Billy Joel’s nouveau-doo-wop song, “The Longest Time,” has enjoyed widespread and enduring success—particularly among those of us who were around for proto-doo-wop.  Thus, the song reached its greatest chart success on the “U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks”—the euphemism, “adult,” requiring no explication.  But it also found favor in the non-“adult” population, reaching the #14 position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was enjoyed in Australia (where it peaked at #15 on that country’s singles charts), and Ireland (where it reached #18).  Who could resist that compelling rhythm, those stairwell harmonies?

On top of its wonderful sonic qualities, some of the song’s lyric turns are not half bad.

I don’t care what consequence it brings

I have been a fool for lesser things

Not bad at all.

But others of the lyrics are just a bit surprising in what presents as a “love song.”

Now I know the woman that you are

You’re wonderful so far

And it’s more than I hoped for.

She is wonderful so far?

And that was more than he hoped for?

When they went out on that first date, did he expect her to stop being wonderful some time soon?  And if her wonderfulness was more than he had hoped for . . . why the first date?

On analysis, “The Longest Time” is the nightmare of every female listener: a love song with commitment issues.

It would be easy to say that the articulation, “[y]ou’re wonderful so far,” found its way into the song because it rhymed neatly (if not so felicitously) with “the woman that you are.”  But we are forced to delve deeper by the teachings of Singman Freud (the other one’s younger brother . . . the one who wrote, “sometimes a cigar is something that I don’t even want to talk about”).  Any number of alternative wordings present themselves. For example:

Now you are my life’s bright, guiding star;

That and more you are . . .

And that’s all that I hoped for.

But when the track was laid down, it was “wonderful so far,” and “more than I hoped for.”  And, as Singman wrote, “there are no ‘accidents’ in songwriting.”

After paying close attention to the sentiments of this “love song,” an infatuated young man might be moved to inquire whether a dozen red roses are available on a short-term lease, with return privileges.  The object of his ardor is, after all, wonderful so far.

image: istockphoto.com/AaronAmat