piano
enthusiast, to an average Joe who ended up listening to it from it randomly showing up

Connor Johnson
9/22/14
on their Pandora radio station one morning. Musics audience is anyone willing to listen
to the music while intending to enjoy the music for what it is, and provide the artist with
the needed feedback, or the praise that provides the artist with the drive to write more
songs and improve. The language of Vienna is purely entertainment and storytelling, and
what more can you expect from one of the best songs history has to offer? Vienna as a
song best achieves its purpose of entertainment by relating to the listener, providing a
catchy hook that youd want to sing along to, and when played on the radio it will reach
many people before it ever gets played for the last time.
Another genre that would be adaptable to Viennas genre of music would be a
genre consisting of music with no instrumental specifications but is carried purely by the
artists ability to sing. This genre would include songs like Bad Religion by Frank
Ocean, Oblivion by Bastille, or Adorn by Miguel. Each one of these songs consists
purely of a powerhouse vocalist mixed in with an instrumental, or a background mix of
sounds created by a producer or the artist themselves that hold no specific instruments
and are just the compilation of mainly computer generated sounds. The way I would
adapt Viennas soulful, pop-like, and piano dominated genre to the genre of vocal focus
would be to take someone like Billy Joel and strip him of the piano and force him to write
a song where he has to sing using all of his range, and showcase all of his proficiency
with his voice. The elements of Viennas genre that would be altered start with the
dissipation of any focus on a single instrument, and for an instrumental to be ushered in
its place. This would be followed by the complete focus on lyricism and overall vocal
expertise; how well the person can sing. Once that is done, the genre will have been
completely flopped from a one man band, to a one voice show.

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