DENNIS WATSON

La Quinta, CA

===== ===== =====

Hey John & Doves. Wanted to thank FAY for her encouragement about that erstwhile “gospel song” of Billy Joel. Enjoyed the story of how Joel just did not know how such a song came out of him. 

I include FAY’s prior article to show how her being nudged, got me nudged, and the Holy Spirit says, “Mission Accomplished.”

===== ===== =====

Fay (6 July 2025)

"River of Dreams"

Hi John and Doves,

I have been nudged and nagged by the LORD to focus on the 3 books of Joel. It all began with an unexpected show on BBC about Billy Joel. I used to think Billy Joel was Italian! With a surname like Joel - what was I thinking???? He's Jewish, of course. Albeit a secular Jew - which make the lyrics even more profound

Billy Joel wrote this song after having a dream. He bucked against writing and releasing this song because he thought, "Who the heck am I to write and sing a gospel song?". He says he even tried to wash it off in the shower the next morning. Eventually he succumbed and wrote and released this incredible song. The lyrics are in the link below. PROFOUND!! Beyond profound.

Billy Joel - The River Of Dreams Lyrics | AZLyrics.com

PLEASE watch the short video in the 2nd link below. It is such a beautiful gospel/ pop song. I cannot emphasis how God has pressured me - over and over again over the last 3 weeks, to write about this

Billy Joel - The River of Dreams (Official HD Video) - YouTube

Over and over again, I have been nudged to read the 3 books of Joel. If I tried to describe it all, it wouldn't be describable. It has haunted me. I exaggerate not.

===== ===== =====

Well Thanks FAY. I for one am glad she did finally post.

[1] I was encouraged by her nudge... I read all of the 3 Chapters of Joel. And was speechless at 1:5. New Wine day is a day of CUT OFF!!! THAT'S HARPAZO!

[2] I was encouraged by her nudge, about Billy Joel, read about him, went over his lyrics, and I pray for his health issues and "I pray Lord that this SEEKER has finally found FAITH! The kind of faith that can be seen only by the blind in the middle of the night! AND IN FAITH YOU DON’T WADE, YOU JUMP IN THE RIVER SO DEEP. Amen and Maranatha. "

.

REDEMPTION BY ADDITION: But I want this melody in Heaven. I want to sing this in Praise of God without it being about whether Billy Joel finally made it across the river. So... I prayed for him and I added an alternate, or additional ending verse suitable for Heaven's Praise.

The rest of this post are lyrics. With an alternate last verse after Billy Joel becomes a Christian.

===== ===== =====

BILLY JOEL - The River of Dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSq4B_zHqPM&list=RDhSq4B_zHqPM&start_radio=1

LYRIC ADDITION BY DATE WATCHERS.

"The River Of Dreams"

===== ===== =====

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

From the mountains of faith

To a river so deep

I must be looking for something

Something sacred I lost

But the river is wide

And it's too hard to cross

.

And even though I know the river is wide

I walk down every evening and I stand on the shore

And try to cross to the opposite side

So I can finally find out what I've been looking for

.

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the valley of fear

To a river so deep

And I've been searching for something

Taken out of my soul

Something I would never lose

Something somebody stole

.

I don't know why I go walking at night

But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore

I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life

Until I find what it is that I've been looking for

.

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the jungle of doubt

To a river so deep

I know I'm searching for something

Something so undefined

That it can only be seen

By the eyes of the blind. WOW!! FANNY!

In the middle of the night.

.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE….

.

I'm not sure about a life after this

God knows I've never been a spiritual man

Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river

That runs to the promised land

In the middle of the night

I go walking in my sleep

Through the desert of truth

To the river so deep

We all end in the ocean

We all start in the streams

We're all carried along

By the river of dreams

In the middle of the night

.

===== ===== =====

THEN BILLY JOEL, THIS SECULAR JEW, ALWAYS A SPIRITUAL WADER, JUMPS IN, GETS SAVED AND THIS BECOMES AN ALTERNATE LAST VERSE.

===== ===== =====

.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE….

.

SAVED now SURE about a life after this!

God knows I’D ALWAYS been a spiritual man

Baptized by fires, I waded in spirit rivers

JUST ONE runs to the promised land.

.

[Thinking in the silence...Now I know Harpazo somewhere will come…]

.

In the middle of the night

IN FAITH I WOKE from my sleep

Through my desert TO JE - SUS’ TRUTH:

To the river so deep [That’s the one! JUMP IN BILLY!]

.

We HAVE TRUTH in the ocean

TRUTH’S SCRIPTURE in the streams

We're all carried along

By TRUTH’S river of dreams.

.

[PERHAPS] In the middle of the night

.

I go PRAISIN in the, in the middle of the

I go PRAISIN in the, in the middle of the