Piano Man, written and performed by Billy Joel, is a semi-autobiographical song based on his real-life experiences as a lounge musician in Los Angeles from 1972 to 1973. Joel took a job at the now-defunct Executive Room bar in the Wilshire district to escape an exploitative contract with his New York-based label, Family Productions. To avoid detection, he performed under the alias Bill Martin (using his middle name), which is why the patrons in the song address him as “Bill.”
The song, included on Joel’s 1973 album of the same name, was released as a single in 1974 and peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became Joel’s signature hit and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2015. Joel has confirmed that the characters depicted in the lyrics were based on real people he encountered at the bar: John was the bartender, Paul was a real estate agent who claimed to be writing a novel, Davy was a former naval serviceman, and the waitress practicing politics was Joel’s girlfriend and future first wife, Elizabeth Weber.
[Verse 1]
It’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There’s an old man sittin’ 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”
[Refrain]
La, la-la, di-dee-da
La-la, di-dee-da da-dum
[Chorus]
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
[Verse 2]
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
He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me”
As the 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”
[Refrain]
Oh, la, la-la, di-dee-da
La-la, di-dee-da da-dum
[Verse 3]
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he’s talkin’ 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 drinkin’ alone
[Piano Solo]
[Chorus]
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
[Verse 4]
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?”
[Refrain]
Oh, la, la-la, di-dee-da
La-la, di-dee-da da-dum
[Chorus]
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
