Billy Joel is not only the piano man, he’s a master storyteller—with countless songs that tell gripping, novel-like narratives. And “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” was one of his finest, recounting the plight of a fisherman—with local references like Block Island Sound, Nantucket, Montauk and Gardiner’s Bay. Seeing Billy perform it live on the Storm Front tour at Giants Stadium, I felt like my very hands were on the wheel of the Alexa. That’s a powerful song.

“But I've got people back on land who count on me. So if you see my Downeaster Alexa and if you work with the rod and the reel, tell my wife I am trolling Atlantis.”