"And So It Goes" is a song written by Billy Joel in 1983, though it was not released until six years later. It appeared as the tenth and final track of his 1989 studio albumStorm Front. The original 1983 demo was released on the 2005 box set My Lives. Joel wrote the song about a doomed relationship with model Elle Macpherson. Their relationship was dramatic, as Macpherson was only a teenager while Joel was reaching his mid-30s. Joel dated Macpherson for a brief time shortly before becoming involved with model Christie Brinkley, who would ultimately become his second wife. The song is unique for Joel as it is written in iambic tetrameter. In the original demo version of "And So It Goes," Joel sings the melody simply, accompanied by a simple piano backdrop, in a style very reminiscent of a hymn. On the 1989 album version, Joel sings and plays all the instrumentation. The official video is from a live performance in front of a concert audience. The single peaked at No. 37 on the U.S. BillboardHot 100 and No. 5 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart in 1990. It has been covered by many subsequent artists. The King’s Singers and others have developed several vocal harmony arrangements of the song, which are often performed by high school and college choirs. The song was featured throughout the Boston Legal episode "Son of the Defender".
Cover versions
The song is the 18th track on Betty Buckley's 1996 An Evening at Carnegie Hall album.
Alan Cumming performed it in his cabaret show, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, as broadcast on PBS in late 2016.
Singer Sara Gazarek covered it on her Return to You album.
The King’s Singers covered it on their album, Good Vibrations in an arrangement by Bob Chilcott.
David Archuleta performed the song for the American Idol season 7 final three show.
Independent singer/songwriter Kevin Wong covered it on his album, The Pink in the Grey.
Jennifer Warnes covered the song on her 2001 album The Well.
Australian independent guitarist Tommy Emmanuel performed an acoustic instrumental version of the song for his 2008 live album Center Stage
Karrin Allyson covered the song on her 1996 album Collage and with cello accompaniment on her 2009 album By Request: The Best ofKarrin Allyson. The cello part was written by Bill Mclaughlin.
Mitchel Forman covered the song with vocalist Steven Santoro on his 2011 album Sing Along with Mitch.
Vokalensemblen Urkraft covered the ballad at their concerts at The Stockholm Concert Hall in 2012.
In the 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut used the phrase "So it goes" as a transitional phrase to another subject, as a reminder, and as comic relief. Generally the phrase was used after every time someone's death is described or mentioned in the novel.
In 1920 Carl Sandburg published the poem, "Accomplished Facts," in Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1920, edited by William Stanley Braithwaite. In line 13 of the poem, the phrase, "So it goes." begins to be a refrain in the poem.
