The tale of a lower-class boy who falls in love with an upper-class ‘uptown girl’ is as old as time. And if you think of modern adaptations such as The Notebook, Titanic, and Nothing Hill, you realize the tale is still as popular as ever. A reason for musicians to convey their version of the story as well. Think of Elton John’s breakthrough single “Your Song”, or Magic’s 2014 smash-hit “Rude”. But the tale is arguably most famously told by Billy Joel, who seamlessly clothed it in a catchy tune titled “Uptown Girl”.
But what’s the story behind Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”? And for who did Billy Joel write the song? Let’s find out!
The Story Behind the Song
1982 was a tough year for Billy Joel. He and his wife Elizabeth Weber filed for divorce, and Joel was recording his ambitious – but exhausting – eighth studio album The Nylon Curtain (1982). A project that discussed heavy themes through songs such as Allentown and Goodnight Saigon.
In 1983, after his divorce from Weber was finalized, Joel was single for the first time since achieving stardom. A reputation that gave him the possibility to date models like Ella Macpherson and Christie Brinkley. Joel couldn’t believe these kinds of women were interested in him. He later claimed he ‘felt like a teenager again’.
Joel finally experienced fun and joy again, and as a result, desired to make an album that represented those feelings. Not an album filled with politically loaded songs and hidden messages. No, Joel desired to make a good old easy-listening record filled with catchy songs. It led Joel to write “Uptown Girl”. A song inspired by the interest high-class women gave him.
“Uptown Girl” emerged during a holiday in the Caribbean, where Joel played piano in front of an astonished Ella Macpherson, Christie Brinkley, and Whitney Houston. Joel initially titled the song “Uptown Girls”, but changed ‘girls’ into ‘girl’ after he started dating Christie Brinkley.
“Rather than the song being about all these different girls, she (Christie) became the uptown girl,” Joel told Howard Stern. “I started writing it about one person.”
The Meaning of Uptown Girl
Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” tells the story of a hard-working ‘downtown man’ who tries to seduce a high-class ‘uptown girl’. The inspirations behind the song were then-girlfriend Christie Brinkley and a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tune.
“They had a song called “Ragdoll,” which was about a poor girl and a rich guy,” Joel told the Today Show. “So I just flipped it around and made it about a rich girl and a poor guy.”
Read more: The 10 Best Billy Joel Songs of All Time
The song is partially autobiographical. Although Billy Joel wasn’t a poor man, but in fact a rich rockstar, he couldn’t believe ‘uptown girls’ showed interest in him. Joel still perceived himself as a hard-working average man. He later humorously told Q magazine: “The fact that I can attract such a beautiful woman as Christie should give hope to every ugly guy in the world!”
Release and Music Video
“Uptown Girl” eventually appeared on Billy Joel’s ninth studio album An Innocent Man (1983). The album also features Joel’s smash hit “Tell Her About It”. “Uptown Girl” was released as a single and quickly established itself on the worldwide charts. The song reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the UK Singles Chart.
Part of the song’s popularity is its music video. In the video, Billy Joel portrays a working-class mechanic, while Christie Brinkley portrays a high-class ‘uptown girl’. The video confirmed Brinkley and Joel’s relationship and received heavy rotation on MTV.
Although the video rose to popularity seamlessly, the actual production of it was a horrible process. The producers quickly realized both Joel and Brinkley couldn’t dance. “They wanted me to do these steps with Christie, singing into a wrench, ‘Whoa-oh-oh.” Joel reflected in Fred Schruers’ book Billy Joel. “Cross the legs left, right, left over right.’ I was thinking, Are you kidding me?”
Christie Brinkley even hired a choreographer to work on the few simple dance steps she had to perform in the video.
Westlife Cover
Irish boy band Westlife covered “Uptown Girl” for their 2001 album World of Our Own. The release was accompanied by a music video, which was a parody of Billy Joel’s music video.
The cover was a major hit in Europe. It reached the top 10 in most countries and even topped the UK, Scottish, and Irish charts.
Interested in more stories behind Billy Joel songs? Click here
