It is quite obvious that not only do good people die young because for this to be correct, all young people must be good and living longer implies a no one is bad. The song "Only The Good Die Young" by Billy Joel is often misinterpreted as only good people die young and has since become an anthem for those who do. To me the song means that people are dying in a sense where they no longer believe in their own opinions but rather in what people tell them to believe. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The song is not so much about physical death, but about the death of individuality and innocence. Religion is generally not linked to individualism because people who follow a certain religion often have the same beliefs. The song has a strong presence of religious belief and in this case, Catholicism. Catholicism relies heavily on the Bible and its “without error” word (“Fundamental Beliefs of Catholicism”). In the song, Billy says, “Well they showed you a statue/They told you to pray/They built you a temple and locked you up” (Billy Joel). Joel refers to the statue of Jesus Christ that resides in Catholic churches (“Catholic Answers”). There is also a verse that says, “But Virginia, they didn't give you enough information” (Billy Joel). Young people are given information about what to believe, and while this is happening, they are protected by the same people who are telling them these things. He believes that Virginia doesn't know how to have fun because she is held back by the Church and its beliefs because she doesn't know the whole story of why she accepts religion. The song could also be interpreted as peer pressure in the sense that he is trying to get Virginia to have sex with him. The Catholic belief regarding sexual intercourse should only be between a married man and woman (Ortiz). A verse of the song goes: "They say there's a heaven for those who wait/Some say it's better but I say it ain't" (Billy Joel). Virginia is described as a very conservative Catholic girl, so he tries to convince her that breaking the rules for him won't be a big problem. He wants Virginia to experience his way of life and ignore everything she was taught as a Catholic girl. Individuality and innocence are taken away from young people because they try to please their elders and follow what they tell them is right. Whether or not a person has their own opinions, trying to change them to your advantage won't always turn out the way you want...