"Everybody Loves You Now" is a song written by

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

. It was first released on his 1971 debut album ''

Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington, in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island in New York. As of the 2010 United States census, the CDP population was 5,070. History Cold Spri ...

'' and was also released as a b-side to his singles "

She's Got a Way "She's Got a Way" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, originally released on his first studio album, '' Cold Spring Harbor'' (1971) and as a single from that album in some countries. It was also featured as a single from the 1981 ...

" and "Tomorrow Is Today." Live versions were included on the albums '' Songs in the Attic'', ''

12 Gardens Live ''12 Gardens Live'' is the fourth live album by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel, recorded during a former record run of 12 sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City in early 2006. It was released on June 13, 2006. Altho ...

'' and '' Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert''.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics to "Everybody Loves You Now" describe a spoiled woman who thinks she is better than everyone now that she has become famous. She now considers herself too good to return to her hometown of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

. Joel took the title for his debut album from this line of the song. Despite her haughtiness, the singer desires her as does everyone else. The singer warns her that even though now she can take her attention for granted, since everyone wants her, eventually they will stop caring about her and she will be lonely. Joel biographer Fred Schruers describes the song as "both a rebuke and confession of tangled desire." Ken Bielen describes "Everybody Loves You Now" as "an

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

-based shuffle." Joel plays piano on the song. Bielen describes Joel's piano playing as "upbeat" and Schruers describes him as playing "hammering, almost barrelhouse chords. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as a "flashy and splashy rave-up." Joel has described "Everybody Loves You Now" as a "zinger" that "balanced out" the corniness of "She's Got a Way," saying that "I can be venomous but I could also be a mush." Joel originally included "Everybody Loves You Now" on a five-song

demo tape A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

that also included other songs that would appear on ''Cold Spring Harbor'' such as "She's Got a Way" and "Tomorrow Is Today" which Joel made in an unsuccessful attempt to secure his first solo recording contract with

Paramount Records Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Early years Paramount Records was formed in 19 ...

. There are a few differences between the initial release of the song in 1971 and the re-release of the song in 1983. The original version contains a guitar mimicking the piano throughout the track, a reversed piano chord, and a lighter drum track, played by

Rhys Clark Rhys Edward Clark (born 17 September 1946 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand drummer who, since moving to the United States in 1970, has played with such artists as Hoyt Axton, Freddy Fender and, most notably, Billy Joel. Biography ...

. The 1983 version removes the guitar, plays the piano chord forwards, and features a faster and more upbeat drum track, played by Mike McGee.

Live versions

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

described the live version included on ''Songs in the Attic'' as hitting harder than the studio version. Joel has said that at the time he had reinterpreted the song as "a macho rationale for being rejected. Her? Leave me? She must be a self-possessed bitch! Anyway, everybody didn't really love her. I just thought that they did." A

16 mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...

black and white promotional video was made of "Everybody Loves You Now" being performed live at a small club in support of ''Songs in the Attic''. Joel has often played the song live before and since. For example, he played it at the Gaslight au Go Go in 1971 and at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

in 1973. He played it as the 2006 shows at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

and the song was included on the resulting album ''

''. This version incorporates a Hammond B-3 organ, which according to Bielen adds "soulful fullness." Joel also included it in his set for the final concert at Shea Stadium in July 2008, and it was included on the resulting album '' Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert''.

Critical reception

As early as 1974, ''

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' critic Jim Melanson described "Everybody Loves You Now" as one of the songs that had brought Joel to national attention.

critic

described the studio version as being "bitterly cynical" and rated it as one of Joel's "finest songs." Joel biographer Hank Bordowitz called it a "remarkable composition that, while not great, at least indicate a rising talent." ''

s Roy Waddell similarly described it as a "chestnut" that didn't get its "proper due" until the live version was released on ''Songs in the Attic''. Music critic

Mark Bego Mark Joseph Bego (born 23 September 1952, in Pontiac, Michigan) is an author known for his biographies focusing on the rock & roll and show business genres. Bego has written a total of 59 books, two of which have gone on to become New York Times ...

praises Joel's "keyboard dexterity" and the drumming on the song, saying that it "perfectly confronts the ironic duality of a life in show business." According to '' Rolling Stone Album Guide'' critic Paul Evans, "Everybody Loves You Now" was a precursor for the sarcasm Joel would incorporate in his songs throughout his career.

References

{{authority control Billy Joel songs Songs written by Billy Joel Song recordings produced by Artie Ripp 1971 songs