FIRST TIME HEARING BILLY JOEL- PIANO MAN | REACTION 

"They're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone." Powerful and profound line!

Yep, you get it. Billy Joel is not only a virtuoso on piano, but he writes very descriptive story songs and sings them really well. One of a kind artist.

Billy Joel is an AMAZING song writer. He churned hit after hit and he wrote them himself. Classics! What an artist he is, and always down to earth.

Fun facts: Billy wrote this song based on his observations when he was playing at The Executive Room, a piano bar in Los Angeles in the early 70s. Billy also played the harmonica on this song.

This was our “last call” bar song at a bar we went to in college. We all stood around in a big circle, hooked arms, and belted out this song together. It’s one of my favorite memories. Sal’s on Wednesdays 🥰

You described the beautiful melancholy of the song perfectly. You can almost SMELL the bar around you, feel the muggy atmosphere, taste the cheap booze. The whole song is just the whole experience of all those people in the bar, living totally different lives but united by that shared feeling of life weighing you down, of something being missing, of needing a break. It’s the community found in a bunch of people who are lonely together.

Billy Joel is the George Gershwin of this era. His songs really paint a picture and tell a story.

Well done, sir. You pay attention to not only the music and the lyrics but also explain what your take on it is along the way without any theatrics throw in. It's been a pleasure watching your reaction. Keep up the good work.

I've been lucky to have been able to see Billy in concert 5 times (in New Zealand). Last December he came back, and I took my daughter who is 28. She has many of his songs on her playlist. I think Billy is around 73 now. Every fan knows that when he plays 'Piano Man', the music will suddenly stop, and he stops singing just as the last chorus comes up, and the crowd takes over and sings the last chorus - just the crowd and no music, until the crowd has finished singing the chorus - it's magic!

This song is about the compilation of people from different walks of life who all have aspirations for something, other than what they’re doing. Thanks for this, one of Billy’s greatest. 👏👏🇨🇦

Billy Joel has a super wide range of styles. *River of Dreams* often just pops into my head when I'm really low. *Scenes from an Italian Restaurant* tells two entire young lives in a single song. And his pop phase had too many Top 40 hits to easily list. But my first album was *The Stranger* and the tilte track is still one of my all-time favorites.

Billy can play. FYI, that is Billy playing the harmonica

"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" is honestly such a raw and emotional verse that I think I could NEVER write myself.

It DAVY who's still in the NAVY. So it does rhythm.

Man, your smile when he started the chorus was just perfect. I know this song back and forth and sideways, and every time that chorus hits, it still makes me smile. Such a good song, and great reaction!

Piano Man was a person who played piano and sang in a piano bar. People would request songs and there was usually a tip glass setting on the piano. You nailed it with Cheers.

When I was a freshman in college about thirty years ago, I was studying for finals with a few classmates in the lobby of my dorm. There were about twenty other students doing the same thing. Someone had a radio that was turn low enough that it didn’t bother anyone. Piano Man came on and they turned it up. Everyone in the lobby stopped studying and started singing. When the song was over the guy that had the radio turned it back down and everyone went back to studying. Not a single person complained.

It’s hard for us older ones to believe you all don’t know how great Billy Joel is. My youngest will be 45 and I have made sure he heard all genres of music and watched all the old music. Same with my 21 yr old granddaughter. She can tell you about the old TV shows and movie and music. I want her to be informed. Her mom is my oldest and she grew up with this music.

Thanks for reacting to my all time favorite, Billy Joel. The man can do it all. The music is often written with classical chord progressions, which is Billy’s first love. His lyrics paint a poetic picture and he can play and sing. That’s a lot in one package. His music is also very eclectic. He is very creative and easily bored with the same old style, so he wrote it all. Its a deep rabbit hole, but well worth diving into his catalogue. Would love to hear more Billy Joel from you. Your reaction was right on point.

His poetry is awesome in this song.

You get it! Billy Joel’s songs are poetry!

Billy Joel was a bar performer before he got picked up by Columbia Records in '72. You have obviously been to a bar with music before; they're slowly going the way of the dodo. Great reaction!

Billy Joel is a brilliant lyricist. Has actually great at everything he does. He paints a picture that makes you feel like you're there with him. React to "We Didn't Start the Fire". It came out later than Piano Man. It's a faster tempo one one of my favorites of his in his later career. It's a song detailing the social and world issues that he saw as he was growing up. You'll recognize some of the names and maybe even some of the events he talks about. I suggest you pull up the lyrics when you do it, simply because you may have to google some of the times he mentions to understand what hes talking about. Great job and selection!

Fantastic reaction!!

If Cheers is a fantasy of a neighborhood pub, Piano Man is the reality of the corner bar.

I love your reaction, sir. You got it! I loved your intro about loving the Cheers song. I knew you were in for a ride! Bang on comparison, but Billy was a decade before. Also that’s Billy on harmonica. He often wore a hands free thing around his neck and blew and keys together. You opened a rabbit hole here, I hope you know. Try Allentown, We Didn’t Start The Fire to keep going down the hole. On a second recommendation you love the harmonica and I see you’ve done some Carpenters. I couldn’t find if you did; Rainy Days and Mondays (the official video). You will have joy on multiple levels, I already know and can’t wait. Well done!!

Billy Joel has a ton of hits but I think you would in particular enjoy, "The Stranger". It's about the masks we wear to present to others and the stranger within ourselves. And it has a killer whistling part and sultry piano.

Billy Joel, “We didn’t Start the Fire”, “She’s Allways A Woman”, “Allentown”,

His hit list is amazing. Try “River of Dreams”.

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. He has so many hits over the years. "Piano Man" is a great storytelling song. The whole "Stranger" album is great & one of my favorites. It has the songs "Just The Way You Are", "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Only The Good Die Young", "She's Always A Woman", "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" etc.

I love this song. He is so great and gave one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Great Reaction! 10 out of 10

I could listen to Billy all night long. Oh wait, iI use to 40 years ago...

Man, I was a little kid and never paid this song much attention because I was a kid. Hearing that harmonica though, takes me back and I can almost see myself sitting in that crappy little Chevy Vega in 100 degree hear, staring out the window as my Mom drives us home from some place and this song plays on the radio. That harmonica riff, my brain etched it at that moment into my memory. I don't think I've heard this song in at least 40 years. It's a nice song and this is the first time I've really listened to the words. You're right, it's an everyman song.

Billy Joel is such a great lyricist as well as a composer. One of my favorite songs by one my favorite artists.

Your first instinct was correct. Before it even became clear, you seemed to know it was about a bar (and so much more). The harmonica, piano and accordion just set the tone. When he plays this song live he plays harmonica, piano and sings! Genius! I love your insights regarding the lyrics. Billy Joel is an American treasure. One of the most prolific, respected singer/songwriters of all time. Great reaction. 🌺✌️

My dad was a piano player, and he played this song once for a small concert. People came up and tipped his jar 😁 One of the last songs I remember him playing before he passed in 2017.

My favorite song! So glad to see you react to it and enjoy how it is so easy to relate to.

“Movin Out” (Anthony’s song) is a great one! 😊 One of the best artists, lyricists of all time

Out of all the song reviewers I have heard this guy had the most deep understanding of the song. The second he mentioned the TV show "Cheers" It became so obvious that he was spot on. I wondered how I missed that though I have listened to this song hundreds of times. Great job, great song, this song was Billy Joel's masterpiece.

🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 Very good reaction 👌 When he plays that song live he plays himself that harmonica on the piano 🎹 😮 Another great song by Billy Joel is 🎵New-York state of mind 🎵 Try the live version Keep the good work my friend ✌️ 👏 👍🏻

Lets get this man to 100k

love me some billy joel brother. ive loved this song since i was a kid

Dude, you hit the nail on the head. This song speaks to everybody. Billy Joel is one of the finest musicians of my lifetime. I hope you'll check out some of his other songs. In particular, I would suggest "Only The Good Die Young".

Please go down the Billy Joel rabbit hole. He has so many great songs, like “Leningrad”; “The Downeaster Alexa”; “I Go to Extremes”; “Movin’ Out - Anthony’s Song”; “We Didn’t Start the Fire”; “And So It Goes”; “The Entertainer”; “Say Goodbye to Hollywood”; “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”; “Goodnight Saigon”; “An Innocent Man”; “The Longest Time”; and “The River of Dreams”, to name a few. 💜💕💜💕💜💕

Two things that I absolutely adore about this song: the rhythm of the music is that of a waltz, and each verse is in the form of a limerick.

Beautiful song, singing about a job and observing the crowd and customers. Beautifully written

Thanks for playing my favourite song by Billy Joel 💎💥 He truly tells stories & he probably has his special, neighborhood bars & clubs as well as the mom & pop pizza places in nyc - where they all know your name!! ( Cheers memories) The music in his productions is fantastic !

I saw Billy Joel in concert twice. He didn't do it in this video but, in concert, Billy plays piano, harmonica and sings in this song. Yes, a movie runs thru your mind when you listen to the lyrics(even without the video)

Just a note, Billy is playing the Harmonica AND the piano AND singing all at the same time. Saw him in concert and it's incredible.

You are one of the very few commentators who concentrate intensely on the music and in doing so your knowledge of music is respected and admired. If it’s good, you know it and explain why. Thank you.

Piano bars were standard entertainment, for decades before karaoke became popular. My nana was a piano bar player, and the memories of everyone singing together around the piano are the greatest~ 💜

Your happy face is a picture,man. This is a masterpiece. LOVE IT!

Billy Joel Piano Man - all his music is poetry and he writes every one of them - he is a genius…

The soul of we humans will never die!! Such energy!!❤❤❤

"Man what are you doing here?" He'd rather be somewhere else too! Best ending line ever...great job and keep up the good work!

Billy Joel may well be one of the top 10 songwriters of all time. There are no bad Billy Joel songs. There's great Billy Joel songs, there's magnificent Billy Joel songs, and there's the merely fantastic Billy Joel songs.

I am 70 years old. Back in my 20s and 30s there were 2 kinds of bars: meat markets, and "locals" neighborhood bars. I stuck to the latter, where we'd meet up, laugh, maybe play some pool, accept each other for our foibles and failures, and just have fun. Yeah, hook-ups happened, but it wasn't the goal. The goal was to seek basic - and diverse - humanity after a day's work that could have been good, bad or ugly. Race, age, wealth and religion and politics were immaterial. We were there for one another. And this song memorializes that vibe.

This song is so great! Piano, harmonica, wonderful writing, and an amazing performance ❤ Thanks for your reaction 💖🦋

Cheers!!! Loved that show and intro song 😊😊😊😊

This was his first hit. Instant star. Soooo good. Great reaction!

This song really hits me when he sings about "John at the bar". I tried to be a professional actor, even got a role as an extra in a movie, but something always held me back. "Well, i'm sure I could be a movie star if I could just get out of this place. "

Really nice reaction mate. Billy Joel is a legend and has written many stunning classics.

Loved hearing your thoughts on the song! It really adds something special to your video.

This is the second reaction to this I have watched; both you and the other "get it." You get how deep and profound this is. Magnificent work dear friend.

From my hometown of Hicksville Long Island New York. Not a big town not a city not a small town. Sort of an in between size place. He's about 15 years older than I am. Take care and be well.

Love your take on this great old Billy Joel tune! I’ve loved it for years, it was so cool watching you loving it for the first time!

I don’t remember how you said it but yes. There are some songs you don’t need the video to hear, see or feel what the artist is painting. This is one of them. I heard the song before watching the video and felt and saw all of it. One of my favorites by him. Thank You for sharing 💚

There was a bar across the street from my work. I used to go in there every Wednesday night because they had dollar pictures. Someone would play this song on the jukebox. It became a tradition for everybody in the bar to sing along with it. Good times.

One of the best songs i've ever listened to, one of the best written songs of all time

You were IN that bar in the first few notes. He had you there. You said, ' this reminds me of Cheers'

Billy spitting bars, amazing talent!!!

Billy tells a great story in all the songs he writes.

Yes the intro to "Cheers" was great, many of the shows in those days had great Intro songs. Making love to his tonic and gin, terrific line. He is a master poet. Speaking of the bartender, I heard somewhere a line that went "we are all living lives of desperation".

Normally when Billy sings this song, he's also playing both the piano and the harmonica (you'll notice there's no harmonica _while_ he's singing), that's why the two instruments are in such perfect unison.

I was raised on Billy Joel. Started with his Innocent Man cassette, moved onto The River of Dreams CD, and then on with the greatest hits volumes. He's just got such a... beautiful, melancholy quality to his songs, but it is where there is happiness even in that place. Like... it's not about being perfect or the sharpest guy around, it is about just... being good with where you are. There's a more recent artist called Frank Turner, who has a song called We Shall Not Overcome, which has the whole sense of "the lives we lead may not be so very perfect, and the plans we make may not serve some final purpose, but the hearts we heed still beat the way they used to, so if you're doing it wrong, yeah, well what'cha gonna do?" Looking back with both songs fresh in my mind, they have a very similar vibe to them. Keep going with Billy Joel. You're going down a good rabbit hole! The one I'd probably recommend the most is It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.

I never thought of cheers intro with this BUT U ARE RIGHT ON!!

Thank you for your thoughtful and careful listening to a really great song

"He said 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". There is no better way to paint a picture of a lonely old man in his twilight years looking to recapture some of the joy from his youth. Depressing and beautiful at the same time and always brings a tear to my eye.

Excellent reaction, brother! Just scratchin’ the surface with Mr Joel. Hell of a storyteller

So glad I came across your reactions. You do it so right, great balance between letting the music run and commentary. And not a lot of gibberish. Thanks, I needed that.

play me a memory... when i wore a younger mans cloths... his wording is so unique

We played this at my uncle’s funeral today, he used to play the harmonica part all the time. Glad you enjoyed this song. ❤ Fun fact: the verse about John at the bar wanting to be a movie star is actually a reference to the late John Candy, who used to be a bartender before becoming a famous comedic actor.

bittersweet song

Excellent excellent reaction. Thank you Sir.

I’ve seen him at The Garden twice. If you can, you must see him before he ends his residency. It’s not just a concert, it’s a full on experience! 🎹

One of the best song writers in history. None of them sound the same. Most have amazing and meaningful lyrics. Some break convention. River of dreams with its different length rests or the entertainer with no chorus.

What an insightful young man you are. You understood right from the beginning Melody that truth is truth. Which means that the Greatest Story Ever told is told every time it reaches the masses for a genuine reason... You know that's how real Legends are born. It's that simple.❤

My question to you, Good Sir: Have you ever sat at that bar? I have....in days past I might have been the "Business Man" slowly getting stoned.....Now a days, though, I'd probably be the "Old Man makin' love to his tonic and ginnnn". Great reaction, thanks, Man 😊

This is one of the most profound analyses of this song I've ever seen. Thank you.

Yes, Billy Joel's 'Piano Man" is a fabulous work of art appreciated for many yeas now.. Billy Joel's piano mastery fantastic; lyrics can't be beat. Folks who dream of being a successful writer would do well to get seriously lost in this.

To make this song more amazing, I 've seen Billy Joel live. He plays BOTH the piano and the harmonica in this song.

My brother. I don't know you. In fact, this is the first reaction video I've ever seen of yours... But I love your interpretation of this song. Your right! Each of us have our grand dreams and aspirations, but at the end of the day all we really want is entertainment.

This was my first time hearing your reaction to a song. Well, you picked a great song and a GREAT composer/singer. Loved hearing your comments and watching your facial expressions. I love a song, or ballad, that tells a story. Now you need to listen to We Didn't Start the Fire!

Hello from Cody Wyoming..you're awesome keep it up. Welcome to the rabbithole of billy joel. Put your seat belt on. Iove you just the way you are is a MUST😊

That's a great song. My dad was a professional pianist and it always makes me think of him.

We used to call it "The Limerick Song" because the verses are nothing but limericks.... He wears the harmonica around his neck in concert and plays it at the same time he's playing piano and singing - truly amazing.....

❤ Your reaction is so intelligent. This has always been one of my favorite songs because it is simple yet complicated and tells a story.

In the 70s we used to go out partying every Friday night. It's a girl's night out. Drinking and dancing at a bar that had good Rock and roll are wonderful Blues music by Robert crave a few times and then before we'd go home a lot of times we would stop by a local restaurant with a bar that usually have a piano player. They were called piano bars. It's kind of a nice place to wind down and since you were in a restaurant you could get you something to eat before you went home and sober up. I love piano bars they're so cozy

Great breakdown! Billy is a great writer and performer! He was dropping bars!

Also Billy wrote it!! Such talent!!!