The Downeaster Alexa
Encyclopedia
"The Downeaster 'Alexa'" is a song originally released in 1989 on Billy Joel
's eleventh studio album Storm Front
. The album itself went to number one while the fourth single "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" placed at #57 in the Billboard Hot 100
. The song was included on Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Vol. 3 album in 1997.
The song is sung in the persona of an impoverished fisherman
in the Outer Lands
and the surrounding waters who, like many of his fellow men, is finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and keep ownership of his boat. The fisherman sings about the depletion of the fish stocks ("I know there's fish out there, but where God only knows") and the environmental regulations ("Since they told me I can't sell no stripers
") which make it hard for men like him to survive, especially with the conversion of his home island into an expensive summer colony
for the affluent ("There ain't no island left for islanders like me"). The lyrics reference Block Island Sound
, Montauk
, Martha's Vineyard
, Nantucket, and Gardiners Bay
, amongst other locations.
Downeaster is a New England colloquialism
generally referring to someone or something from the region called Down East
, an area usually identified as a part of the state of Maine.
Alexa is the name of Billy Joel's daughter, Alexa Ray Joel
. Joel does in fact own a downeaster lobster/swordfish hybrid boat by the name Alexa, built on a Maine lobster boat hull, which should not be confused with the pleasure craft built by the Downeaster
company. The Alexa, along with Joel's other boats, call Sag Harbor, Long Island
, home.
The song is featured in the 2011 movie, The Hangover: Part II, during the point where the group flies to Thailand.
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
's eleventh studio album Storm Front
Storm Front (album)
Storm Front is the 11th studio album by Billy Joel. Released in 1989 , the album featured one of Joel's three #1 hits, "We Didn't Start the Fire", a fast-paced song, mentioning some of the major historical events that took place in his time, and "Leningrad", Joel's take on the end of the Cold...
. The album itself went to number one while the fourth single "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" placed at #57 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The song was included on Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Vol. 3 album in 1997.
The song is sung in the persona of an impoverished fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
in the Outer Lands
Outer Lands
The Outer Lands is a term denoting the prominent terminal moraine archipelagic region off the southern coast of New England in the United States...
and the surrounding waters who, like many of his fellow men, is finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and keep ownership of his boat. The fisherman sings about the depletion of the fish stocks ("I know there's fish out there, but where God only knows") and the environmental regulations ("Since they told me I can't sell no stripers
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
") which make it hard for men like him to survive, especially with the conversion of his home island into an expensive summer colony
Summer colony
The term summer colony is often used, particularly in the United States and Canada, to describe well-known resorts and upper-class enclaves, typically located near the ocean or mountains of New England or the Great Lakes...
for the affluent ("There ain't no island left for islanders like me"). The lyrics reference Block Island Sound
Block Island Sound
Block Island Sound is a strait in the open Atlantic Ocean, approximately wide, separating Block Island from the coast of Rhode Island in the United States...
, Montauk
Montauk, New York
Montauk [ˈmɒntɒk] is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name located in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 3,851 as of 2000...
, Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, Nantucket, and Gardiners Bay
Gardiners Bay
Gardiners Bay is a small arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 10 mi long and 8 mi wide in the U.S. state of New York between the two flukelike peninsulas at the eastern end of Long Island...
, amongst other locations.
Downeaster is a New England colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
generally referring to someone or something from the region called Down East
Down East
In New England, the term Down East is applied in several different ways. In the narrowest sense, Down East refers to the coast of the U.S. state of Maine from Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border....
, an area usually identified as a part of the state of Maine.
Alexa is the name of Billy Joel's daughter, Alexa Ray Joel
Alexa Ray Joel
Alexa Ray Joel is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She is the daughter and only child of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley....
. Joel does in fact own a downeaster lobster/swordfish hybrid boat by the name Alexa, built on a Maine lobster boat hull, which should not be confused with the pleasure craft built by the Downeaster
Down East Yachts
Down East Yachts was a manufacturer of sailboats headquartered in Santa Ana, California. According to Coast guard records, the company was founded on August 5, 1974, and went out of business on July 12, 1983. The company was founded by Bob Poole, who had previously worked for Columbia Yachts...
company. The Alexa, along with Joel's other boats, call Sag Harbor, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, home.
The song is featured in the 2011 movie, The Hangover: Part II, during the point where the group flies to Thailand.
Covers
- This song was covered (as "Downeaster Alexa") on The Corsairs' 2007 album 9 Live.
- The English roots duo Show of HandsShow of HandsShow of Hands is an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by jazz double-bassist Miranda Sykes.-Origins:...
recorded a version on their album Covers. - The American rock band O.A.R.Of a RevolutionO.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
has covered the song since 2007
Chart positions
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
25 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
76 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
57 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
18 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
33 |