The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)

Tom Waits

About The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)

"The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) (An Evening with Pete King)", often referred to as "The Piano Has Been Drinking", is a song written and performed by Tom Waits. The song first appeared on his 1976 album Small Change, and an extended live version on the 1981 compilation album Bounced Checks.


Year:
1976
3:37
212 
#4

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

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


Tom Waits

Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." With this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music, Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona. He has worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and has acted in supporting roles in films including Paradise Alley and Bram Stoker's Dracula; he also starred in the 1986 film Down by Law. He was nominated for an Academy Awa… more »

10 fans

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.
Album Release
The song features on Waits’ album ‘Small Change,’ which was released in 1976.
Style and Theme
The song uses personification throughout its lyrics, signifying an inanimate piano as a drunk, thereby expressing Waits' inclination towards the themes of surrealism and absurdism.
Unique Performance
In 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.
Signature Style
Known 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.
Universal Acclaim
Critics 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.
Commercial Success
Although 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.
Inspired Creations
The 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.
Timeless Quality
Despite 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.
Artistic Direction
The 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.

Discuss the The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/833999/Tom+Waits/The+Piano+Has+Been+Drinking+%28Not+Me%29>.

    Missing lyrics by Tom Waits?

    Know any other songs by Tom Waits? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)

    1.3M
    7,107     234

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    "Her walk is so mean" is from which song?
    A Mystery Box
    B One Thing
    C Drag Me Down
    D Steal My Girl

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Tom Waits's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Tom Waits tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!