Piano Man
Billy Joel
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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 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 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 someplace that he'd rather be 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 got us 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 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 got us feeling alright
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Written by: Billy Joel
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
16 facts about this song
Album Details"Piano Man" is the title track of Billy Joel's second studio album, released in November 1973.
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InspirationBilly Joel wrote the song based on his experiences working as a piano-lounge singer for six months in 1972 at the Executive Room bar, in Los Angeles.
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Chart PerformanceThe song peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1974.
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Signature Tune“Piano Man” has since become Joel’s signature song and it routinely closes his concerts.
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Song LengthThe original album version of "Piano Man" runs for 5 minutes and 37 seconds.
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StorylineThe song illustrates a narrative about a piano player in a bar who observes the world around him and captures the stories of the bar's regulars.
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Grammy NominationThe song was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1975—Song of the Year and Record of the Year, although it didn't win either category.
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Harmonica Introduction"Piano Man" is recognized worldwide for its distinctive harmonica introduction.
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LegacyRolling Stone magazine ranked "Piano Man" at number 421 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
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Cultural ImpactIn 2015, the Library of Congress selected "Piano Man" for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its "cultural, historical, or artistic significance."
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Parallels to Real-LifeMany of the characters depicted in the song were based on real-life individuals Billy Joel met while working at the Executive Room.
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CertificationThe song was certified Gold by the RIAA on July 13, 2015, and Platinum on September 24, 2021.
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Music VideoDespite being released in an era before music videos became a common practice, a promotional film for the song was created in 1985, compiling clips from Joel's earlier promotional videos.
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Influence on Other ArtistsThe song and its distinctive piano riff have influenced and been referenced by numerous other musicians.
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Single VersionThe single version, also included on his Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 collection, is shorter in duration (4:30), omitting the second verse and the second chorus.
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Unusual Song StructureUnlike many pop songs, "Piano Man" doesn't possess a traditional chorus. Instead, it has a refrain following each verse and serves as a kind of anthem.
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Citation
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