Billy Joel has been one of the most successful musicians of the last century. His earliest hits were featured on his 1977 album The Stranger—an album long credited with propelling him to stardom. One track on the album was “She’s Always a Woman,” an emotional soft rock ballad with sometimes controversial lyrics.
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“She’s Always a Woman” was one of The Stranger’s most successful singles, climbing to No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. For many years, it was a standard of Joel’s concerts. In addition to the lyrics, the track stands out because of its unique melody and complex accompaniment. It’s not a simple love song but something much more reflective.
Despite the song’s popularity, its lyrics have sometimes caused confusion. The meaning hasn’t always been clear. Is it a sarcastic track with sexist overtones or a promise to love someone despite—or maybe because of—their faults? It’s impossible not to note the similarities between Joel’s other love songs of the time, such as “She’s Got a Way.” So—what is the meaning behind “She’s Always a Woman,” and who inspired the track that would help shape Joel’s career?
The Woman Behind The Song
Joel wrote the song about his first wife, Elizabeth Weber. Weber, a businesswoman, became his manager and was partially responsible for his ensuing financial success. However, she also had a reputation as a cold and ruthless woman—characteristics necessary in the music industry, which was dominated by men.
“She’s Always a Woman” was written as a defense of Weber, addressed to the people who criticized her confidence and dominating attitude.
“If you look at the structure of the song, it says, ‘She can do this to you, she can do that to you, but she’s always a woman to me,'” said Joel. “That was the point of the song: they’re bitching about her, and I’m saying, you can bitch all you want, she’s great at business, and she comes home, and she’s a woman with me.”
The song also acknowledged the other aspects of Weber’s personality that weren’t as obvious to others, with lyrics such as:
“And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child, but she’s always a woman to me”
The Aftermath Of “She’s Always a Woman”
Joel and Weber divorced in 1982 after nine years of marriage. Joel eventually nixed the song from his repertoire, but not because the memories were too painful. It was because he realized he no longer felt the passion for his ex-wife that he had felt when composing the song. He later said he realized it was time to stop when he found himself fantasizing about his dinner while performing “She’s Always a Woman” live.
He did resurrect the song in 2006, often adding the sarcastic addendum: “And then we got divorced.”
“She’s Always a Woman” sometimes earned criticism for its perceived sexism. Critics claimed that some lyrics seemed to make uncharitable generalizations about women. Others pointed out that the song seems almost venomous in describing the characteristics of the woman in the song:
“And she’ll promise you more than the garden of Eden
Then she’ll carelessly cut you and laugh while you’re bleeding
But she’ll bring out the best and the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself ’cause she’s always a woman to me”
Joel dismissed the accusations of sexism, saying that the point was not to define femininity or to stereotype women.
“Some people said, ‘Oh, he’s a misogynist; look what he says about this woman,'” Joel said in a 2008 interview with USA Today. “‘He wrote this song called ‘She’s Only a Woman.’ Which always cracks me up every time I read that. To me, it’s a very simple, understandable lyric. ‘She may be that to you, but she’s this to me.'”
In this way, some have argued that “She’s Always a Woman” could be interpreted as a feminist anthem. The lyrics clearly describe a woman who is forceful, educated, and confident — in other words, she doesn’t have the qualities typically considered “feminine.”
“Oh, she takes care of herself; she can wait if she wants
She’s ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out, and she never gives in
She just changes her mind”
With these words, Joel describes a woman out of place because the world isn’t ready for her. Rather than criticism of his ex-wife, it’s a criticism of the world that couldn’t handle a strong woman who didn’t apologize for herself. The line “she can wait if she wants” suggests that the woman will wait for the rest of the world to catch up with her.
The Legacy Of “She’s Always a Woman”
With Joel’s and Weber’s marriage breakup, the woman who inspired the hit has largely disappeared from history. She and Joel had no children together; Weber has not been in the public eye for many years. Despite this, she remains immortalized in the songs her ex-husband wrote about her — not just “She’s Always a Woman” but also “She’s Got a Way” and “Just The Way You Are.”
“She’s Always a Woman” also remains a fascinating commentary on the definition of womanhood and how society perceives it. It remains just as poignant today as it was in 1977.
Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns
