Synopsis

Billy Joel performs "And So It Goes" in a stark black-and-white concert setting. The video opens with him at the piano before shifting between close-ups of Joel singing into a microphone and wider views of the enthusiastic audience. Dressed in a suit, he delivers the reflective ballad with restrained emotion rather than dramatic staging. The live-performance approach keeps the focus on the song's vulnerable lyrics, Joel's phrasing, and the contrast between its quiet mood and the crowd's enthusiastic response.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in November 1990 and uses live footage recorded in Linz, Austria.

• It is one of Joel's simplest videos visually: there is no storyline, cast, or elaborate set, only the performer, his piano, the stage, and the concert audience.

• "And So It Goes" was written in 1983 but was held back for several years before appearing as the closing track on Joel's 1989 album "Storm Front."

• The song was inspired in part by the traditional Scottish ballad "Barbara Allen." Its hymn-like melody and sparse emotional approach distinguish it from the more heavily produced songs surrounding it on "Storm Front."

• On the studio recording, Joel played all of the instruments, including piano and synthesizers. The concert video presents the song in a more direct, audience-facing form.

• The song became a Billboard Top 40 hit in the United States.

• During a 2024 Grammy Awards interview, Joel identified "And So It Goes" as his definitive song.