Code of Silence

[Verse 1: Billy Joel]

Everybody's got a million questions

Everybody wants to know the score

What you went through

It's something you should be over now

Everybody wants to hear the secrets

That you never told a soul before

And it's not that strange

'Cause it wouldn't change what happened anyhow

But you swore to yourself a long time ago

There were some things that people never needed to know

This is one that you keep, that you bury so deep

No one can tear it out

[Chorus: Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Both]

And you can't talk about it

'Cause you're following a code of silence

You're never gonna lose the anger

You just deal with it in a different way

And you can't talk about it (No, you can't talk)

And isn't that a kind of madness

To be living by a code of silence

When you've really got a lot to say

[Verse 2: Billy Joel]

You don't wanna lose a friendship

There's nothing that you have to hide

And a little dirt

Couldn't hurt no one anyway

And you still have a rage inside you

That you carry with a certain pride

In the only part of the broken heart

That you could ever save

But you've been through it once, you know how it ends

You don't see the point of going through it again

And this ain't the place and this ain't the time

And neither's any other day

[Chorus: Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Both]

So you can't talk about it

'Cause you're following a code of silence

You're never gonna lose the anger

You just deal with it in a different way

So you can't talk about it (No, you can't talk)

And isn't that a kind of madness

To be living by a code of silence

When you've really got a lot to say

[Bridge: Billy Joel]

I know you well enough to tell you've got your reasons

That's not the kind of code you're inclined to break

Some things unknown are best left alone forever

And if a vow is what it takes

Haven't you paid for your mistakes?

[Verse 3: Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper]

After the moment passes

And the impulse disappears

You can still hold back

'Cause you don't crack very easily

It's a time-honored resolution

'Cause the danger is always near

It's with you now

But that ain't how it was supposed to be (No, no, no)

And it's hard to believe after all these years

That it still gives you pain and it still brings tears

And you feel like a fool, 'cause in spite all your rules

You've got a memory

[Chorus: Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Both]

But you can't talk about it

'Cause you're following a code of silence

You're never gonna lose the anger

You just deal with it in a different way

But you can't talk about it (No, you can't talk)

And isn't that a kind of madness

To be living by a code of silence

When you've really got a lot to say

[Outro: Cyndi Lauper]

'Cause you can't, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah now, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Woo, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Ooh yeah, yeah, yeah