Billy Joel‘s legacy is intrinsically linked to “Piano Man,” the 1973 single that gave its name to Joel’s second album. It’s his nickname, his first big hit, and his signature song. Additionally, it’s based on real-life experiences Joel had early in his career. However, when “Piano Man” first gained intense popularity, Billy Joel recalled feeling strange about its success.
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Speaking with the U.K. publication Metro News in 2006, Joel revealed some of the lore behind “Piano Man.” It was based on his experience playing at the piano bar The Executive Room in Los Angeles. While there, he performed under a different name after his first record deal fell through.
The song slowly came together the more he performed at the bar. Joel would include verses about the people he met and saw there, revealing in 2010 that all of the characters were based on real people.
“John was the bartender. Paul was this real estate guy who wanted to write the great American novel, and Davey was a guy who was in the Navy,” Joel said in 2010, via Ultimate Classic Rock. “It’s a true story, and I knew when I was doing the gig, I said, ‘I gotta get a song out of this.’ And it worked out. Even the girl in the song that says ‘And the waitress is practicing politics, as the businessmen slowly get stoned’ — that was my first wife. She was working there too, as a waitress.”
Billy Joel’s Initial Reaction to “Piano Man” Gaining Huge Success Is Surprising but Relatable
Performing under the name Bill Martin and recovering from the disappointment of his first album, Billy Joel took the job at The Executive Room for six months. He spent that time trying to get out of his bad record deal. But during the job, he also spent his time observing the people around him.
“[I] just bulls—ted my way through it,” he said in 2006. “I have no idea why [“Piano Man”] became so popular. It’s like a karaoke favorite.”
While Joel can recognize the popularity of “Piano Man,” he also has some criticisms of the song. “The melody is not very good and very repetitious, while the lyrics are like limericks,” he said. “I was shocked and embarrassed when it became a hit.”
However, even while being “shocked and embarrassed,” Joel admitted he was proud of that song. “But my songs are like my kids,” he said, “and I look at that song and think: ‘My kid did pretty well.’”
Photo by Tom Sheehan/Sony Music Archive via Getty Images
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