| "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album Greatest Hits - Volumes I & II | ||||
| B-side | "Surprises" | |||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Rock | |||
| Length | 4:48 (album version) 4:21 (single version) |
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| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer | Phil Ramone | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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"You're Only Human (Second Wind)" is a song written in 1985 and performed by Billy Joel for the express purpose of teenage suicide prevention.
Joel, who had once attempted suicide himself, was asked if he could write a song about suicide in the hopes of promoting its prevention in teenagers. He agreed, but was concerned about his original draft which took a downbeat tone he thought would in fact encourage kids to end it all. In response, Joel created a new song with a bouncy joyous beat and lyrics that stress personal forgiveness and optimism about life.
Joel donated all the royalties from the song to the National Committee for Youth Suicide Prevention.[1]
The song appeared on Billy Joel's Greatest Hits in 1985 and became a top ten hit, peaking at #9 on the Billboard chart. It was digitally recorded.
During the song, Joel audibly laughs after briefly hesitating during one of the verses. At the prompting of Paul Simon and Christie Brinkley (who were listening in the studio) he decided to keep it in the recorded version as it seemed to illustrate his point in the song about personal fallibility.[2]
Contents |
At the beginning of the video, Joel plays "Piano Man" on his harmonica. The entire video pays homage to It's a Wonderful Life, as the angelic Joel shows the young man - who's about to jump off a bridge because of a break-up with his girlfriend - what life will be like without him, as his family and friends mourn his death - as well as showing him the joys in his future he'll be missing if he dies (e.g. high school graduation, marriage). The video ends with the man choosing to live, and reconciling with his girlfriend. The drowning teen in the music video is Adam Savage, who would later gain fame as a special effects artist and the co-host of the popular science television show MythBusters.[3] The video was shot on Staten Island and Manhattan and features landmarks such as the 59th Street Bridge and Monsignor Farrell High School.
The single version is nearly 30 seconds shorter than the album version, removing the sax solo between the bridge and the third verse.
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Canadian Singles Chart[4] | 15 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart | 94 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 26 |