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Piano Man

Billy Joel

1973

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 da da de de da

da da 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 feeling all right


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"


La da da de de da

da da 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 feeling all right


It's a pretty good crowd for a saturday

and the manager gives me a smile

Cause he knows that it's me

that 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 doing here ?"


La da da de de da           

da da 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 feeling all right

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