Vienna Resurgence: The Impact on Young Women - Entertainment

Vienna : The Resurgence of a Billy Joel Classic

When Billy Joel released his fifth studio album , The Stranger , in 1977 , the song Vienna flew mostly under the radar . It was n't one of the four singles released in North America , merely a B - side to the hit Just the Way You Are . As the album catapulted Joel to critical and commercial success , Vienna seemed destined to remain a deep cut from his discography.

But over the years , the bluesy number endeared itself to listeners to become a cult favorite its now among Joel 's top three streamed songs on Spotify alongside Uptown Girl and Piano Man , and an official music video was just released this past April.

Across social media , young women wax poetic about the decades - old track and their emotional attachment to it . No one understands a woman in her 20s the way Billy Joel did in 1977 when he wrote Vienna , one woman declared on TikTok . Another shared that the song inspired her to embark on a solo adventure to the Austrian capital . More than a few have gotten the song 's lyrics and other Vienna - inspired imagery tattooed on their bodies.

 Despite the fact that it was written nearly 50 years ago , Vienna is resonant and relevant as ever for a generation of young women . Joel ( who counts the track among his favorites ) has theorized that the song 's appeal to young women stems from its appearance in a pivotal scene in the 2004 rom - com 13 Going on 30.

The Impact of Vienna on Young Women

Vienna is written from the perspective of someone older and wiser urging a young and ambitious dreamer to go easier on themselves . ( Slow down , you 're doing fine / You ca n't be everything you wanna be before your time . ) It 's a rejection of the rat race - a soothing reminder that life is long and it 's okay to not have it all figured out.

 Joel ( second from right ) has said " Vienna " was inspired by an encounter with his father while in his 20s.

Vienna waits for you , as the song 's hook goes , encouraging listeners to take their time and not rush through life.

The Metaphor of Vienna

Joel 's use of Vienna as a metaphor for the rest of one 's life stems from an encounter in the city with his father . As the singer - songwriter has explained during performances and interviews , his parents separated when he was a child , and he was estranged from his father until the two reconnected in Vienna in his 20s . During that trip , a conversation they had made a lasting impression on him .

"We were walking in the city and I remember seeing an old lady sweeping the street and I said Dad it 's kind of sad that that poor old woman has to do that kind of work . He said , No , she has a job , she feels useful , she has a place in our society , " Joel explained . " I realized they do n't throw old people away like we tend to do here in the States . "