Yes. It is chronological - - from the year Billy was born (mid-late 1940s) through the year he wrote the song (it debuted in 1989). Many history teachers and professors have outlined whole semesters of history based on it. The Disney referred to is Disneyland (which opened in the 1950s) as opposed to Disney World, which opened in the 1970s.

This is world history from 1949 when he born to 1989 which is when he turned 40. This whole album Storm Front is amazing. All of the songs are worth checking out.

Almost a century of history wrapped up into one song. As a history teacher, I dig it big time 🤘🏽🤓🤘🏽

Ur exactly right, the new generation version is done by the Fall Out Boys….This song is pure genius, Billy Joel listed 119 famous events, places and people in the 40yrs of his life

Sceez! It never ceases to amaze me at your accurate ability to access a song's meaning. Impressive! I'd love for you to check out Billy Joel's songs "You May Be Right" and "Big Shot"

Just the greatest song lyrics of all time in my book. To put all of those events, eras and people of history together in one track… brilliance.

He wrote it after John Lennons son said Billy has no idea what growing up in the 80's was like. He said "nothing happened in your time". Billy thought about and wrote this about his time. Born in 1949 til 80's. 😊

Props to you for being so young and reacting to all these great classics

how he came up with the song: He was having a conversation with Sean Lennon (John Lennon's son) and Sean was talking about everything that was going on in the world and how crazy it was and it must of been easier growing up in Billy's time. This is kind of his answer to 'its always been this crazy". History is circular. Things come back around and crazy continues. Every generation deals with something

This song should grow over time with a new verse added every decade.

You gotta look all of it up, it's all a part of our crazy history

This was a mean ass song back in the day! A whole Lotta shit has happened since that can write another whole song! Get on that BILLY JOEL!

Great one!!! Idk how he kept up with the words! 😂 Always a great one when Billy Joel does it!! I’ll have to look back to see if you’ve done “River of Dreams”? OR “AND SO IT GOES” Two great ones as well. 😊

History Sceez! Google everything. Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. Slime!!! 💚

You summed up this song perfectly!

There’s a two part video called We didn’t start the fire-explained, that gives a brief explanation of all 120 history references in this song for anyone who’s curious about the history. It’s relatively short and really interesting. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pMmHl5CKl9PYZoU.htmlsi=IiRnALigNOEkQe2a

I believe inspiration was him turning 40 and a younger gen said that nothing happened during his time in response to Berlin Wall falling, etc. in present. So he thought back to all the major events from his birth to 40. Like you said, it’s always been messed up. Learn to cope. 😂

🔥🔥🔥 we steadily fight the fire..History Sceez...Great reaction ❤

its the history of his life, im 68yo, this song is fire, sad that the world hasnt changed much

U Know Billy Joel is where its at! Thanks Grace, thanks Sceez fam ;-) ❤️💃🏼❤️‍🔥🔥

I love this song!❤

5:36 Billy Joel came up with the concept when someone said that it was harder growing up in the 80s than it was in the 50s so he decided to write a song that spanned his lifetime until 1989.

This was an unusual song for Billy because he usually wrote the music before the lyrics and this time the lyrics came first. The story he tells is that a young acquaintance said that all of the bad things happening in the world that at least bad things didn't happen in Billy's childhood. Billy rattled off all the things that had gone on since he was born and the response was "I wasn't aware". I have been informed (mostly by comments in the reaction videos of this song) that teachers often use this in history classes.

Great reaction. Next song you can react to is B. Joel's Goodnight Saigon.

This song was born of a conversation about history and Billy took offense to something incorrectly observed about major events. He sat down and penned this in no time at all.

Great reaction ! My favorite nuance about this song is how when he mentions Psycho the music (if you want to call it that) from the movie plays.

He actually was in a recording studio with Julian Lennon ( John Lennon' son) and Julian mentioned how f-uped the world was and told Billy he was lucky he grew up when he did...and Billy started thinking of all the things that had happened in his lifetime 1949 to 1989..when the song was released.

There is an updated version done by Fall Out Boy that does more recent eventsnyoud probably recognize. This song takes me back :) great reaction

When this came out, I was in high school. My history teacher had us choose three reference points, study them, and then we had to choose either one to write about a long essay, are three of them for smaller essays. I'm a writer and I love history so I wrote long essays for all three. I chose Marilyn monroe, the children of thalidomide, and England's got a new Queen. I should have done that one because of everything today after the queen died not too long ago but I think my longest essay was on the children of the children of thalidomide. It was a very interesting but tragic tale, you should do what you said and look them up it's a very interesting way to learn history. I believe if the story is correct that Billy Joel wanted to be history teacher but ended up being an artist. I actually know every single reference in this song and I can follow every reference. Listening to it when I was in History class trying to find the three reference points must have really stuck in my head cuz to this day I still have every word by heart. I didn't listen to it for many many years until I started watching reaction videos and I watch somebody's reaction video of this song and was shocked when I still knew every single word. I swear I hadn't listened to this song and probably at least 10 or 15 years. It's just crazy how the human brain works. Sometimes I can't remember what I watched on TV yesterday but I can remember the song from from what? 40 years ago. 35? Good reaction, sir.

Good song 🎵

Johnnie Ray - 50s singing star - is mentioned in this song but which other huge 1980s hit also mentions him?

The story I've heard (not sure if it's true), is that he got to talking with a younger group of artists on the road, and they were comparing how crazy things are, and when he went, "Ya, well things were hectic in my time too." Their reply was "Nothing this bad happened then." To which he went "Oh do you want to bet?" And as he was coming up with the list, he came up with a beat, which then lead to the song it's self happening.

the idea is that history has been an ever-moving concept and the state of the world is not the fault of those currently living in it

When you google and find out everything you should make a video and show us what you learned. We want to know also.🙋‍♀

You should check out the song fire woman by the Cult.

Just found you! Great reaction, now you need to react to American Pie by Don McLean. And trust me when you hear the chorus you're going be I know this ! Or i know this part.

Fallout boy has an updated version from 80s to 2000s genre

You should check out Fallout Boy we didn’t start the fire cover it’s more updated for yall younger folks lol

Blink 182...just redid this song earlier this yr, they gave more recent stuff in their track

It is the fault of Kings and Politicians.

It is all our fault, only humanity has troubles we cause, and extend our troubles to all life on earth, just because we did not start the troubles does not excuse us from doing what needs to be done to put out the fire. Earth was perfectly fine until we arrived.

You googling each entry is truly something I’m behind, hon. There’s so much hostility and history as younger generations don’t appreciate but would better benefit from understanding if we did. I commend you if you truly decide to, because it’s worth knowing!

Presented in chronological order, and not taught in school (or I might have been more interested). When I was in 7th grade we had History class; in 8th grade they changed it to Social Studies. Go figure.

I think reactor missed the meaning of this song and video.