Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
Side-A label of U.S. vinyl single
Single by Billy Joel
from the album The Stranger
B-side
ReleasedSeptember 1977[1]
Recorded1977
GenrePop rock[2][3]
Length3:28
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)Phil Ramone
Billy Joel singles chronology
"Just the Way You Are"
(1977) 		"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"
(1977) 		"Only the Good Die Young"
(1977)
Music video
"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" on YouTube

"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" is a song written and recorded by Billy Joel, featured on his 1977 album The Stranger as the opening track.

The song critiques the ambitions of working- and lower-middle-class New Yorkers who strive for material success as evidence of social mobility, working long hours to afford the outward signs of having "made it".[4] Joel describes characters with blue-collar occupations attempting to distance themselves from their working class roots by acquiring status symbols, such as upgrading from a Chevy to a Cadillac or purchasing a home in Hackensack, New Jersey. He implies these efforts are ultimately futile. According to Joel, Anthony is not a real person, but rather "every Irish, Polish, and Italian kid trying to make a living in the US".

The recording concludes with the sound effect of a car, bass player Doug Stegmeyer's 1960s Corvette, starting and driving away, symbolizing departure.

Live performances of the song can be heard on 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert and 12 Gardens Live.

Reception

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Billboard described "Movin' Out" as an "upbeat narrative that is sort of a commentary on upward mobility."[5] Cash Box said that "growling cellos and a pulsating rhythm section set the mood for Joel's threatening indictment of middle-class values" and that it has "one of the best choruses he has written in some time, combined with unusual echo effects, a yapping horn section, and a melodic guitar finale that wraps it all up nicely."[6] Record World said it is "a typically expressive Joel song, with New York City references and an unusual, piano-dominated structure."[7]

Versions

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The 45RPM single slightly differs from the album version as the sound effects of the car near the end of the song were removed. The single was originally released in Autumn of 1977, but was pulled when Joel's previous single started climbing the charts.[8] It was re-released in March 1978.[8]

Personnel

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Broadway musical

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Main article: Movin' Out (musical)

The Twyla Tharp Broadway dance musical Movin' Out, featuring the songs of Billy Joel, opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City on October 24, 2002, and played 1,307 performances before closing in December 2005. The show's lead piano player and singer was Michael Cavanaugh. It toured the US extensively from 2004 to 2007, with Darren Holden as lead Piano Man, and Matt Wilson, James Fox and Matthew Friedman as second Piano Men. The show transferred to the Apollo Victoria Theatre in the West End of London on April 10, 2006; James Fox played lead piano and sang, with Darren Reeves as second piano man. It closed early, on May 22, owing to poor ticket sales.[citation needed]

Movin' Out is also the title of the original Broadway cast album taken from the musical.

Track listing

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Europe
  1. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" – time: 3:28
  2. "She's Always A Woman" – time: 3:21
UK
  1. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" – time: 3:28
  2. "Vienna" – time: 3:34
United States
  1. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" – time: 3:28
  2. "Everybody Has A Dream" – time: 4:36

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 436. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
  2. ^ "52nd Street". Rolling Stone. 14 December 1978.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Matt (January 20, 2024). "The 25 Greatest Billy Joel Songs of All Time". Paste. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 348. ISBN 0-87586-207-1.
  5. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. March 18, 1978. p. 87. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 8, 1977. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  7. ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. October 8, 1977. p. 46. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  8. ^ a b "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 18, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  9. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 156. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ "Item Display - RPM". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  11. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  12. ^ NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, 28 May 1978
  13. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 6/03/78". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  14. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  15. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Billy Joel – MOVIN' OUT (ANTHONY'S SONG)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
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