Billy Joel – Piano Man

About the song

Released in 1973, “Piano Man” is Billy Joel’s signature song — a semi-autobiographical, barroom ballad that introduced his gift for storytelling to the world. It was his first major hit, reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually becoming one of the most beloved and enduring songs in American music history.

Inspired by Joel’s own experiences working as a lounge pianist at the Executive Room bar in Los Angeles under the pseudonym “Bill Martin,” the song captures the quiet lives and unrealized dreams of ordinary people, all gathered around a piano in search of escape — even just for a night.

The story and characters:

“Piano Man” plays out like a short film or a stage play. Each verse introduces a new character:

• John at the bar, a friend of the narrator who’s quick with a drink and a joke.

• Paul the real estate novelist, who’s never written a book.

• Davy, who’s still in the Navy and probably will be for life.

• And the waitress practicing politics, as the patrons slowly get stoned.

Joel turns these fleeting lives into something beautiful and melancholic. They’re all “sharing a drink they call loneliness,” but they’re also sharing in a kind of communal hope, looking to the piano man for connection, comfort, and maybe even catharsis.

The music and mood:

Musically, “Piano Man” draws from folk, pop, and a touch of waltz-time balladry. The arrangement is modest — harmonica, piano, bass, and subtle rhythm — but it feels grand in its emotional reach. Joel’s voice is full of empathy, never mocking the characters he sings about, but instead holding them up as reflections of all of us: yearning, stuck, dreaming.

The refrain is one of the most singable and poignant in pop history:

“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 both a request and a recognition — that music, even in a small corner of a forgotten bar, can still mean everything.

Impact and legacy:

Though not initially a chart-topping smash, “Piano Man” grew steadily in stature over time. Today, it is considered Billy Joel’s anthem — the centerpiece of his concerts, often sung in unison by entire stadiums. In 2016, it was selected for preservation in the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”

For millions of fans, it’s more than a song — it’s a time machine, a comfort, a reminder of life’s quiet poetry.

Final thoughts:

“Piano Man” is a masterclass in empathy and atmosphere. With simple lyrics and timeless melody, Billy Joel created a song that doesn’t just tell a story — it invites you into one. You can almost smell the smoke in the air, hear the clinking of glasses, and feel the ache in every soul in that room.

And in the center of it all: the piano man, playing everyone’s song, including his own.

Video

Lyrics

 

“Piano Man”

It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There’s an old man sitting next to me
Making 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.”

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 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 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.”

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 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 coming 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 doing here?”

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 alright