Uptown Girl by Billy Joel

Uptown Girl by Billy Joel is a song that was released on September 19, 1983. This track is part of Billy Joel’s ninth studio album, An Innocent Man, which was produced by Phil Ramone. The song falls under the genres of doo-wop, pop rock, and pop soul.

The song tell the story of a working-class man who is infatuated with a wealthy girl, highlighting the social and economic contrasts between them.

Billy Joel originally wrote Uptown Girl about his relationship with model Elle Macpherson, but as his relationship with her ended and he began dating Christie Brinkley, the song evolved to also reflect his feelings for Brinkley. Both women were prominent supermodels of the 1980s, and their influence is evident in the song.

Joel has mentioned in interviews that the song was inspired by the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, particularly their hit Rag Doll. This is clear in the song’s rhythm.

The music video is as iconic as the song itself. Directed by Jay Dubin, the video features Billy Joel and his band members working as auto mechanics in a garage. Christie Brinkley, who later became Joel’s wife, was the girl who came to the garage in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce. The video showcases Joel and his bandmates dancing and singing around Brinkley in a playful narrative that complements the song’s lyrics. The video ends with Joel and Brinkley riding off together on a motorcycle, symbolizing the union of their two different worlds.

Uptown Girl achieved significant commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and reaching number one in the United Kingdom, where it remained for five weeks. It was the second-best-selling single of 1983 in the UK, only behind Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon. The song’s success was not limited to these two countries; it was also top 100 in several other nations, making it one of Billy Joel’s most enduring hits. The song had maintained its popularity over the decades.

Uptown Girl has been covered by various artists over the years, with one of the most notable versions being by the Irish boy band Westlife. Their cover, released in 2001 as a charity single for Comic Relief, also achieved success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. This cover introduced the song to a new generation of fans. Even most people think that the westlife version is the original version of the song. The popularity of the song shows that it is a very good one for any lover of good music.

Lyrics for Uptown Girl by Billy Joel

Uptown girl
She’s been living in her uptown world
I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy
I bet her mamma never told her why
I’m gonna try for an

She’s been living in her white-bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now, she’s looking for a downtown man
That’s what I am

And when she knows what she wants from her time
And when she wakes up and makes up her mind

She’ll see I’m not so tough
Just because I’m in love with an

Uptown girl
You know I’ve seen her in her uptown world
She’s getting tired of her high-class toys
And all the presents from her uptown boys
She’s got a choice

Uptown girl
You know I can’t afford to buy her pearls
But maybe, someday, when my ship comes in
She’ll understand what kind of guy I’ve been
And then I’ll win

And when she’s walking, she’s looking so fine
And when she’s talking, she’ll say that she’s mine

She’ll say I’m not so tough
Just because I’m in love with an

Uptown girl
She’s been living in her white-bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now, she’s looking for a downtown man
That’s what I am

Uptown girl, she’s my uptown girl
You know I’m in love with an uptown girl, my uptown girl
You know I’m in love with an uptown girl, my uptown girl
You know I’m in love with an uptown girl, my uptown girl

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