I Am Sitting Here Listening To ..

Billy Joels’ 1980 song, ‘All For Leyna’. The song was recorded in 1979 and released sometime in 1980 and has a total run time of 4 minutes, 19 seconds. A little long for today's standards, but I guess the average attention span has decreased over the decades. I read somewhere recently that the average song length has decreased by 20 seconds over the last five years. Songs now average in the 3 minute range. The average hit is running somewhere in the 2 minute 30 second range. The average track in the early 80’s was stated as being roughly 3.8 minutes long, and the majority of number one hits were pushing 5 minutes in length.

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All Of This Talk of (estimated) Length Aside ..

‘All For Leyna’ was a song on the B-side of the single release. On the A-side of this vinyl record, you will find a song titled ‘Sometimes A Fantasy’. I bought this record used at a (Cough cough) RECORD STORE on the avenue of the town where I grew up. I can not remember the name of the store or what it was that appealed to me about this record. I was able to listen to the tracks before purchase. There was a small back room, the entrance covered with a musty curtain, with a single record player and a set of cheap speakers. If I remember right, they appeared to have been through a flood or two. The edges and bottoms were swollen with signs of water damage. The sound coming from them was slightly muffled and cracked from time to time when the speaker wiring wiggled as browsers muddled along the loose wood floors and through the isles of the store. It smelled funny in there too; dampness, old wood, wet paper, stale tobacco and dirt. All of these items within the receptive reach of my nose. Anyhow, I listened to the B-side and loved the piano vibe and thus purchased it for 25 cents (USD).

The Record Is Long Gone ..

Although, now that I am nostalgic and thinking about the past (triggered by this song), I wish I had the record back. Sure I can probably buy it on Ebay, but the original one I purchased would be cooler to still have in my possession. I was roughly 10 years old when I picked up this record, so I hope what appealed to me about the recording was the music and NOT the lyrics.

The lyrics tell the story of the protagonist who meets a girl named Leyna, and, after a one-night stand, becomes obsessed with her.
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Obviously I was only ten, Girls were just starting to become interesting to me.. But not in that way (yet). I can hear the frustration in his voice. To me, the tone of the whole song borderlines angry. Maybe I was an uptight, generally angry, frustrated kid at ten.. Hehe.. who knows.

Lyrics

She stood on the tracks
Waving her arms
Leading me to that third rail, SHOCK
Quick as a wink
She changed her mind
She gave me a night
That's all it was
What will it take until I STOP
Kidding myself, wasting my time, whoa
There's nothing else I can do
'Cause I'm doing it All For Leyna
I don't want anyone new
'Cause I'm living it All For Leyna
There's nothing in it for you
'Cause I'm giving it all to Leyna
We laid on the beach
Watching the tide
She didn't tell me there were, ROCKS
Under the waves
Right off the shore
Washed up on the sand
Barely alive
Wishing the undertow would, STOP
How can a man take anymore, whoa
There's nothing else I can do
'Cause I'm doing it All For Leyna
I don't want anyone new
'Cause I'm living it All For Leyna
There's nothing in it for you
'Cause I'm giving it all to Leyna
I'm failing in school
Losing my friends
Making my family lose their minds
I don't want to eat
I don't want to sleep
I only want Leyna, one more time
Now, I'm in my room
Watching the tube
Telling myself, she still may, DROP
Over to say, she's changed her mind
So, I wait in the dark
Listening for her
Instead of hearing my old man saying, STOP
Kidding yourself, wasting your time
There's nothing else I can do
'Cause I'm doing it All For Leyna
I don't want anyone new
'Cause I'm living it All For Leyna
There's nothing in it for you
'Cause I'm giving it all to Leyna
Band Solo
All For Leyna
All For Leyna
All For Leyna
All For Leyna
All For Leyna
All For Leyna
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Billy Joel
All for Leyna lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

https://www.youtube.com/watch'v=jzE1-NlOthY
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And He Plays On ..

I continued to follow Billy Joel throughout his career, through the rehabs, relapses, hits, mariages, and psychiatric visits. I was even able to catch a few concerts here and there. No obsession, just enjoy his lengthy career with multiple hits. My favorites were recorded in the late 70’s to early 80’s. I bought the Complete Hits Collection about twenty years ago, and it still tops my most played CD(s) list (if I had one). The collection is comprised of songs that were released between 1973-1997. It’s well worth a listen.. If you have a few hours.

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Should I ??

For sale on Amazon .. $4.44 + 3.99 shipping.. Of course then I would need a record player.

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Maybe I Should ..

Just let the memory live on in my mind and just keep the $8.43.