Just the Way You Are

Jo-el Was a Prophet, Billy Too

Billy Joel does not actually like this song, apparently.  He originally wrote it for his first wife, Elizabeth Weber.  But, if you think of it as a love song between Jesus and you, and hear it from that perspective, it has a totally different feel and meaning to it.

The priest who said mass at Our Lady of Fatima on Sunday, spoke about the love reading from 1st Corinthians 13, and told us all to love ourselves just the way we are, and to accept ourselves and each other just the way we are.  That got me to thinking about this great song of Bill Joel's, and about the lyrics in it.

Can you picture Jesus at the piano, singing this song to you?  Try it!

Don't go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are

Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care

I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.

I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are. 

Here's how Billy Joel sings it.