Billy Joel Explains the Sweet Inspiration Behind ‘Lullabye’

Billy Joel recently took part in an interview with 60 Minutes Australia where he touched on one of the tenderest tunes in his catalog: "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" from 1993's River of Dreams.

Joel wrote the song for his daughter Alexa Ray Joel. The singer-songwriter explained, "Alexa, who's my oldest and who's now 34, was about seven years old. Her mom [Christie Brinkley] and I were going to be breaking up, and she knew that was going to happen. During that time, she asked me, 'What happens when you die?'"

Joel continued, "Now, every child probably asks their parent this, because it's a scary thing for children. The best way I could explain it to her was, 'Well, you go into other people's hearts.' She seemed okay with that explanation, but I did it with the song. I thought it was a good way to impart that thought."

When asked how Alexa sees that song today, Joel said, "That's one of her favorite songs."