“Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair. . . .
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.”

“If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time.”

“In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along.”

“Slow down you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time.”

“I would not leave you in your times of trouble. We never could have come this far. I took the good times, I'll take the bad times, I'll take you just the way you are.”

He is known as the "Piano Man", and not only because that happens to be the name of one of his many legendary songs. When it comes to musicians and songwriters in the world of pop and rock, it's hard to find anyone who has done more with the piano than Billy Joel. One of the main traits of his playing and songwriting is its diversity, running from old fashioned rock and roll and pop, to ballads more influenced by traditional forms. With his songs covering all of the bases of pop piano, you can really get a crash course in a number of different styles and genres, just by exploring his work! As varied as his songs are, though, the more you play and listen to them the more clearly you'll be able to see a certain signature Billy Joel style that comes through in every song.

Intro
G   C\G   D*   C Cmaj D(X2)


     G   D          Em          C
It's 4 o'clock on a Saturday
                           D 
The regular crowd shuffles in
           G      D        Em        
There's an old man sitting next to me
       C           D         G   C\G   D*   
Making love to his tonic and gin


C Cmaj7 D G            D         Em
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?
C                          D
I'm not really sure how it goes,
         G            D           Em
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
C             D             G
When I wore a younger man's clothes"
    Em             A7
Oh, la da da ditty da, 
Em7         D      D D7 G\D D
La da ditty da da dum

Chorus:
G         D                Em
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
C                D
Sing us a song tonight
             G          D          Em
'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody
    C             D           G   C\G   D*   C Cmaj7 D 
And you've got us feeling all right
G   C\G   D*   C Cmaj7 D

2.Now Tom at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or a light up your smoke,
But there's some place that's 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 da da ditty da
La da ditty da da dum

(Chorus)

3.Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who Never had time for a wife
And he's talking to 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 Lonliness,
But it's better than drinking alone
(Piano Solo)Em  Em7  A7  C  Em  Em7  A7  A7  D  D7  G\D  D

(Chorus)

4.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 awhile

And the piano 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, whatta you doin' here?"
Oh, la da da ditty da
La da ditty da da dum

(Chorus play last few chords slowly)

Billy Joel Tabs

Piano Man Chords

G11    C     Em/B       Am       C/G     F       C/E            D7
   Its nine o'clock on a Saturday   The   regular crowd shuffles in
 
G            C       Em/B       Am         C/G      F           G11       C
   There's an old man    sitting next to me   making love to his tonic and gin
 
C F/C CMaJ7 G11         C           Em/B      Am     C/G     F          C/E         
D7
                He says son can you play me a memory   I'm    not really sure
how it goes
 
        C           Em/B        Am      C/G           F        G11          C
But its sad and its sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger mans
clothes
 
Chorus;
 
Am       AmG       D7/F#      F  Am      Am/G          D7/F#     D7   G   G/F
Da da da     de de Da               dada          dede da          da da
 
 
C/E  G7/D   C         Em/B          Am        C/G      F         C/E       D7
            Sing us a song your the piano man          Sing us a song     
tonight
 
G           C          Em/B       Am     C/G         F            G11         C
  Well were all in the mood for a melody         and you've got us feeling all
right
F/C  Cmaj7     {1,2,3,4 G11}

Lyrics and Chords

Artist Billy Joel

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

/ C Em Am C / F C D7 G / 1st / F G C - /

He says, "Son can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

{Bridge}
La la-la di-di da
La-la di-di da, da dum

/ Am - D7 F / Am - D7 - G - - - /

Gunther Anderson

Piano Man

Billy Joel

(wu) = bass walk-up from G to C

(wd) = bass walk-down from C to Am

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / C/E - - / D7 - - / G (wu) – - /

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / G - - / C - - / F - - / Gsus4 - - / F(wd) /

/ C - - / F - - / Gsus4 - - / F(wd) /

C Em/B Am C/G

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

F C/E D7 G(wu)
The regular crowd shuffles in

C Em/B Am C/G
There's an old man sitting next to me

F G C (x2)
Makin' love to his tonic and gin

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / G - - / C - - / - - - / F/C - - / - - - /

C Em/B Am C/G
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory

F C/E D7 G(wu)
I'm not really sure how it goes

C Em/B Am C/G
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete

F G C C(wd)
When I wore a younger man’s clothes"

Am Am/G D7/F# F
La la la, de de da

Am Am/G D7/F# (x2) G G/F C/E G7/D

La la, de de da da dum

Chorus:

C Em/B Am C/G
Sing us a song, you're the piano man

F C/E D7 G(wu)
Sing us a song tonight

C Em/B Am C/G
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody

F G C (x2)
And you've got us feelin' alright

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / G - - / C - - / - - - / F/C - - / - - - /

C Em/B Am C/G
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine

F C/E D7 G(wu)
He gets me my drinks for free

C Em/B Am C/G
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke

F G C (x2) F/C (x2)
But there's someplace that he'd rather be

C Em/B Am C/G
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."

F C/E D7 G(wu)
As the smile ran away from his face

C Em/B Am C/G
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star

   F                G                 C        C(wd)
If I could get out of this place"

Am   Am/G           D7/F# F
La la la,     de de da

Am Am/G D7/F# (x2) G G/F C/E G7/D

La la, de de da da dum

C Em/B Am C/G
Now Paul is a real estate novelist

F C/E D7 G(wu)
Who never had time for a wife

C Em/B Am C/G
And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the navy

F G C (x2)
And probably will be for life

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / G - - / C - - / - - - / F/C - - / - - - /

C Em/B Am C/G
And the waitress is practicing politics

F C/E D7 G(wu)
As the businessmen slowly get stoned

C Em/B Am C/G
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness

F G C (x2)
But it's better than drinkin' alone

Instrumental:

Am Am/G D7/F# F
Am Am/G D7/F# F

Am Am/G D7/F# (x2) G G/F C/E G7/D

Chorus

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / G - - / C - - / F - - / Gsus4 - - / F(wd) /

/ C - - / F - - / Gsus4 - - / F(wd) /

C Em/B Am C/G
It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday

F C/E D7 G(wu)
And the manager gives me a smile

C Em/B Am C/G
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see

F G C (x2) F/C (x2)
To forget about life for a while

C Em/B Am C/G
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival

F C/E D7 G(wu)
And the microphone smells like a beer

C Em/B Am C/G
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar

                  F                    G             C (x2)
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"

Am   Am/G           D7/F# F
La la la,     de de da

Am Am/G D7/F# (x2) G G/F C/E G7/D

La la, de de da da dum

Chorus

/ C - - / Em/B - - / Am - - / C/G - - /

/ F - - / G - - / C - - / F - - / Gsus4 - - / F(wd) /

/ C - - / F - - / Gsus4 - - / F(wd) / C (hold)

Piano Man by Billy Joel

	C	G	F	C
It's	nine o'	clock on a	saturday

	F	C/E	D7	G
the	regular	crowd shuffles	in

	C	G	F	C/G
There's an	old man	sitting	next to me

	F	G11	C	F/C	Cmaj7	G11
Makin'	love to his	tonic and	gin

	C	G	F	C/G
He says "	Son can you	play me a	memory	?

	F	C/E	D7	G
I'm	not really	sure how it	goes

	C	G	F	C/G
But it's	sad and it's	sweet and I	knew it com	plete

	F	G11	C
when	I wore a	younger man's	clothes"

	Am	Am/G	D7/F#	F	Am
	Da da da	de de	da

	Am/G	D7/F#	D7	G	G/F	C/E	G7/D
da da	de de		da da	da

	C	G	F	C/G
	Sing us a	song, you're the	piano man,

	F	C/E	D7	G
	sing us a	song to	night

	C	G	F
Well we're	all in the	mood for a	melody

	C/G	F	G11	C	F/C	Cmaj7	G11
	and	you've got us	feeling all	right

	C	G	F	C
Now	John at the	bar is a	friend of mine,

	F	C/E	D7	G
he	gets me my	drinks for	free

	C	G	F	C/G
And he's	quick with a	joke or to	light up your	smoke,

	F	G11	C	F/C	Cmaj7	G11
but there's	some place that	he'd rather	be

	C	G	F	C/G
He says "	Bill I be	lieve this is	killing me"

	F	C/E	D7	G
As a	smile ran a	way from his	face

	C	G	F	C/G
"Well I'm	sure that I	could be a	movie	star

	F	G11	C
If	I could get	out of this	place"

Chorus

	C	G	F	C
Now	Paul is a	real estate	novelist

	F	C/E	D7	G
who	never had	time for a	wife

	C	G	F	C/G
And he's	talking with	Davy, who's	still in the	Navy,

	F	G11	C	F/C	Cmaj7	G11
and	probably	will be for	life

	C	G	G
And the	waitress is	practicing	politics,

	C/G	F	C/E	D7	G
	as the	businessmen	slowly get	stoned

	C	G	F	C/G
Yes they're	sharing a	drink they call	loneli	ness,

	F	G11	C
but it's	better than	drinking a	lone

Chorus

	C	G	F	C
It's a	pretty good	crowd for a	saturday

	F	C/E	D7	G
and the	manager	gives me a	smile

	C	G	F	C/G
`Cause he	knows that it's	me that they've been	coming to	see

	F	G11	C	F/C	Cmaj7	G11
To for	get about	life for a	while

	C	G	F	C/G
And the	piano	sounds like a	carnival

	F	C/E	D7	G
and the	microphone	smells like a	beer

	C	G	F	C/G
And they	sit at the	bar and put	bread in my	jar

	F	G11	C
and say "	Man what are	you doing	here ?"

Isn't he great?! Love Billy Joel! :)

-- LadyD Have a heart that never hardens and a touch that never hurts. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.