You Oughta Know by Now

You Oughta Know by Now

I watched the Billy Joel documentary on HBO recently, and it took me back to a line from “Movin’ Out” that I’d written down years earlier: 

You should never argue with a crazy mind, mmm / You oughta know by now.

It’s funny how certain lyrics hit differently depending on where you are in life. When I first heard that song, I thought it was about other people, how to spot trouble and steer clear. But now, I think about the ways we can drive ourselves crazy chasing the wrong things, getting tangled in pointless battles, or trying to change people who aren’t interested in changing.

Sometimes the sanest thing you can do is step back. Save your breath. Let the song play out without trying to rewrite the verses.