Tomorrow Is Today by Billy Joel

Album: Cold Spring Harbor (1971)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Joel has stated that this was his suicide note written into a song... back when he tried to kill himself by drinking furniture polish. His suicide attempt failed to kill him, but did give him an upset stomach.
"I was really depressed at the time I wrote that," Joel told Sirius XM in 2016. "I was 21, and I was just bummed out. When you're that age, you're going from adolescence into adulthood. You become so self-absorbed that your head can literally go up your ass, and you gotta pull it out 'cause if you stay there too long, it's not a good atmosphere. It's a very self-pitying song. I actually rarely go back to that album and listen to that. Although the lyric was meaningful to me at the time, now from this perspective, I can say, 'What did he know, he's 21.'"
This is from Joel's debut solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, which was named after a hamlet in Huntington, New York, near Joel's hometown on Long Island. The album cover was shot at Harbor Road in Cold Spring Harbor.
Joel signed a bad deal with Family Productions, owned by music executive Arthur Ripp, that held him to a 10-album contract that stripped him of all the publishing rights to his current and future songs. Joel was only able to sign with Columbia Records if his albums still bore the Family Productions name and Ripp was guaranteed royalties on sales of Joel's records. Ripp finally relented and sold the publishing rights to CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff, who then gave them to Joel as a birthday present.

The Bridge was the last Joel album to bear the Family Productions logo and features the scathing track "Getting Closer," which was inspired by the ordeal.
A mastering error resulted in Joel's vocals sounding unnaturally higher in places throughout the album, which the singer compared to the chirpy voices of Alvin & The Chipmunks. (The Chipmunks actually went on to cover some of Joel's tunes, including "Uptown Girl" and "You May Be Right.")

When Joel threw a listening party for his friends to hear the album, they all laughed at his high-pitched voice. The singer was so incensed, he ripped the record off the turntable and tossed it out in the street.
Joel revisited the topic of suicide in the 1985 song "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" to reassure teens, in particular, that mistakes are natural and life is worth living.

Comments: 7

Le MasterHe talked about this song on the Billy Joel Channel. He reiterated it was a sort of suicide note. He was 21 and very depressed at the time and full of self pity.
Teagan from Grand Rapids, MiThank you for clarifying that the drummer rushed him to the hospital. Although it's still not clear if Joel was actually drunk when he attempted. Joel has gone through depression a good amount of his life. It could have been made in his depressive state. Abram says "He must have been drunk/intoxicated" but it is not specified by Joel or anyone else. Although Joel does make the statement, "Furniture polish looked tastier than bleach".
Ken from Louisville, KyThis is one of the Cold Spring Harbor songs where Joel's voice was mastered at a higher speed, making him sound, as Billy later put it, like a "castrata".
Abram from Fairfield, VtOk so it's true that he tried to kill himself using furniture polish but just to clarify a few things. At the time he must have been drunk or intoxicated somehow because his reason for not using bleach (which would have actually killed him) was that he thought "Furniture polish just looked tastier". Second he almost succeeded in killing himself, he was found by his drummer passed out on the floor of his apartment and was rushed to the hospital. When Billy fired and hired new band players the only performer he kept form the former band was his drummer who saved him.
Jack from Elmira, NyThis song is one of my all time favorite songs. It's so great and it has also gotten me through some tough times.
Landon from Winchester, OhThis is a really beautiful song. Very emotional and well played. Not the song to listen to if you're really feeling depressed though. I have a tendencies of suicidal thoughts myself, and sometimes when I hear this song I suddenly think about ending my own life. Thankfully, though I have problems in my family, I have some steady friends and hobbies to keep me strong, a future to think about, and some enjoyment every now and then, so I think I'm being taken care of. If you've already heard this song, listen to "You're Only Human (Second Wind) by Billy Joel. Since his suicidal attempt failed to kill him, he decided to write an empowerment song encouraging depressed teens that their life will surely improve. It's really good stuff. Listen to it after this song, and notice the difference. You won't believe it's being performed by the same person. Awesome.
Randy from Reading, PaThis song got me through some tough times in my teens. I love the line I don't have to see tomorrow cause I saw it yesterday.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Bad GirlsDonna Summer

Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" is about prostitutes, but it was still used in the movie Rugrats In Paris.

I Melt With YouModern English

"I'll Melt With You" by Modern English is about a couple who melt together because a nuclear bomb drops.

Tomorrow PeopleZiggy Marley & the Melody Makers

"Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley is the first song by a Marley to crack the US Top 40; the highest Bob got was #51 with "Roots, Rock, Reggae."

AqualungJethro Tull

Jethro Tull lead singer Ian Anderson wrote "Aqualung" after looking at pictures of homeless men that his wife took. She got a co-writing credit on the song.

A Moment Like ThisKelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson's coronation song when she won American Idol in 2002 was "A Moment Like This," which was released as her first single and went to #1. Every finalist that season recorded the song in case they won.

Highway to HellAC/DC

The "Highway To Hell" is the Canning Highway in Australia, which seems to go on forever, at least according to AC/DC.