Meaning of Christie Lee by Billy Joel

In Billy Joel's song "Christie Lee," the overall theme seems to revolve around a cautionary tale of unrequited love and the consequences that can arise from misjudging a relationship. The narrator tells the story of a man named Joe, who falls for a woman named Christie Lee. However, Joe fails to recognize the true nature of their connection and finds himself in a spiral of misplaced assumptions and mistaken intentions.One standout lyric that portrays a key theme in the song is, "Well, he was working in a nightclub, that's where he played the saxophone." This line introduces the setting and establishes Joe's profession as a saxophonist. The nightclub represents a place of performance and showmanship, where appearances can be deceiving. This theme is further developed through the idea of Joe faking the stock arrangements and leaving the customers alone. It implies a sense of pretense and an inability to connect with others on a genuine level.The line, "