There's a place in the world for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl
And he's always at home with his back to the wall.
He's proud of the scars and the battles he's lost
He struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

Give a moment or two to the angry young man
With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand
He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood
It's a comfort to know his intentions are good
He sits in a room with a lock on the door
With his maps and his medals laid out of the floor
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage,
I've found that just surviving was a noble fight
I once believed in causes too, had my pointless point of view
Life went on no matter who was right or wrong.

And there's always a place for the angry young man
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand
He's never been able to learn from mistakes
He can't understand why his heart always breaks
His honor is pure, and his courage as well
He's fair and he's true, and he's boring as hell
And he'll go to his grave as an angry old man.

There's a place in the world for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl
And he's always at home with his back to the wall.
He's proud of the scars and the battles he's lost
He struggles and bleeds as he hangs on the cross
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.



Lyrics submitted by kevin

Track duration: 07:40

"Angry Young Man" as written by Billy Joel

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Angry Young Man song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:There could not be a more appropriate name for this song. The turmoil suggested by the unbridled 1 minute 30 second prelude leads into the anthem of an angry young man. He is jaded about the failures of his young life and his unfulfilled dreams, but this song is just as much about his supposed hard reactions to these misfortunes. What makes the song particularly interesting is the theme that this ‘angry young man’ enjoys his dark status. It’s as though he sees himself as a martyr and particularly unique in his suffering. It’s his anguish and his subsequent anger that supposedly sets him apart and makes him special. Ultimately, it is better to have an identity in anger than to go on in life with mundane sense of self.
    Flag BillyEltonNeilon October 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:MOST AMAZING PIANO PLAYING EVER.
    have you seen him ever play this?? its simply mezmorizing
    Flag serenity12310on November 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Memory:This song reminds me of how I used to be. I used to be pretty damned wrapped up in myself, and I would see my philosophical and political debates as the be-all-end-all and harangue those I disagreed with. And I have no doubt that I was "fair and true and boring as hell."

    Then I had to start fending for myself. I grew resentful listening to people lecture me on this and that, and then I realized how obnoxious I must have been when I did that. So I tried not to harass others so much with my politics and philosophies and just get on with living my life; indeed, now more than ever it seems like "just surviving is a noble fight."

    I don't think it's mocking the rebellious per se, but I do think it's telling the dorm-room pundits that they'll be whistling a different tune about not working for "The Man" when their parents aren't paying their way through life anymore.
    Flag ProfessorKnowItAllon February 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song always reminds me of that quote by Churchill: "Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains." A lot of people go through that process, especially when they get out of college, have kids, pay taxes. Iimagine it's a stab at Billy Joel as a kid too.
    Flag poguemahonyon December 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I dunno, isn't this song celebrating Apathy?


    "I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage
    I found that just surviving was a noble fight
    I once believed in causes too
    I had my pointless point of view
    And life went on no matter who was wrong or right "

    Just surviving is a noble fight :/ Get on with my life, don't try to change things, don't have "pointless views". Reinforcing mainstream values, talking about the rebellious in a patronising manner... not very rock'n'roll I must say.
    Flag Roseweaveon November 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One time I videotaped my younger sister dancing in the dark with one of those glow in the dark sticks, or whatever, to this song. It was pretty amazing.
    Flag PrEsLeYsBiGsIsTaon July 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think everyone has an internal "angry young man." The issue is getting over your problems and yourself.
    ...
    I'm working on it.
    Anyway, at his concert, this was the first song he played and I sang along... way too loud.
    Flag ThaneOfNothingnesson May 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One of my favorites ever. So powerful.
    Flag supernukeon March 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song makes me think of my boyfriend, because he's been through so much, and has so much rage and hurt built up inside of him, and he's been stabbed in the back so many times, that it makes our relationship hard... he just won't let me in sometimes.

    "I believe I've passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage. I found that just surviving was a noble fight."

    A-FUCKING-MEN. What else can you say? I have that as my aol signature, because I can understand it so well.

    Linds
    Flag sapphireskieson December 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is great billy joel's knowlage of human emotion comes through very well such as in the line:struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross signifying that this person thinks he's god or holy
    Flag Adam Bon December 04, 2006   Link

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