"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" is the seventh track from Billy Joel's 1993 album River of Dreams, released in 1994 as the fourth and final single for the album. It was inspired by Alexa Ray Joel, his daughter by Christie Brinkley. The song is in the key of G major.
| "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album River of Dreams | ||||
| B-side | "Two Thousand Years" | |||
| Released | March 1994[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1992, in New York City | |||
| Genre | Pop[2] | |||
| Length | 3:34 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Billy Joel | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Joel, Danny Kortchmar | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
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In 2004, it was announced that Joel had agreed to write two children's books for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher. The first book was titled Goodnight, My Angel (A Lullabye) and is a picture book based on the song and illustrated by Yvonne Gilbert. "Reassuring children that they are not alone or could be abandoned is very important for their well-being," Joel said in a statement in 2004. The second book was titled New York State of Mind and illustrated by Izak.
Background
editThe song was originally written as a prelude to the song "The River of Dreams" in the style of a monophonic Gregorian chant. Joel had written English words in the chant describing a man who had lost his faith, and had then had the words translated into Latin.[3] He changed his mind upon hearing the recording, and incorporated it into the song "River of Dreams". He later removed the interlude from the final studio version of "River of Dreams", and instead wrote lyrics to the melody that reflected his sentiment toward Alexa Ray, who was a young child at the time of writing. The version of "River of Dreams" incorporating "Lullabye" appeared as an alternate version on the box set My Lives, and on An Evening of Questions and Answers...& a Little Music.
Critical reception
editDave Sholin from the Gavin Report described "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" as a "sweet and tender ballad that is bound to touch the hearts of all who hear it."[4]
Personnel
edit- Billy Joel – lead vocals, piano
- Lewis Del Gatto – orchestra manager
- Ira Newborn – orchestration
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 437. ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 30, 2020). "Still Billy Joel to Me Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ youtube.com
- ^ Sholin, Dave (March 4, 1994). "Gavin Picks — Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Billy Joel – Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Billy Joel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "1994 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-68. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – Billy Joel – Lullabye". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 20, 2021.