Billy Joel | Piano Man (1973)
"Piano Man" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. His first single in North America, it was included on Joel's 1973 album of the same name and later released as a single on November 2, 1973.
1973-11-02 19:00:00 - Music Video
The song is sung from Joel's point-of-view working as a piano player at a bar, reminiscing on his experiences working there and the people that he encountered.
"Piano Man" is based on Joel's real-life experiences working as a lounge musician in Los Angeles from 1972-73, in an effort to escape his contracted New York-based record company at the time, Family Productions, following the poor commercial performance of the album Cold Spring Harbor. Joel describes various characters, including a bartender named John and a "real-estate novelist" named Paul, all based on real-life individuals.