Lord My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, 15 November 2026
A lot of great songs competed in our mind for this Sunday’s music we find so related with our Mass readings specially the first reading from the Book of Proverbs about a “perfect housewife” as example of diligence and virtue in preparing for the end of the world to happen at Jesus Christ’s Second Coming.
We chose Billy Joel’s 1977 song She’s Always A Woman as most apt to our Sunday readings than Barry Manilow’s 1974 Mandy and Dess’Ree’s 1994 You Gotta Be we featured here in July 2020 (https://lordmychef.com/2020/07/12/you-gotta-be-by-desree-1994/).
Aside from the fact that Billy Joel is one of our favorites, we find his writing this song in honor of his former wife and manager Elizabeth Weber so compelling, loaded with the best attributes of a “perfect housewife” mentioned in the Book of Proverbs that best describes too the two servants in the parable of Jesus who invested their master’s money that earned handsome profits. Though they separated later, Joel wrote this song to express his unconditional love and admiration for Weber, embracing both her fierce business drive in managing his professional career as a musician and her softer emotional side as his wife and beloved.
According to reports, people in the male-dominated music industry of that time labeled Weber as “cold”, even “ruthless” for her tough and uncompromising manner in negotiating Joel’s business deals. But Joel stood by his wife, defending her nature than change her nor apologize for her rough edges as a woman; hence, She’s Always A Woman:
She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes
And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me
She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe you
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free
Yeah, she steals like a thief, but she's always a woman to me
Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out and she never gives in
She just changes her mind
And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out and she never gives in
She just changes her mind
She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel
But she can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree
And the most she will do is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm
Mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
Joel as a musician is always a contrast for me without any definite label in his kind of music but he is such a genius he could blend into every genre so well and still remain the Billy Joel. A great story-teller in all his songs accompanied almost always by his venerable piano, Joel is deeply rooted in rock and roll with his catchy, lively tracks of pop but could dive deeper into hard rock like in his album Glass Houses and be so romantic in his love songs especially our personal hymn, Leave A Tender Moment Alone.
See this element of contrast in him so present in She’s Always A Woman that describes his former wife Weber.
And what is most amazing, they are all so true with us too, especially with our moms or every woman for that matter: She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes while at the same time And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies. Check the many contrasts you can find and see them as so true! My unforgettable ones that remind me of my mom, a plain housewife are: She can ask for the truth but she’ll never believe you// And she’ll take what you give her as long as it’s free that is so funny and true with every mommy! Here is another trait of moms and wives I think, She is frequently kind and she’s suddenly cruel//But she can do as she pleases, she’s nobody’s fool//… And the most she will do is throw shadows at you.
Nobody’s perfect; what matters is we strive to become perfect, to become good and wise stewards of the Lord. Human love is imperfect; only God can love us perfectly. That’s why so often, we find our parents particularly mothers so difficult to explain in their attitudes with us because they love and care for us so much as Joel noted in his song:
And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always a woman to me
We mentioned in our homily that the reading from Proverbs tells us not to seek perfection elsewhere than in faithfulness to everyday duties like most housewives, that we must all be humble handmaids of the Lord, humble servants of God in the fulfillment of the duties of our state which Jesus emphasized too in his parable of talents (https://lordmychef.com/2026/11/14/in-praise-of-housewives-models-for-watchful-waiting-in-the-lord/).
That is Joel’s message too in this beautiful tribute to his former wife Weber. It is now your turn to show that love to your mom or wife, sister and daughter. Hug and kiss them as you go to Mass this Sunday. And beginning today, be nice and kind to every woman and everyone for the end will surely come. God bless!
