Today’s song of the day is “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. 

Here are some fun facts you might not have known about the song. 

Fun Facts:

• “Piano Man” was written in the early 1970s to reflect on Billy Joel’s experience as a piano lounge singer at a bar in Los Angeles.
• The verses of the song are based on the piano player’s point of view, talking about the regulars and staff that were in the bar on the weekends, specifically Saturdays.
• The song was released on November 2, 1973, and it is the second song on Joel’s Piano Man album.
• There was a music video released for this song in 1973. A newer version came out in 1985.
• In April 1974, it was #30, eventually going to #25 on Billboard’s Top 40.
• On the first Face to Face tour featuring Elton John & Billy Joel, there were ads that promoted the tour as “Rocket Man Meets Piano Man.”
• In 2015, “Piano Man” was selected as one of the 25 sound recordings to be preserved by the Library Of Congress National Recording because the song has made a significant impact on the history of music.

Lyrics: 

(Musixmatch)

It’s nine 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”

La, la-la, di-di-da

La-la di-di-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 some place 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”

Oh, la, la-la, di-di-da

La-la di-di-da da-dum

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

Sing us the 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 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-di-da

La-la di-di-da da-dum

Sing us the 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