Today I’m playing the classic Billy Joel song, Allentown dating from 1982 and from the album The Nylon Curtain. The song focuses on the resolve of the people affected by the downturn in manufacturing, specifically on blue-collar workers in the town of Allentown, Pennsylvania, following the closure of the Bethlehem Steel plant. Despite some controversy over the stereotypical characters portrayed in the lyrics, Billy Joel was given the keys to the city by the mayor of Allentown, who described the song as “a gritty song about a gritty city”.

There’s more Billy Joel here, and to hear more October songs, click here. If it’s your first time on the site, find out more about why I’m trying to record a piano tune every day here.

https://soundcloud.com/mark-pentleton/allentown