...Vienna waits for you...

There's a song by Billy Joel called Vienna. I wanted to think of some songs that maybe could apply to a graduation. You know me...thinking ahead and all. Anyways, the song is called Vienna. The whole song is about encouraging a young person to slow down. Enjoy life. Stress less. Take a breath...or two...or nine.

"Slow down you're doin' fine you can't be everything you wanna be before your time"
I know for me there's so much I wanna do and so much I wanna be but sometimes you just need to step back and realize that maybe, just maybe, you don't need to be that right now. What you're doing now is what you're meant to be doing. And, taking it from my own spiritual stance, maybe God is forming you into that person you're striving to be but just slow down a bit and let Him do His job.

"...dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true..."
This is my favorite part of the song only because I dream big. Go ahead. Dream to the moon and back! Just realize that some of them might not come true. It's just reality. In fact, it's really encouraging. I know! You think I'm nuts! What is she talking about? You're supposed to MAKE your dreams come true! I'm not saying don't try, all I'm saying is don't build your life around all of them coming true!

Listen...I think you'll understand what I'm trying to say...

"The narrator is just telling this "crazy child" to enjoy life more. Maybe he's a college student who is freaking out about having to go into the real world soon ("if you're so smart tell me why are you still so afraid?"). He's telling the kid to calm down because there is plenty of time to get life in order. He's encouraging him to keep looking forward to the future ("dream on/But don't imagine they'll all come true") without committing himself to it yet ("you can't be everything you want to be before your time"). Vienna symbolizes some kind of future happiness. It isn't going to pass him by because "Vienna waits for you". This is a really hopeful song. The overall message reminds me of John Lennon's "Instant Karma" - "we all shine on/like the moon and the stars and the sun." Basically, everything is going to be alright."