Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)

"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" is the seventh track from Billy Joel's 1993 album River of Dreams, released in 1994 as the fourth and final single for the album. It was inspired by Alexa Ray Joel, his daughter by Christie Brinkley. The song is in the key of G major.

"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"
Single by Billy Joel
from the album River of Dreams
B-side"Two Thousand Years"
Released1994
Recorded1992, in New York City
GenreClassical crossover
Length3:34
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Billy Joel
Producer(s)Billy Joel, Danny Kortchmar
Billy Joel singles chronology
"All About Soul"
(1993)		 "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"
(1994)		 "To Make You Feel My Love"
(1997)

The song was originally written as a prelude to the song "The River of Dreams" in the style of a monophonic Gregorian chant. Joel had written English words in the chant describing a man who had lost his faith, and had then had the words translated into Latin.[1] He changed his mind upon hearing the recording, and incorporated it into the song "River of Dreams". He later removed the interlude from the final studio version of "River of Dreams", and instead wrote lyrics to the melody that reflected his sentiment toward Alexa Ray, who was a young child at the time of writing. The version of "River of Dreams" incorporating "Lullabye" appeared as an alternate version on the box set My Lives, and on An Evening of Questions and Answers...& a Little Music.

In 2004, it was announced that Joel had agreed to write two children's books for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher. The first book was titled Goodnight, My Angel (A Lullabye) and is a picture book based on the song and illustrated by Yvonne Gilbert. "Reassuring children that they are not alone or could be abandoned is very important for their well-being," Joel said in a statement in 2004. The second book was titled New York State of Mind and illustrated by Izak.

Critical reception

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report described "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" as a "sweet and tender ballad that is bound to touch the hearts of all who hear it."[2]

Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[8] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. youtube.com
  2. Sholin, Dave (March 4, 1994). "Gavin Picks — Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Billy Joel – Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  5. "Billy Joel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  6. "Billy Joel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  7. "1994 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-68. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  8. "American single certifications – Billy Joel – Lullabye". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
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