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THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA" LYRICS - BILLY JOEL

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Lyrics - Billy Joel - The Downeaster "Alexa" Lyrics

THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA" LYRICS - BILLY JOEL

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Well I'm on the Downeaster "Alexa" And I'm cruising through Block Island Sound I have charted a course to the Vineyard But tonight I am Nantucket bound We took on diesel back in Montauk yesterday And left this morning from the bell in Gardiner's Bay Like all the locals here I've had to sell my home Too proud to leave I worked my fingers to the bone So I could own my Downeaster "Alexa" And I go where the ocean is deep There are giants out there in the canyons And a good captain can't fall asleep

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I've got bills to pay and children who need clothes I know there's fish out there but where God only knows They say these waters aren't what they used to be But I've got people back on land who count on me So if you see my Downeaster "Alexa" And if you work with the rod and the reel Tell my wife I am trawling Atlantis And I still have my hands on the wheel Now I drive my Downeaster "Alexa" More and more miles from shore every year Since they tell me I can't sell no stripers And there's no luck in swordfishing here. I was a bayman like my father was before Can't make a living as a bayman anymore There ain't much future for a man who works the sea But there ain't no island left for islanders like me
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Writer: JOEL, BILLY Lyrics Universal Music Publishing Group

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THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA" LYRICS - BILLY JOEL

Please Click here to submit the Corrections of The Downeaster "Alexa" Lyrics Please Click Here to Print The Downeaster "Alexa" Lyrics Just Damn Good | Reviewer: Anonymous | 10/9/13 billey joel. he is amazing voice cintainar. i heard this song while watchin hangover 2. i guess it was got my ear just 1st time. i love this song. i think this fictional bayman is dead as.. "there's no island like islanders like me" part. this song got my soul consantraited You are all somewhat right | Reviewer: Lori | 9/2/13 Here's the Wikipedia version: http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Downeaster_Alexa It's hard to believe everyone can get so crazy over the meaning of a song. Just enjoy it for what it is. A beautifully written song, by a truly great Artist. One of his sweetest songs ever! | Reviewer: nratched | 8/30/13 I know nothing of fishing (grew up in the dried up hellhole Tucson) but this song sings to my soul, much as Piano Man. Gutsy, bittersweet and soulful, I've searched a long time and want You all to share with me.. Is it on any if his recordings? I LOVE this song! Long Island Rules :) | Reviewer: ken O | 8/16/13 I have lived on Long Island all my life, so it will always be home for me no matter where i may roam. What Billy sings about is true, year after year the fishing industry dies off more. Reasons for this are many, including excessive commercial fishing, laws that only allow fish to be kept that are of a certain minimum size, environment changes, over population and the list go on and on. Over all awesome song. Strong Island Forever. :-) Confession | Reviewer: ACG | 7/31/13 Like others, I too was watching Hangover II, when suddenly, the song caught my ears. I immediately hit the net and downloaded the song. Since then, I have been invigorated by it. The lyrics almost bring tears to my eyes. One of the best rock songs ever. I myself being a rock lover is ashamed to admit I never heard of this song, though I am a big Billy Joel fan and have listened to 'Piano Man' over a hundred times. A gem. Truly. Doesn't anyone have Google? | Reviewer: David | 5/24/13 A little research shows the "Downeaster Alexa" is a boat Billy Joel owned when the song was written. A downeaster named the Alexa Ray after his daughter. He was very passionate about this issue and was arrested at a striped bass regulation protest in the '90's. He has stated the song is about that regulation killing a way of life. They are trawling Atlantis Canyon for literal giants, he's describing a regular route on his overnight fishing trips with his captain Tom who refused to sleep when they went out. Funny how people get so worked up and insult others and it turns out they don't even know what they're talking about. Powerful song | Reviewer: Matt | 5/10/13

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THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA" LYRICS - BILLY JOEL

I stumbled on this gem while watching Hangerover 2 also! However, I am reading The Perfect Storm by Sabastian Junger. A fantastic book, made into a movie of course, that does a superb job of giving orientation and history of this area and difficulties of life in the fishing industry. Wow | Reviewer: Corey | 4/7/13 Anyone who gets this upset over the lyrics of a song needs some anger management. Let the lyrics mean what the listener wants to imagine. And stop bashing people's view of the song...you know who you are. Really, it is a song... | Reviewer: Bobby | 4/2/13 I am ashamed to admit how I discovered this gem. My son made me watch hangover 2. This song came on. I instantly loved it. I used Shazam to uncover if title. I love the energy and pride in the melody. It just flies or more appropriately sails. The lyrics are another brilliant piece from Billy Joel. Like several of his work it tells a vivid tale. Giants | Reviewer: Andrew | 3/12/13 Anyone consider that the Giants he refers to might have multiple meanings? Every good poet and lyricist does this. The obvious giants are the swordfish and tuna he seeks after his striper were banned. The giant waves, and- in winter- icebergs, are dangers to contend with. Most of all, the men who take small boats into deep water to fish are giants, and he celebrates their bravery and work ethic. A thought: just because you are right does not mean you have the only answer. Downeaster is a kind of boat, but the name was re-used. The 1800s Downeaster is no longer used, but the modern one is. It may be wood or fiberglass. Insulting someone does not make you right. Working man's ballad | Reviewer: Shedevil | 3/2/13 This is a great song that truly sings to the souls of any working man, not just the fishermen. It's about the fickleness of life, the hardships and the struggle to provide for a family and doing whatever you can to make ends meet above the obstacles that always seem to come up. The weight of that responsibility and how it weighs on them. What happened to civility | Reviewer: Mike | 2/27/13 I'm reading the posts here and everyone is angry...it's just a song and only Billy Joel really knows what it's about....so ease up, stop bashing people's intelligence over a freakin' song. If we can't get along in this country, I swear it will be our demise. Pick your battles more wisely and embrace each other as Americans, because one day we will actually have to fight just to keep this nation afloat. No, no, no | Reviewer: Larry | 2/13/13 It's amazing how people don't have a single clue about this song. A downeaster is a fishing boat used to fish off New England, especially maine (hence the name Downeaster, get it?), but often used in other areas as well. It is not usually wooden (but can be) and certainly not a product on the 19th century. It has a cabin with a galley and bunkbeds, and is usually around 30-40 feet long. The stripers are of course not striped marlin as there has never been a fishing
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THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA" LYRICS - BILLY JOEL

restriction on those -- they are striped bass. Striper is a nickname for striped bass, NO ONE calls striped marlin "stripers." Stripers were severely overfished in the 80s fishing of stripers was sharply restricted as a conservation effort, which is what the song refers to. The giants in the canyons refers to the huge waves in the ocean, not to tuna! Ridiculous! He's saying that you have to be vigiliant at the helm of your ship because of the extreme nature of the sea. Threads like these really remind me how low many IQs are.... Just a note from a local boater. | Reviewer: James of LI | 1/8/13 To correct Jason and then to correct the people critiquing him, because I am a know it all too. A downeaster is a popular fishing boat often used in small scale commercial operations on Long Island and a lot of other places. They are just a rugged all purpose boat, usually around 35'. They are made of fiberglass, not wood. The "stripers" he is referring to are striped bass. I don't think we have "striped marlin" around here, even in the canyons. I could see how this song might confuse people who aren't familiar with Long Island, but every place he mentions from the bell in gardiner's bay to the Atlantis canyon, are real places. regulation | Reviewer: Scott | 1/4/13 I dive the waters of the deep sea. I have seen with mine own eyes the fish you all speak of only but a spear length away. You will only see such a sight at depths that may not allow you ever to come back tell your tale. I now realize I could eat a hole bag of pepperidge farm goldfish right now. WoW

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THE DOWNEASTER "ALEXA" LYRICS - BILLY JOEL

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