The Piano Man

I love my cigarettes, even though I've made an involuntary claim to quit smoking for it now costs an extortionary $11 a pack, but who am i kidding? While puffing away at the park downstairs today, I met a man on a wheelchair, it was quite a sad sight, he was trying painfully to manoeuvre his wheels down a slope with the two good limbs he had left. His story? A car accident in 2001 which costs him his legs and left eye. He hasnt been out of the house since the car accident, and when asked of his family, he averted his one good eye and told me it was a long story. We chatted for a while before he took the lift up to his sad little flat on the 12th floor. "Try to quit smoking okay girl" were his words to me before the lift doors closed. These kind words from a stranger made me feel a little small, i should seriously think about quitting.

Here's a song for you, my neighbour on the little wheelchair.

The Piano Man by Billy Joel


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 melody?
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, de de da
La la, de de da da da

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
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke
or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace 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"

Oh, la la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da

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

Chorus

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, de de da
La la, de de da da da

Chorus


The Piano Man Midi File