"The Downeaster 'Alexa'" is a song by Billy Joel from his eleventh studio album Storm Front (1989), released as the album's fourth single. It peaked at No. 57 in the Billboard Hot 100 and was included on Joel's Greatest Hits Vol. 3 album in 1997. The song was named for his boat, which in turn was named after his daughter Alexa Ray Joel.
The violin solo is played by virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. Billy Joel & Itzhak Perlman - The Downeaster 'Alexa' (MSG - March 9, 2015) The music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.
Content The song is sung in the persona of an impoverished fisherman off Long Island and the surrounding waters who, like many of his fellow fishermen, is finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and keep ownership of his boat, a powered vessel built in the Down Easter style.Piano Man rocks Albany – Poughkeepsie Journal, Thursday April 19, 2007
Charts Chart (1990)PeakpositionAustralian Singles Chart126Canadian Singles Chart25Japanese Singles Chart (Oricon)Oricon Singles Chart Oricon Singles Chart (Retrieved November 2, 2012)6UK Singles Chart76US Billboard Hot 10057US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks18US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks33
Certifications
References
External links The Downeaster "Alexa" – Lyrics The Downeaster "Alexa" – Songfacts