On August 26, 2008, The Essential 3.0 was released containing a third disc with seven additional tracks.
Piano Man
Billy Joel Lyrics
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The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sittin' 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-dee-da
La-la, di-dee-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 feelin' alright
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 some place that he'd rather be
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
As the 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-dee-da
La-la, di-dee-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 businessmen slowly get 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 feelin' 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 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-dee-da
La-la, di-dee-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 feelin' alright
The lyrics to Piano Man by Billy Joel describe the scene in a bar on a Saturday night, where the "regular crowd" comes in to drink and forget about their troubles. The singer notes an "old man" sitting next to him who asks him to "play a memory." This old man is feeling nostalgic for a time in his past when he was happier and more carefree, represented by the line "but it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man's clothes."
The rest of the lyrics introduce other characters in the bar, including John who works at the bar, Bill who dreams of being a movie star, Paul who writes "real estate novels," and Davy who is in the Navy. All these characters have their own struggles and hardships but find solace in the bar and the music played by the piano man. The chorus repeats the request for the piano man to play a song, as the crowd is in the mood for a melody and the music makes them feel better.
Overall, the song is about the power of music to bring people together and provide a temporary escape from their problems. The bar and the piano man become a sort of refuge for the characters in the lyrics, a place where they can forget their troubles for a while and just enjoy the music and each other's company.
Line by Line Meaning
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
It's the weekend and the bar is packed
The regular crowd shuffles in
The usual customers come and take their seats
There's an old man sittin' next to me
An elderly man is sitting beside the singer
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
He's drinking and enjoying his drink
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?
The old man asks the artist to play a particular song from the past
I'm not really sure how it goes
He's unsure of the song's details
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
It's a song that's both happy and sad, but he used to know it by heart
When I wore a younger man's clothes"
He knew the song back when he was younger
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
The patrons ask the pianist to play them a song
Sing us a song tonight
They want to hear some music tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
Everyone is ready to hear some good music
And you've got us feeling' alright
The music is making everyone feel good
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
The singer knows one of the customers named John
He gets me my drinks for free
John pays for the singer's drinks
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
He's a funny guy who would light up someone's cigarette if asked for it
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
John isn't happy being at the bar
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
He doesn't like this lifestyle
As the smile ran away from his face
The mention of his dissatisfaction made him lose his smile
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star
John thinks he has the potential to become a movie star
If I could get out of this place"
But he feels trapped
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
There's another customer named Paul who writes stories about real estate
Who never had time for a wife
Paul never got married
And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy
Paul is having a conversation with Davy, who is still serving in the navy
And probably will be for life
Davy will likely be in the navy for the rest of his life
And the waitress is practicing politics
The waitress is talking about politics and practicing her beliefs
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
The businessmen at the bar are getting drunk
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
They are drinking as a way to distract themselves from their feelings of loneliness
But it's better than drinking alone
They would rather be drinking together than by themselves
It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
There are a lot of people at the bar for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
The manager is friendly with the singer
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
The people are coming to hear the singer play music on the piano
To forget about life for a while
The piano music is a way to escape from their problems for a little while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
The sound of the piano is like a celebration
And the microphone smells like a beer
The microphone smells like someone spilled beer on it
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
The customers tip the singer for playing music
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
The tips they give make the artist wonder why he plays piano at a bar
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Joel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind