The Piano Man
Then
More recent
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 de de da La la de de da da da
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 a smoke but there’s someplace that he’d rather be.
He says “Bill, I believe this is killing me,”
As a 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.”
La la la de de da La la de de da da da
Now Paul is a real-estate novelist,
Who never had time for a wife.
And he’s talking 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 drinking 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 coming to see.
To forget about life for a while.
And the piano 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?”
La la la de de da La la de de da da da
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.
I’ve always adored this song. When I was younger, it was the melody, the “la la de de da”s and the rousing feeling of unison with the chorus. Now that I’m older, I enjoy the character sketches and can picture them in my head.
This song will always make me think of my father. He used to play it on long Sunday drives. It’s like instant nostalgia, as soon as I hear the opening bars.
It’s the perfect diving music, for sure. I don’t know if my dad ever heard this song enough to love it (the local radio station where I grew up only played oldies — Elvis was modern!), but I think he would have loved it, too.