It's hard to believe you've never heard of him. He had 13 TopTen hits and, at 74, is currently touring with Stevie Nicks. Billie Joel reached gold on dozens of his songs but this one launched his career.Just listen to New York State of Mind, For The Longest Time, Uptown Girl, Movin' Out, River Of Dreams, My Life, You May Be Right, Vienna, Honesty, and She's Always a Woman and you will be a fan for life. I was in my 20's when this came out and yes, smoking was allowed inside most buildings, restaurants and even on airlines in those days.
Thank you, Michael...just Thank you. Your reaction captures exactly what Billy was saying with his lyrics. Few musicians today understand that . Noise and screaming do not make one reflect on the way one sees the people around them.
Billy wrote this song about a time early in his career when he was basically "hiding out" by working in a piano bar under a stage name. He had signed a really bad recording contract early in his career and the record company was really taking advantage of him. He decided to ghost them in hopes they would release him from his contract. He played in small venues under a stage name to stay under the radar. He ended up marrying the waitress who was "practicing politics". He constantly heard the "what are you doing here?" line because he had WAAAY more talent than the average piano player at a bar.
Billy Joel is still selling our Madison Square Garden TODAY!!! Have you never heard "New York State of Mind"??? Only the good die young, It's still rock and roll to me, You may be right, and Keeping the faith will all blow your mind! Such incredible song writing and amazing piano playing. Love Billy Joel! (And, yes, the 70s and 80s were fun times, and I've been to lots of bars like that! 🍻)
Billy Joel is a great singer songwriter & composer from the 70's-90's. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. This was Billy's first single released in 1973. "Piano Man" is based on Billy Joel's real-life experiences as a lounge musician in Los Angeles. The song is sung from Joel's point of view as a piano player at a bar, reminiscing about his experiences there & the people he encountered. My favorite album is the "Stranger" album. It has a lot of great songs such as "Just The Way You Are", "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Only The Good Die Young", "She's Always A Woman" etc.
He wrote this in Los Angeles but some of the people are from further back. I worked with John At The Bar about ten years after this song came out. He was, as the video suggests, an enormous man. After a tough break up, Joel wanted out of NYC for a while and spent some time in Troy, NY, playing at the Hendrick Hudson Hotel bar. John worked there. When I was in college I worked in the kitchen of "Holmes and Watson" in Troy, the bar where John At The Bar was working in the 1980s.
Piano bars were big in the 70's. Watched him perform this on Johnny Carson and he blew everyone away. Played the harmonica, piano, and sang. His catalog is miles deep.
His lyrics are poetry and his compositions are complex and unique. He particularly excelled at 'slice of life' moments. He studied piano and composition at Julliard before deciding to go for it.
I went to a gig last week. The group of women in front of me didn't stop yapping, audibly, for 3/4 of the show. They could see the band. I could not. I was behind them. In a wheelchair. My trip out was a birthday gift. If they didn't want to watch/listen why were they there? I have been to hundreds of gigs and never seen this. They didn't dance, clap, sing along, just yapyapyap. I shouted at them to please STFU but they were talking too intently to notice. Gigs in the old days, now they were an experience.
Well, I'm the 67-year old man who once "wore a younger man's clothes", and I thoroughly enjoyed your reaction video to this wonderful, wonderful tune. Suffice it to say that, you get it. You understand, which is a testament to Billy Joel's lyrical skills, and your listening skills. Well done, sir! As always, thank you for sharing. Steve
SURELY this is not your first time to hear Piano Man …. 😊anywho…..BILLY JOEL is a legend. Catalogue is phenomenal. He does it all! All kinds of music for all kinds of people. SO talented. Thanks for discovering Billy Joel. Now go be AMAZED!! ❤😊 PS: For Veteran’s Day his official video “Goodnight Saigon” is such a touching tribute to our vets 🇺🇸Thanks
Billy Joel is a great singer/songwriter with hits in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Some of my favorites are "The Longest Time", Uptown Girl", "Tell Her About It", "A Matter of Trust", We Didn't Start the Fire", "I Go to Extremes" and "The River of Dreams".
Your observation about everyone being together back then versus now is very accurate. As a GenXer I've gotten to experience both, I was online 25 yrs ago, but I'd throw it all in the garbage to go back to then.
I actually know his whole catalogue. And you're absolutely right. This one is a banger! My top 5 (other than Piano Man): 1. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant -- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-izzM9LXqP-U.html 2. New York State of Mind -- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iM4LzEcaTK0.html 3. Vienna -- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fV_-a0P2L3o.html 4. River of Dreams -- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fo_vn_Ilsu8.html 5. An Innocent Man -- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mQCWY5ynBaw.html But picking only 5 is hard. You have no idea how deep his catalogue is. I tried to spread my top 5 across multiple albums but had to take at least 2 from "The Stranger".
Other than Piano Man, he has dozens of songs worth trying. "Just The Way You Are" won a Grammy for song of the year. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" "Vienna" "Only The Good Die Young" "Honesty" "She's Always A Woman To Me" "You May Be Right" "My Life" that's more than 5 and just scratches the surface.
The best part of the lyrics of this song: first he describes all these characters in the bar that have struggles in their lives or are not using their full potential - and in the end it turns out, he is also one of them „(man, what are you doing here?!?“) That‘s genius Songwriting!
You have discovered a giant among singer-songwriters. Billy Joel had it all: lyrics, voice, and mad piano skills. He was absolutely huge when I was in college in the middle 70's, and he stayed relevant for many years. I got to see him live once, but sadly he was sick that night and not performing up to his usual quality. Friends who saw him live on other occasions said he was phenomenal on a good night. His catalog of hits is rich and deep. "Only The Good Die Young" and "She's Always a Woman" are two of my favorites, but you won't go wrong with any suggestions fans give you.
Billy has written and performed songs that are painfully accurate and yet still wonderfully sweet. This is one of his songs that I could listen to again and again.
The concept of the regulars socializing at a bar is the premise for the hit TV show “Cheers”. You’re right. Everyone is busy with their phones and this wouldn’t happen today.
Personal Top 5 Billy Joel songs: Summer, Highland Falls Scenes From An Italian Restaurant Tell Her About It River Of Dreams Two Thousand Years Honorable Mentions: Pressure Miami,2017 (The Lights Go Out On Broadway) You're Only Human New York State Of Mind The Stranger Have fun with this HUGE rabbit hole! It is an amazing ride of brilliance, emotional depth, and the whole range of human experience. Billy is the center of the soundtrack of my life in the realm of pop rock.
Billy Joel is one of the greats. I grew up with him. I'm 57, and when I'd go out in the late 80's, this song would come on, and the whole bar would sing along. Everybody knew it.
I'm born 1962 and have known and loved "Piano Man" since loong time. My son is born 1990, I raised him with lots of music, a lot of "oldies" and even classical music, folk music, oldtime jazz and all sorts of stuff. He told me, after my mom, his very very beloved grandma died (in his, mine and my siblings presence) and he drove home that night because having to work the next day, he listened to the Piano Man and had to stop to cry his heart out about losing his grandma. It IS a sad song, but of a certain kind of sadness. The somehow healing kind of sadness if that makes any sense... Does anyone understand what I'm writing? I'm not sure if I even get it myself... I've got a lump in my throat and want to hug someone but smiling anyway...
If you go on a cruise and visit the piano bar, you can have that type of atmosphere! Billy Joel is still doing concerts. He was once married to super model Christie Brinkley. He has a ton of hits out there. This one is a favorite, also We didn't start the fire, Uptown Girl , Movin Out and Honesty.
So sad that you are totally correct about times like that will never happen again. That's how it used to be even when i was old enough to go in the 80s. No phones! Just drinking, dancing and laughing. Miss those times. Can't go wrong with any Billy Joel song.. Great reaction. Gonna subscribe! 👍
He's a genius on the song writing as well. Check out GOODNIGHT SIAGNON. It's about Vietnam and every concert he has veterans on stage singing the chorus. ❤
My days in bars and nightclubs are long behind me. So it never occurred to me that people would be looking at their phones when they went out. When we went out it was to get away, laugh with your friends until you spit beer out of your nose, and lose yourself in the music. The world could be crumbling down outside and you’d never know about it. We’re on our phones all the time. Going clubbing should be an escape! Leave the phone at home. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have.
i was in my car on my way to school, when I heard this song for the first time. I was so excited when the DJ. announced that this new artists was from my hometown!!
This is the 40th anniversary of this "instant classic." By the way, we old codgers actually had music. They imprinted it on stuff called vinyl, and the sound came out of a "record player." It was back near the plestocene era when pterodactyls roamed the earth.
This was his break-out hit that started his journey to stardom. The story is about the people he met working dive bars and honky Tonks in New York city. My name's not Davy, but I stayed in the Navy for life.
I was fortunate to have gotten to hear this song preformed live. Billy Joel can tickle the keys with the best of them. He may not have the stage presence of Freddie Mercury or "Brake the mold" sound of Led Zeppelin, but his songs found their place in music history none the less.
My very first concert was the Billy Joel River of Dreams Tour in 1994. You have not lived until you have been in an arena with 14,000 people singing this chorus when he has the band cut out. Magic.
Where has this dude been hiding? Where have you been? Love that people your age are checking out the music of my generation. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and in college by 1970. Bars were like this. And you are dead on about cellphones. It was the golden age of music. Take time to enjoy it.
Love your reaction to this iconic song. Incredibly sad how anti-social people have become, obsessed by social media. Billy Joel has a huge catalog of music - I particularly like his earlier albums.
Billy Joel is still touring in concert in 2023. He is currently on his Billy Joel in Concert tour, which began in 2013 and is scheduled to continue into at least May 2024. He has 16 upcoming concerts scheduled across the United States, Japan, and Germany.
Enjoy Billy Joel! So many songs and styles of music to choose from. Some greats: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, It’s Still Rock n’ Roll to Me, Miami 2017, Root Beer Rag.
Great reaction to one of Billy Joel's best. Two other songs I recommend for a for a Billy newbie: * _The Longest Time_ (acapella) * _We Didn't Start the Fire_ (historical) Billy has a huge catalog of amazing songs.
From What I heard this song was about his time at a piano bar when he needed some time to think about an offer the music label had offered , he disappeared and got a job at a piano bar .
Billy Joel recorded this song in the early 1970s. New York born, he had found a small label to record and manage him, but lost control over how it was done. The only record produced was botched over one of his songs, pressing a song at a ridiculously fast speed (Joel said it made him sound like a chipmunk), so he relocated to Los Angeles, basically disappeared, and worked as a piano bar musician until the contract timed out. During this time, he wrote "Piano Man". He signed with a major label, put out one album, but still had little control over how it was arranged or recorded. The label was intending to drop him, but this one track, "Piano Man" blew up the charts and saved his career. Eventually Phil Ramone teamed up with Joel as his record producer and Joel skyrocketed. Billy Joel has written some incredible songs and his music videos and live performances are incredible. Some RU-vid video recommendations for reactions: -"Billy Joel - New York State Of Mind (from Old Grey Whistle Test)" (master piano work) -"Billy Joel - Prelude/Angry Young Man (Live from Long Island)" (more master piano work; played with a broken thumb) -"Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon (Official Video)" (written for a friend who was a Vietnam vet; chorus is made up of actual vets) -"Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Official Music Video)" (animated wonderfully) -"Billy Joel - Tell Her About It (Official Video)" (homage to early rock & roll influences) -"Billy Joel - The Longest Time (Official Video)" (homage to early rock & roll street corner acapella) -"Billy Joel - Uptown Girl (Official Video)" (homage to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons influence; he married the girl) -"Billy Joel - She's Always A Woman |Lyrics|" (incredible love song) -"Billy Joel - Travelin' Prayer (Lyrics)" (another incredible love song) -"Billy Joel - Baby Grand (Official Video) ft. Ray Charles" (written as a gift to his top influence Ray Charles; a duet) -"Billy Joel - The River of Dreams (Official Video)" (same girl from "Uptown Girl" is painting what will be his album cover) There are more, but this is a start. Enjoy.
Billy Joel is unbelievably talented! A friend just saw him and Stevie Nicks at Fenway Park and said they’re both still great even in their mid 70s No one moved despite the rain. Love him! Favorites - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant Vienna Waits For You
Outstanding analysis. Billy Joel and I are of the same generation. I love your appreciation of the cultural differences of the generations. There is more than just technology in that separation. I am reconciled that "Boomer" is a pejorative, but I know that the children will gain perspective eventually. I am heartened that you give voice to that perspective. Many of the "reaction" posts that I watch, I watch not for the reaction but because I am fond of the subject. I'll be coming back to you because I appreciate your insight.
Some very astute observations for a guy of your age. It is very sad what's happened to us as a society. But the song is truly brilliant musically and lyrically.
Before jukeboxes(radio, tape players, cd players mp3 players cell phones) the music at a bar was live, the piano man( any local band) entertaining the patrons.
