The lyrics of this song are so much fun. The first verse goes, "It's nine o'clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in. There's an old man sittin' next to me, making love to his tonic and Gin." Then the second verse says, "He says 'Son, can me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes. But it's sad and and it's sweet, and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger man's clothes. Oh la-la-la-de-de-da. La-la-de-de-da-da-da." Then the chorus goes, "Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man, sing us a song tonight. We we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feelin' alright."
Then the third verse says, "Now John at the bar is a friend of mine, he gets me my drinks for free. And he's quick with a joke, or to light up your smoke, but there's someplace that he'd rather be." Then the fourth were goes, "He says, 'Bill, I believe this is killing me, as a smile ran away from his face. Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star, if I could get out of this place. Oh la-la-la-de-de-da. La-la-de-de-da-da-da." Then the fifth verse says, "Now Paul is a real estate novelist, who never had time for a wife. And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy, and probably will be for life." Then the sixth verse goes, "And the waitress practicing politics, as the businessmen slowly get stoned. Yes their sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone."
The chorus comes in again, and the seventh verse says, "It's a pretty good crowd, for a Saturday, and the manager gives me a smile. 'Cause he knows that it's me, they've been comin' to see, to forget about life for a while." The eighth and final verse goes, "And the piano, it sounds like a carnival, and the microphone smells like a beer. And they sit at the bar, and put bread in my jar, and say 'Man what are you doin' here?' Oh la-la-la-de-de-da. Oh la-la-de-de-da-da-da." Then the chorus repeats one last time, and then the song ends.
This song is known for three things, its entertaining La-la-ing parts, it's catchy chorus, and of course, the harmonica interludes that come in the beginning before the first verse, after each verse a bit, and after the chorus. That might be one of the most famous harmonica parts ever.
This song dictates what the fellow Long Islander saw, when he was playing the Piano, as a side gig, in a nightclub. The scenes he saw, naturally happening, inspired him to write a sort of "Fly on the Wall" type of song, as he mentions everyone, a drunk old man, John the bartender, Paul the real-estate novelist, Davy the seaman, the waitresses, the businessmen, the manager of the club, and the patrons of the bar as a whole.
This song became Billy Joel's signature song. He plays this at every concert that he does, and everyone calls him the Piano Man. We don't just do that for our health here on the Island! This song has been used since 2012, as the sing-a-long song in the eighth inning at Citi Field for the Mets games. They only play it if they are winning by any margin, tied, or if they are losing by a run or two. I have been to three blowout games, two last year against the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, and one this year against the Miami Marlins, and they didn't play the song, which was upsetting.
Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy this song, and get to love it as much as I do, and also the rest of Long Island does!
Have you ever heard this song before? Did you like this song? Do you like me using Billy Joel song's, or do you want me to get new artists in the Tune Tuesdays?
DGS
Quotes of the Day: "Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it." - Michel de Montaigne
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"We may give without loving, but we cannot love without giving." - Bernard Meltzer