Dani+C


 * Piano Man - Billy Joel **

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**What am I going to talk about?** - Background - Introduction - What do the lyrics mean to me? **Background** Piano Man was inspired by Joel's experiences playing at The Executive Room, a piano bar in Los Angeles. He worked there for 6 months in 1972, getting screwed over with contract. The characters in the song are based on real people Joel encountered while working at The Executive Room. **Introduction** I did not know this song until last summer. What’s more, I didn’t even know about Billy Joel himself up until a friend of mine told me he loved Billy Joel. I now know why that is. Piano Man is, in my opinion, by far Billy Joel’s best song, and easily one of the best one of his decade. The melody is gentle and lively although it is nowhere near as moving as the fact that there is so much of Billy Joel in this song. Actually, the first time I heard it; it struck my heart with emotions I had never felt before. - Perhaps over the top? **Lyrics**

//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 //

// (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 //

// Now John at the bar is a friend of mine // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> He gets me my drinks for free // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> But there's someplace that he'd rather be // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me." // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> As the smile ran away from his face // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> "Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> If I could get out of this place" //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Oh, la la la, di da da // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> La la, di da da da dum //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And the waitress is practicing politics // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> As the businessmen slowly get stoned // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> But it's better than drinkin' alone //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Chorus:) // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Sing us a song you're the piano man // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Sing us a song tonight // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Well we're all in the mood for a melody // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And you got us feeling alright //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Now Paul is a real estate novelist // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Who never had time for a wife // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And probably will be for life //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And the manager gives me a smile // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> To forget about life for a while // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And the piano, it sounds like a carnival // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And the microphone smells like a beer // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?" //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Oh, la la la, di da da // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> La la, di da da da dum //

//<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Chorus:) // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Sing us a song you're the piano man // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Sing us a song tonight // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Well we're all in the mood for a melody // //<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> And you got us feeling alright //

**What do the lyrics mean to me?** Before analyzing the lyrics, I would like to talk about the general meaning of the song and how did it appeal to me.

Piano Man, written in a reflective tone, talks about how young Billy Joel used to play in a bar where customers wanted to hear him play in order to forget the fact that they never achieved their dreams.

Billy Joel starts off by setting the scene and then introduces workers and customers. The idea that the customers represent, explained above, contrasts with Billy being a young, ambitious and talented lad. This produced me a toing and froing of feelings because of the juxtaposition between the ambition and innocence of young Bill and the sins and apathy of the adult customers. It is for these reasons that I think that the American Dream theme is very present in this song. For example, both “//Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star”// and the fact that //“the waitress is practicing politics”// clearly highlight the idea of the American Dream.

As a matter of fact, the line "Paul is a real estate novelist" is about a real estate broker who was a regular at the bar and always claimed to be working on a book. Joel figured Paul would never finish because he was always in the bar; and the waitress “who is practicing politics” is actually his first wife.

I think the song is about escaping life for a while since all of us have fallen short from our expectations; just like “Paul” wants more from his life but can't have a wife because of his career; or just like “Davy” who all he knows is Navy life and can't get more out of it; or just like “the businessmen”, who want to make the most of their lives but are stuck at work. Moreover, despite all of their lives being led by misery, when they enter the bar and listen to Billy they forget all their rubs and share a feeling of happiness inside their souls. The conception that it is a release for those drinking in the bar to have someone to talk to and to relate their feelings through the songs Billy plays, in my opinion is conveyed when he sings: //“Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness//  //But it's better than drinkin' alone// //(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 got us feeling alright”//

In the stanza before the last chorus, Billy sets the scene again, linking the ending with the beginning. It's a great “crowd”. “The manager” knows that the reason why people are coming in is to hear Billy play. Everyone comes to get rid of the fact that they are stuck unhappily without their dreams being fulfilled. Everyone knows Billy is very good for it and that's why they tip him and ask him why he still works there.

I think this is why Billy Joel decided to risk his job and pursue the American Dream; as both, he saw that he was very popular amongst these people, and he realised that all these people where actually regretting not having had enough talent to pursue their dreams or courage to have tried; and he decided that he would have to try and that he was far more talented than what they would have ever dreamt of being.

**Conclusion** In conclusion I would like to say that this song is one of the most moving songs I know since Billy Joel gets to touch us all since we've all felt alone, watching others, trying to just get by. We've been the “Naval” officer stuck in a job or in a project we probably don't want to stay in. We've been, lost, and in need of resting and finding ourselves again. **Activity** Fill in the gaps: //Now John at the bar is a……………….of mine//

//He gets me my ………………………. for free//

//And he's quick with a ………… or to …………………… your smoke//

//But there's someplace that he'd ……………………………………..//

//Sing us a song you're the ……………….//

//Sing us a song tonight//

//Well we're all in the ………………………//

//And you ……………………… feeling alright//

//It's a pretty good ……………… for a Saturday//

//And the manager gives me a ……………….//

//'Cause he knows that it's me they've been ……………………………………….//

//To ……………… about life for a while//

//And the piano, it sounds like a …………………….//

//And the microphone smells like a ………………………..//

//And they sit at the bar and put ………………… in my jar//

//And say, "Man, what are you ……………….. here?"//

Did you get them all right?