King Of Tonys
Eli Nathan Lyrics


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King of Tony’s

In the dimly lit pool hall clouds of smoke hung low
As the smell of leather jackets mixed with cheap cologne
Leaning on a table a young man in his teens, sharp eyes, skilled hands, pool cue
And designer jeans.

But there’s another table, decked out in satin white
With an empty place by father’s side on this Friday night
And mother’s waiting hopefully by the window sill
For Dovie boy who's shootin pool in Tony’s Bar and Grill

Where have you gone? Gone so far? We still love you even though you may be far,
Far away…

Super cool and accurate he’d win and never lose
Everyone at Tony’s knows him as the King of the cues
As mother’s praying silently, who will save his soul?
Dovie shoots a backspin to a tune of Billy Joel.

Sometimes late at night he sits back inside the haze
Thinking of the times gone by, those old yeshiva days
He remembers them quite clearly; it was the when he turned 15
Those sharp, warm embracing eyes of his rebbe, Rabbi Green.

Dovie.. He could he heard him say. You’ll be a Talmid Chachom, one day … one day…

Where have you gone?………

Stranger entered Tony’s, late one Sunday night
Rack em up he said, I’m gonna beat the king tonight
Wearing cowboy boots a cowboy hat and talking really mean
But in the dim smoky light his face could not be seen

Shot after shot, boy, this guy was no fake
Dovie started sweatin his reputation was at stake
The stranger had one easy shot left to win the game
Dovie knew he’d lose and things would never be the same

An amazing thing then happened, the stranger missed the shot
The crowd thought it was an accident Dovie knew that it was not
This guy had given him the game but why he wished he knew
Dovie pulled away from the cheering crown and said:
Hey thanks man, but who are you?

The stranger said perhaps, it would be best to step outside so they made they’re way
Out through the crowd to the street and to the light and Dovie saw him stare at him
With eyes he once had seen the sharp embracing stare, the eyes of Rabbi Green

The two of them stood silently looking into each other eyes
Dovie was the first on to break the ice
Hey Rebbe, that was the meanest game of pool I ever did see
But what made you come here on this night to play… a bum like me

Dovie the Rebbe said, you’re no bum, ‘cause I know you and where you’re coming from
It’s never too late to change, don’t you see... The King of Tony’s was once me..

There’s a yeshiva out of town, now a source of pride and fame
The Rosh Yeshiva’s a Talmid Chachom, Reb Dov is his name




And during recess there’s a pool table where the students like to play
But no one’s beat the Rosh Yeshiva till this very day.

Overall Meaning

The song "King of Tony's" by Eli Nathan is a poignant and powerful tale of a teenage boy named Dovie who becomes a skilled pool player in a rough pool hall called Tony's Bar and Grill. While Dovie spends his nights hustling games and winning at the pool tables, his parents and community mourn the loss of their child to the secular world. Dovie's mother waits at home for him while his father's seat at the family dinner table remains empty. The lyrics express the heartbreak and longing felt by Dovie's family as they try and understand why he has chosen this path.


The pivotal point of the song comes when a stranger challenges Dovie to a game of pool, and after a fierce back-and-forth match, the stranger misses the final shot and allows Dovie to win. As they step outside into the light, Dovie finally recognizes that the stranger is his former Rebbe, Rabbi Green, who had once been the King of Tony's himself. Through this encounter, Dovie begins to understand that it is never too late to make a change and that true greatness comes not from winning games but living a life of purpose and meaning.


The lyrics and music of "King of Tony's" remind us of the power of coming home and reconnecting with our roots. While the song tells the specific story of the Jewish community, its message of redemption and hope will resonate with anyone who has ever lost their way and longed to find their way back home.



Line by Line Meaning

In the dimly lit pool hall clouds of smoke hung low
The pool hall was filled with smoke and it was not very brightly lit.


As the smell of leather jackets mixed with cheap cologne
There was a combination of strong scents in the air, including the scent of leather and cheap cologne.


Leaning on a table a young man in his teens, sharp eyes, skilled hands, pool cue And designer jeans.
A teenage boy with sharp eyes, skilled hands, a pool cue and wearing designer jeans was leaning against a table.


But there’s another table, decked out in satin white With an empty place by father’s side on this Friday night And mother’s waiting hopefully by the window sill For Dovie boy who's shootin pool in Tony’s Bar and Grill
While Dovie was playing pool, there was another table nearby with a white tablecloth that was meant for his father, who was absent. Dovie's mother was waiting at home, hopeful that he would come back soon.


Where have you gone? Gone so far? We still love you even though you may be far, Far away…
Dovie's family was worried about how far he had come and even though he was far away, his family still loved him.


Super cool and accurate he’d win and never lose Everyone at Tony’s knows him as the King of the cues As mother’s praying silently, who will save his soul? Dovie shoots a backspin to a tune of Billy Joel.
Dovie was known as the King of the pool hall because he was so skilled and never lost. His mother was worried about him and praying for him while he played. He shot a shot while Billy Joel was playing.


Sometimes late at night he sits back inside the haze Thinking of the times gone by, those old yeshiva days He remembers them quite clearly; it was the when he turned 15 Those sharp, warm embracing eyes of his rebbe, Rabbi Green. Dovie.. He could he heard him say. You’ll be a Talmid Chachom, one day … one day…
Late at night, in a daze, Dovie would think about his past at yeshiva, remembering the kind eyes of his Rabbi. He recalled how his Rabbi once said that he would be a Talmid Chachom one day.


Where have you gone?………
This line repeats the same idea as before. Dovie's family was still worried about him and wondering where he had gone.


Stranger entered Tony’s, late one Sunday night Rack em up he said, I’m gonna beat the king tonight Wearing cowboy boots a cowboy hat and talking really mean But in the dim smoky light his face could not be seen
A stranger came into the pool hall and said he was going to beat the King of the pool hall. He wore cowboy boots and hat and spoke in a mean way. His face was hard to see because of the lighting.


Shot after shot, boy, this guy was no fake Dovie started sweatin his reputation was at stake The stranger had one easy shot left to win the game Dovie knew he’d lose and things would never be the same
The stranger played very well and Dovie was starting to get worried about his reputation. The stranger only had one easy shot left to win, and Dovie knew that he would lose and things would never be the same.


An amazing thing then happened, the stranger missed the shot The crowd thought it was an accident Dovie knew that it was not This guy had given him the game but why he wished he knew Dovie pulled away from the cheering crown and said: Hey thanks man, but who are you?
The stranger missed the shot, which surprised the crowd. Dovie knew it was not an accident and wondered why the stranger had given him the game. He pulled away from the crowd and thanked the stranger, asking for his name.


The stranger said perhaps, it would be best to step outside so they made they’re way Out through the crowd to the street and to the light and Dovie saw him stare at him With eyes he once had seen the sharp embracing stare, the eyes of Rabbi Green
The stranger suggested they step outside, and as they walked out into the street, Dovie realized that the stranger had the same kind eyes as his Rabbi once had.


The two of them stood silently looking into each other eyes Dovie was the first on to break the ice Hey Rebbe, that was the meanest game of pool I ever did see But what made you come here on this night to play… a bum like me
Dovie and the stranger stood in silence, looking into each other's eyes. Then, Dovie broke the silence and asked his Rabbi why he had come to play pool against him, calling himself a "bum."


Dovie the Rebbe said, you’re no bum, ‘cause I know you and where you’re coming from It’s never too late to change, don’t you see... The King of Tony’s was once me..
Dovie's Rabbi assured him that he was not a bum and that he knew him and where he came from. He suggested that it's never too late to change and shared that he had once been the King of the pool hall himself.


There’s a yeshiva out of town, now a source of pride and fame The Rosh Yeshiva’s a Talmid Chachom, Reb Dov is his name And during recess there’s a pool table where the students like to play But no one’s beat the Rosh Yeshiva till this very day.
Now, years later, Dovie is the Rosh Yeshiva at a yeshiva out of town. During recess, the students play pool and no one has beaten Dovie yet.




Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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