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Each day in Feb 2015 I will choose a song to write about |
Piano Man-Billy Joel Piano Man is the first single released by Billy Joel on November 2, 1973. This is Billy's first major hit and signature song which peaked #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1974. The song is a fictionalized retelling of Billy's experience as a piano-lounge singer for six months in 1972 at the now named the Executive Room bar in Los Angeles. Billy has stated that the people he sings about in this song is about real people. 'John at the bar' was really the bartender who worked during Billy's shift at the piano bar. 'Paul is a real estate novelist' refers to a real estate agent named Paul who would sit at the bar each night working on what he believed would be the next Great American novel. 'The waitress practicing politics' refers to Billy's first wife, Elizabeth Weber, who he met at the Executive Room. Billy ran into some problems with his first record deal and he decided to sign with someone else which caused some problems. Until these matters were settled Billy was 'hiding out' under the name Bill Martin until the lawyers straightened everything out. I have always loved this song with its words describing about the Piano Man to help the crowd to forget about their woes even if it is just for a little while. When I was in high school for an act in one of our talent shows, I remember someone playing this song with a group of eight guys surrounding the piano and singing. They were quite good and the piano player was excellent as well. I can always picture these guys at the piano when I hear the song and it makes me smile to see the inspiration that Billy Joel has inspired in others in music. "Piano
Man" It's
nine o'clock on a Saturday |