Sing us a song you're the piano man Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got us all feeling alright "Piano Man" is Billy Joel's signature song. It was his first major hit and instantly established him as a talented singer and songwriter. By now, many people know the story behind the song. After his bad deal with Family Productions, Billy essentially took a break from the music industry, writing songs and taking a temporary gig playing piano at The Executive Room, a bar on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Billy was billed as "Bill Martin" (Martin is his middle name).
Click on the photo for an interesting look at the now defunct Executive Room, by Bob Egan.
Many of the bar's customers were down on their luck, such as John the bartender who aspires to be an actor (a reference to Billy's friend and then-manager, Jon Troy), Paul the "real estate novelist" (i.e., a guy who wants to write the Great American novel, but works as a real estate agent), and Davy, who will probably stay in the Navy for life. The waitress "practicing politics" refers to Billy's wife who also took a job as a cocktail waitress at the same bar.
They come to the bar to commiserate with each other, to share a drink rather than drink alone. As in many piano bars, particularly in that era, the music of the piano man lifts their spirits with song. But in the last verse, the focus shifts to the piano man. the patrons recognize that their piano man (Billy) is very gifted, and question why someone as talented as he is stuck in a place like this, "man, what are you doing here?" It's a question he probably also asked himself, and one that we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives. Musically, the song is relatively simple, in C major with a descending bass line and in 3/4 time. It is actually a waltz according to Billy. The introduction is a short jazzy riff, sounding like someone casually playing on the piano, and then the song's distinctive harmonica comes in, an obvious nod to Bob Dylan. The piano is the main instrument of course but it is nicely accented by a mandolin. |
Words and Music by Billy Joel
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday The regular crowd shuffles in There's an old man sitting next to me Makin' love to his tonic and gin He says, "Son, can you play me a memory I'm not really sure how it goes But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete When I wore a younger man's clothes." La la la, di da da La la, di di da da dum Sing us a song, you're the piano man Sing us a song tonight Well, we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got us all feelin' all right Now John at the bar is a friend of mine He gets me my drinks for free And he's quick with a joke and or a light of your smoke But there's some place that he'd rather be He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me." As his 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, di da da La la, di da da da dum 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 And the waitress is practicing politics As the businessman slowly gets stoned Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness But it's better than drinkin' alone Sing us a song you're the piano man Sing us a song tonight Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got us all feeling alright 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 their life for a while 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, di da da La la, di da da da dum Sing us a song you're the piano man Sing us a song tonight Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got us all feeling alright 
Billy returns to the Executive Room. Photo: Unknown.
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Lyrically, "Piano Man" contains some of Billy's most clever lines such as "son can you play me memory . . . when I wore a younger man's clothes," "Paul is a real estate novelist" and "they're sharing a drink called loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone." Billy paints a vivid scene of the bar and its patrons. Many compared "Piano Man" to Harry Chapin's story songs "Taxi" and "Cat's Cradle," a comparison that was apt but also too limiting to describe Billy Joel generally.
The sheet music for "Piano Man"
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Despite the melancholy of the song, it is not all depressing. The piano music brings the bar patrons a momentary respite from the drudgery of their lives. Beyond the literal meaning of the song, it is easy to find a broader meaning. The song can be seen as an allegorical description of the human condition and the role that art plays in it. We are all essentially alone, we cling to each other for company, each one of us pursuing our own dreams but ultimately settling for much less. We try to find comfort in a drink, a tonic and gin, but it is art and music that gives us real hope and relief from this condition. And that's precisely what Billy's music has provided to so many fans over the years.
Perhaps this is why this simple song about a piano bar is so popular (it is the most downloaded Billy Joel song on iTunes), it speaks universally about the human condition and our need to be with each other, and our need for art and inspiration to uplift our lives. "Sing us the song you're the piano man, sing us a song tonight. Well we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling alright." |
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Click on this article by Keith Yates to read about the incredible story of how Yates, a teen working as a music critic and record store clerk in Fresno in the early 1970s, helped get "Piano Man' On the charts months after it had been released and had tanked. It is also an interesting look back on how the record and radio industries worked back in the early 1970s. I found this article on Mr. Yates' personal website several years ago and then posted about it here and on the Facebook group Billy Joel: Completely Retold. Since then others have commented on it (e.g., Billy Joel A to Z Podcast, and the Glass Houses: A Billy Joel Podcast). More recently, apparently Mr. Yates was invited to see and meet Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden.
