Just the Way You Are ( Billy Joel song ) - wikipedia Just the Way You Are ( Billy Joel song ) This article is about the Billy Joel song. For the Bruno Mars song, see Just the Way You Are ( Bruno Mars song ). `` Just the Way You Are '' Side - A label of U.S. vinyl single Single by Billy Joel from the album The Stranger B - side `` Get It Right the First Time '' Released September 26, 1977 Format 7 '' single Recorded 1977 Genre Soft rock Length 4 : 47 ( Album version ) 3 : 36 ( Single version ) Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Billy Joel Producer ( s ) Phil Ramone Billy Joel singles chronology `` The Entertainer '' ( 1974 ) `` Just the Way You Are '' ( 1977 ) `` Movin ' Out ( Anthony 's Song ) '' ( 1977 ) `` The Entertainer '' ( 1974 ) `` Just the Way You Are '' ( 1977 ) `` Movin ' Out ( Anthony 's Song ) '' ( 1977 ) Alternative release Dutch vinyl single `` Just The Way You Are '' Billy Joel 's `` Just The Way You Are '' from The Stranger Problems playing this file ? See media help. `` Just the Way You Are '' is a song by Billy Joel and the third track from his 1977 album The Stranger that became Joel 's first US Top 10 ( reaching # 3 ) and UK Top 20 single, as well as Joel 's first gold single in the US. The song also topped the Billboard Easy Listening Chart for the entire month of January 1978. `` Just the Way You Are '' garnered two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1979. Contents 1 Background 2 Chart performance 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 3 Track listing 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Background Joel shared that the melody and chord progression for this song came to him while he was dreaming. In an interview on the Howard Stern Radio Show on November 16, 2010, Joel revealed that the inspiration for writing the name of the song and how it sounds in the chorus was directly taken from the last line in the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song `` Rag Doll '' ; which incidentally was also a larger inspiration for Joel 's later song, `` Uptown Girl ''. The song, which Joel had written for his first wife ( and also his business manager at the time ) Elizabeth Weber, was not liked by either Joel or his band, and Joel had originally decided against making the track a part of The Stranger, but at the request of both Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow ( both were recording in other studios in the same building at the time ), he agreed to put the song on the final mix. However, the album 's producer, Phil Ramone, later contradicted Joel 's claim, stating in an interview that they could not afford to exclude the song because Joel did not have that much material to choose from for the album. After Joel and Weber split in 1982, Joel rarely performed the song live after 1986 until the 2000s, and Joel has publicly stated that he disliked playing the song live in the wake of his divorce from his first wife. He noted that during performances of the song around the time of his first divorce, his drummer Liberty DeVitto would jokingly parody the lyrics in the chorus as `` She got the house. She got the car. '' When `` Just the Way You Are '' was released as a single, it was shortened by over a minute. The differences are the removal of the second verse and an earlier fade. A live performance of the song was also used as a music video. On February 18, 1978, the song peaked at # 3, and Joel performed a shorter version of the song as the musical guest that day on Saturday Night Live ( along with `` Only the Good Die Young '' ). The single version ( fading 8 seconds later ) was included in the first release of Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II, but the full album version was restored for the remastered release of that compilation. The saxophone solo was played by Phil Woods, a well - known jazz performer and Grammy award winner. Woods was criticized by some purists in the jazz community for playing on a rock session, but in fact he had already played previously on such sessions both for Steely Dan and for Paul Simon. The performance here on a hit record undoubtedly exposed him to a wider audience and introduced his music to rock fans. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1977 -- 78 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) 6 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) Ireland ( IRMA ) 7 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 6 South Africa ( RiSA ) 6 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 19 US Billboard Hot 100 US Easy Listening ( Billboard ) US Cash Box Top 100 Zimbabwe Singles ( ZIMA ) 14 Year - end charts Chart ( 1978 ) Position Canada 26 New Zealand 41 US Billboard Hot 100 17 US Cash Box Top 100 18 Track listing 7 '' U.S. and UK single ( 1977 ) `` Just the Way You Are '' -- 3 : 27 `` Get It Right the First Time '' -- 3 : 54 See also List of number - one adult contemporary singles of 1978 ( U.S. ) References Jump up ^ Lecaro, Lina ( November 19, 2016 ). `` This Monthly Club Is a Non-Ironic Celebration of Rock 's Softer Side ''. LA Weekly. Jump up ^ `` Past Winners Search ''. The Grammys. Retrieved 7 November 2016. Jump up ^ Webb, Craig ( 2016 ). The Dreams Behind the Music : Learn Creative Dreaming As 100 + Top Artists Reveal Their Breakthrough Inspirations. p. 76. Jump up ^ `` Billy Joel Visits The Howard Stern Show 11.16. 10 by VideodromeVaultRadio Videodrome Vault Radio Free Listening on SoundCloud ''. Soundcloud.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ Ray Kelly ( 2008 - 07 - 06 ). `` Billy Joel - The Republican interview ''. Masslive.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ The Stranger : 30th Anniversary Edition. `` Making of The Stranger Documentary. 2008 Jump up ^ Rose, Charlie. `` Billy Joel Interview. '' The Charlie Rose Show, 1993. Jump up ^ Gordon Bock, `` Phil Woods ' Sax Keeps Showing Up. '' Dallas Morning News, August 6, 1978, p. 8 C. Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- Billy Joel -- Just the Way You Are ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Billy Joel -- Just the Way You Are ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` '' Just the Way You Are '' on the South African Singles Chart ``. Springbok Radio. July 28, 1978. Retrieved September 25, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Billy Joel : Artist Chart History '' Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Billy Joel -- Chart history '' Billboard Hot 100 for Billy Joel. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2002 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 - 2001. Record Research. p. 127. Jump up ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 18, 1978 Jump up ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe : singles chart book. Harare : C. Kimberley, 2000 Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Singles of 1978 The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 1978 - 12 - 31. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1978 / Top 100 Songs of 1978 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ Cash Box Year - End Charts : Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1978 External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Billy Joel Studio albums Cold Spring Harbor Piano Man Streetlife Serenade Turnstiles The Stranger 52nd Street Glass Houses The Nylon Curtain An Innocent Man The Bridge Storm Front River of Dreams Fantasies & Delusions Live albums Songs in the Attic KOHЦEPT 2000 Years : The Millennium Concert 12 Gardens Live Live at Shea Stadium : The Concert Compilations Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 -- 3 Souvenir : The Ultimate Collection The Ultimate Collection The Essential Billy Joel Piano Man : The Very Best of Billy Joel My Lives The Hits Singles `` She 's Got a Way '' `` Piano Man '' `` You 're My Home '' `` Worse Comes to Worst '' `` Travelin ' Prayer '' `` The Ballad of Billy the Kid '' `` The Entertainer '' `` Just the Way You Are '' `` Movin ' Out ( Anthony 's Song ) '' `` Only the Good Die Young '' `` She 's Always a Woman '' `` Vienna '' `` The Stranger '' `` My Life '' `` Big Shot '' `` Honesty '' `` Until the Night '' `` All for Leyna '' `` You May Be Right '' `` It 's Still Rock and Roll to Me '' `` Do n't Ask Me Why '' `` Sometimes a Fantasy '' `` Say Goodbye to Hollywood '' ( Live ) `` She 's Got a Way '' ( Live ) `` Pressure '' `` Allentown '' `` Goodnight Saigon '' `` Tell Her About It '' `` Uptown Girl '' `` An Innocent Man '' `` The Longest Time '' `` Leave a Tender Moment Alone '' `` This Night '' `` Keeping the Faith '' `` You 're Only Human ( Second Wind ) '' `` The Night Is Still Young '' `` Modern Woman '' `` A Matter of Trust '' `` This Is the Time '' `` Baby Grand '' `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' ( Live ) `` We Did n't Start the Fire '' `` Leningrad '' `` I Go to Extremes '' `` The Downeaster ' Alexa ' '' `` That 's Not Her Style '' `` And So It Goes '' `` Shameless '' `` All Shook Up '' `` The River of Dreams '' `` All About Soul '' `` No Man 's Land '' `` Lullabye ( Goodnight, My Angel ) '' `` To Make You Feel My Love '' `` Hey Girl '' `` All My Life '' `` Christmas in Fallujah '' Other songs `` Everybody Loves You Now '' `` Captain Jack '' `` Los Angelenos '' `` Root Beer Rag '' `` New York State of Mind '' `` Prelude / Angry Young Man '' `` Miami 2017 ( Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway ) '' `` Scenes from an Italian Restaurant '' `` Zanzibar '' `` Laura '' `` Scandinavian Skies '' `` Big Man on Mulberry Street '' Tours An Innocent Man Tour Face to Face 1994 Face to Face 1995 Face to Face 1998 Face to Face 2001 Face to Face 2003 Face to Face 2009 Face to Face 2010 Billy Joel in Concert Film Oliver & Company The Last Play at Shea See also Discography Movin ' Out Billy Joel Band The Hassles Attila Alexa Ray Joel Christie Brinkley Katie Lee `` Movin ' Out '' ( Glee episode ) Book Barry White Studio albums I 've Got So Much to Give ( 1973 ) Stone Gon ' ( 1973 ) Ca n't Get Enough ( 1974 ) Just Another Way to Say I Love You ( 1975 ) Let the Music Play ( 1976 ) Is This Whatcha Wont ? ( 1976 ) Barry White Sings for Someone You Love ( 1977 ) The Man ( 1978 ) I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing ( 1979 ) The Message Is Love ( 1979 ) Sheet Music ( 1980 ) Barry & Glodean ( with Glodean White ) ( 1981 ) Beware ! ( 1981 ) Change ( 1982 ) Dedicated ( 1983 ) The Right Night & Barry White ( 1987 ) The Man Is Back ! ( 1989 ) Put Me in Your Mix ( 1991 ) The Icon Is Love ( 1994 ) Staying Power ( 1999 ) Compilations Barry White 's Greatest Hits ( 1975 ) Barry White 's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 ( 1977 ) Heart and Soul ( 1985 ) The Collection ( 1988 ) Just for You ( 1992 ) All - Time Greatest Hits ( 1994 ) The Ultimate Collection ( 2000 ) Love Songs ( 2003 ) The Millennium Collection : The Best of Barry White ( 2003 ) White Gold : The Very Best of Barry White ( 2005 ) Gold ( 2006 ) Number Ones ( 2009 ) Unlimited ( 2009 ) Icon ( 2010 ) Icon 2 ( 2010 ) Singles `` Man Ai n't Nothin '' `` All in the Run of a Day '' `` In the Ghetto '' `` I 'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby '' `` I 've Got So Much to Give '' `` Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up '' `` Ca n't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe '' `` You 're the First, the Last, My Everything '' `` What Am I Gonna Do with You '' `` I 'll Do for You Anything You Want Me To '' `` Let the Music Play '' `` You See the Trouble with Me '' `` Baby, We Better Try to Get It Together '' `` Do n't Make Me Wait Too Long '' `` I 'm Qualified to Satisfy You '' `` It 's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me '' `` Playing Your Game, Baby '' `` Oh, What a Night for Dancing '' `` Your Sweetness Is My Weakness '' `` Just the Way You Are '' `` Sha La La Means I Love You '' `` It 's Only Love Doing Its Thing '' `` Any Fool Can See ( You Were Meant for Me ) '' `` It Ai n't Love, Babe ( Until You Give It ) '' `` I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing '' `` How Did You Know It Was Me ? '' `` Love Ai n't Easy '' `` Sheet Music '' `` Love Makin ' Music '' `` I Believe in Love '' `` Did n't We Make It Happen, Baby '' ( with Glodean White ) `` I Want You '' ( with Glodean White ) `` You 're the Only One for Me '' ( with Glodean White ) `` Louie Louie '' `` Beware '' `` Change '' `` Passion '' `` America '' `` Do n't Let Them Blow Your Mind '' `` Sho ' You Right '' `` For Your Love ( I 'll Do Most Anything ) '' `` Never, Never Gonna Give You Up '' ( Paul Hardcastle Remix ) `` Super Lover '' `` Follow That and See ( Where It Leads Y'All ) '' `` I Wanna Do It Good to Ya '' `` When Will I See You Again '' `` Put Me in Your Mix '' `` Dark and Lovely ( You Over There ) '' ( with Isaac Hayes ) `` Practice What You Preach '' `` Love Is the Icon '' `` Come On '' `` I Only Want to Be with You '' `` There It Is '' `` Staying Power '' `` The Longer We Make Love '' ( with Lisa Stansfield & Chaka Khan ) `` Let the Music Play '' ( Funkstar Deluxe Remixes ) Featured singles `` The Secret Garden ( Sweet Seduction Suite ) '' ( with Quincy Jones, Al B. Sure !, James Ingram, & El DeBarge ) `` All of Me '' ( with Big Daddy Kane ) `` Slow Jams '' ( with Quincy Jones, Babyface, Tamia, & Portrait ) `` In Your Wildest Dreams '' ( with Tina Turner ) Related articles Discography Love Unlimited The Love Unlimited Orchestra Grammy Award for Record of the Year ( 1970s ) `` Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In '' by The 5th Dimension ( Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamont McLemore, Ron Townson ) produced by Bones Howe ( 1970 ) `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' by Simon & Garfunkel ( Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon ) produced by Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon & Roy Halee ( 1971 ) `` It 's Too Late '' by Carole King produced by Lou Adler ( 1972 ) `` The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face '' by Roberta Flack produced by Joel Dorn ( 1973 ) `` Killing Me Softly with His Song '' by Roberta Flack produced by Joel Dorn ( 1974 ) `` I Honestly Love You '' by Olivia Newton - John produced by John Farrar ( 1975 ) `` Love Will Keep Us Together '' by Captain & Tennille ( Daryl Dragon, Toni Tennille ) produced by Daryl Dragon ( 1976 ) `` This Masquerade '' by George Benson produced by Tommy LiPuma ( 1977 ) `` Hotel California '' by Eagles ( Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Joe Walsh ) produced by Bill Szymczyk ( 1978 ) `` Just the Way You Are '' by Billy Joel produced by Phil Ramone ( 1979 ) Complete list ( 1960s ) ( 1970s ) ( 1980s ) ( 1990s ) ( 2000s ) ( 2010s ) Grammy Award for Song of the Year ( 1970s ) 1970 Joe South - `` Games People Play '' 1971 Paul Simon - `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' 1972 Carole King - `` You 've Got a Friend '' 1973 Ewan MacColl - `` The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face '' Norman Gimbel & Charles Fox - `` Killing Me Softly with His Song '' Alan and Marilyn Bergman & Marvin Hamlisch - `` The Way We Were '' 1976 Stephen Sondheim - `` Send in the Clowns '' 1977 Bruce Johnston - `` I Write the Songs '' 1978 Barbra Streisand & Paul Williams - `` Evergreen ( Love Theme from A Star Is Born ) '' and Joe Brooks - `` You Light Up My Life '' 1979 Billy Joel - `` Just the Way You Are '' Complete list ( 1960s ) ( 1970s ) ( 1980s ) ( 1990s ) ( 2000s ) ( 2010s ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Just_the_Way_You_Are_(Billy_Joel_song)&oldid=801012875 '' Categories : 1970s ballads 1977 singles 1978 singles Billy Joel songs Rock ballads Songs written by Billy Joel Grammy Award for Record of the Year Grammy Award for Song of the Year Billboard Adult Contemporary number - one singles Song recordings produced by Phil Ramone Columbia Records singles 1977 songs Hidden categories : Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for UKchartstats Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Italiano 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Português Edit links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 03 : 57. 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Question: who did billy joel write just the way you are for
Answer: his first wife