The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)
Tom Waits
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The piano has been drinking, my necktie is asleep And the combo went back to new york, the jukebox has to take a leak And the carpet needs a haircut, and the spotlight looks like a prison break And the telephone's out of cigarettes, and the balcony is on the make And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking And the menus are all freezing, and the light man's blind in one eye And he can't see out of the other And the piano-tuner's got a hearing aid, and he showed up with his mother And the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking As the bouncer is a sumo wrestler cream-puff Casper milktoast And the owner is a mental midget with the i.q. of a fence post Cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking And you can't find your waitress with a Geiger counter And she hates you and your friends and you just can't get served without her And the box-office is drooling, and the bar stools are on fire And the newspapers were fooling, and the ash-trays have retired Cause the piano has been drinking, the piano has been drinking The piano has been drinking, not me, not me, not me, not me, not me
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: Tom Waits
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, JALMA MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Song Originality"The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" was written and sung by Tom Waits, a renowned American composer and singer with a distinctive raspy voice, known for his narratives of grim and dark urban life.
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Album ReleaseThe song features on Waits’ album ‘Small Change,’ which was released in 1976.
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Style and ThemeThe song uses personification throughout its lyrics, signifying an inanimate piano as a drunk, thereby expressing Waits' inclination towards the themes of surrealism and absurdism.
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Unique PerformanceIn 1977, Waits delivered a memorable rendition of this song as a part of his skit on ‘Fernwood 2 Night,’ a parody talk show where he staged a performance of a drunken nightclub singer.
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Signature StyleKnown for his unique fusion of various music genres like blues, jazz, and vaudeville, Waits’ "The Piano Has Been Drinking" fits clearly within his signature style, with its bluesy, low-fi production sound and slow tempo.
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Universal AcclaimCritics have often praised the song for its effective representation of loneliness and despair that are common in Waits' musical pieces, thereby proving the effectiveness of his unique songwriting.
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Commercial SuccessAlthough it's difficult to trace the song’s specific chart success, the album 'Small Change' which featured the song "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" is considered one of Waits' most commercially successful records.
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Inspired CreationsThe song's unique representation of despair has found resonance with numerous musicians and filmmakers. It has been covered by artists such as Scarlett Johansson and has appeared in several films like 'Magnolia,' thereby underlining its wide cultural impact.
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Timeless QualityDespite being released more than 40 years ago, the song is still popular and frequently included in the playlists of fans of Waits and general critics of the blues/jazz genre.
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Artistic DirectionThe song was also part of a live act written by Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan called "Bounced Checks," depicting more clearly Waits' vision of the song as performed by a nightclub singer.
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Citation
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