The Big Picture

2025 ends the first quarter of the 21st century. And 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. As we look ahead to the New Year, the world’s attention will be focused on history, and “Goodbye 2025” is the perfect song to capture the moment. "Goodbye 2025" reimagines Billy Joel’s iconic 1989 hit “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, replacing the original lyrics with contemporary references. The original release spanned the period between 1949 and 1989, with this modern-day version referencing 127 chronologically-ordered world events between 2000 and 2025. This is exactly the right time for an up-to-date version of the song to be released. Not only are we at the end of a quarter century and the first U.S. quarter millennium, but in contrast with the political consensus that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 (when the original song was released) we have a controversial Washington administration approaching a highly consequential midterm election in 2026. There are also many current parallels with the social climate of 1989. Geopolitical uncertainty, including military tensions with the Russian Federation. An economic backdrop of rising income inequality. And a Millennial generation maturing into their 40s, just as the Baby Boomers were (including Billy Joel himself) in the late 1980s. Music has always been political, and “Goodbye 2025” is an anthem for troubled times. Singing along to it will be the perfect way for revelers around the world to ring in the New Year. The aim with this song should be to reach the largest possible audience worldwide. If we can make both young people and older people everywhere look more closely at the recent past, perhaps we can provoke a more constructive debate about the future. By placing a spotlight on the endless cycle of progress, peril, creativity and controversy, We Didn’t Start the Fire did that in 1989. And “Goodbye 2025” would do the same again today.