Discover the story of the song > Scenes From an Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel

"Scenes from an Italian restaurant" is one of Billy Joel's most celebrated compositions, although never released as a single. At 7 minutes and 37 seconds, it is his longest studio cut of rock music and was influenced by the second side of The Beatles' album Abbey Road. Joel premiered it in a performance at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, dedicating it to a local restaurant. As a medley of three pieces, it starts with a gentle, melodic piano ballad told in first person, transitions to a triumphant, uptempo jazz piece, and then tells the story of high school sweethearts, Brenda and Eddie, who marry young and quickly divorce in a rock and roll section. The song then transitions back to the style of the first section before ending with a saxophone solo similar to the first. It reflects on the carefree days of teenage life and how it drastically changes once people reach adulthood, providing a meaningful and nostalgic experience for listeners.



In 2008, Billy Joel revealed in an interview that the restaurant that inspired his song "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" was Fontana di Trevi. This restaurant is located across from Carnegie Hall and Joel frequented it during his June 1977 concerts. This clarification put an end to years of speculation about the exact location that had inspired the song.