Honesty
Yearning for Truth: Billy Joel's Reflection on the Loneliness of Honesty
Lyrics
If you search for tenderness
If you seek kindness and compassion
It isn't hard to find
Finding it is not a difficult task
You can have the love you need to live
You can attain the love necessary for life
But if you look for truthfulness
However, if you seek honesty
You might just as well be blind
You might as well be blind because it's elusive
It always seems to be so hard to give
It's challenging to give honesty
Honesty is such a lonely word
Honesty is a solitary and difficult concept
Everyone is so untrue
People are generally untruthful
Honesty is hardly ever heard
Honesty is rarely expressed
And mostly what I need from you
What the speaker mostly needs from others is honesty
I can always find someone
The speaker can always find someone to express sympathy
To say they sympathize
If he exposes his emotions
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve
Yet, he doesn't want empty compliments from a superficial person
But I don't want some pretty face
He desires sincerity over a pretty facade
To tell me pretty lies
Not interested in being told pleasing but false things
All I want is someone to believe
He craves someone who believes in him
Honesty is such a lonely word
Honesty is a challenging and isolating concept
Everyone is so untrue
People generally lack truthfulness
Honesty is hardly ever heard
Honesty is seldom spoken
And mostly what I need from you
What the speaker primarily needs from others is honesty
I can find a lover
The speaker can find a romantic partner
I can find a friend
He can find companionship
I can have security until the bitter end
He can have a sense of security until the end
Anyone can comfort me
Anyone can provide comfort with promises
With promises again
But the speaker is aware of the emptiness of these assurances
I know, I know
He acknowledges this reality
When I'm deep inside of me
When he delves into his inner self
Don't be too concerned
He advises not to worry too much
I won't ask for nothin' while I'm gone
He won't request anything during his absence
But when I want sincerity
But when he seeks sincerity
Tell me where else can I turn
He questions where else he can turn
'Cause you're the one I depend upon
Because the person he relies on is the listener
Honesty is such a lonely word
Honesty is a demanding and isolating concept
Everyone is so untrue
People are generally lacking in truthfulness
Honesty is hardly ever heard
Honesty is rarely expressed
And mostly what I need from you
What the speaker mostly needs from the listener is honesty
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