From
Piano Man (1973) by
Billy Joel
Travelin' Prayer (Joel) - 4:10
Hey Lord, take a look all around
And I'd a-find where my baby's gonna be.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
'Cause she is far across the sea.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that she's gonna be alright
And things are gonna be alright with me.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that all her dreams are sweet.
Said now, would ya guide her on the roads
And make them softer for her feet.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that she's gonna be alright
Until she's home and here with me.
Hey, Lord would ya look out for her tonight
If she is sleepin' under the sky.
Said now, make sure the ground she's sleepin' on
Is always warm and dry.
Ummm, don'tcha give her too much rain,
Try to keep her away from pain
Because my baby hates to cry.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
'Cause it gets rough along the way.
Said now, this song seems strange is just because
I don't know how to pray.
Ummm, won'tcha give her peace of mind,
And if you ever find the time
Won'tcha tell her I miss her everyday.
Hey Lord, take a look all around
And I'd a-find where my baby's gonna be.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
'Cause she is far across the sea.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that she's gonna be alright
Until she's home and here with me.
With me.
Piano Man (Joel) - 5:37
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
He says, "Son, can you play me a melody?
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"
La la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da
Chorus:
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that 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 la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with 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 loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone
Chorus
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 comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it 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, what are you doin' here?"
Oh, la la la, de de da
La la, de de da da da
Chorus
Ain't No Crime (Joel) - 3:20
Opening:
You got to open your eyes in the morning,
Nine o'clock comin' without any warnin'
And you gotta get ready to go.
You say you went out late last evenin'
Did a lot of drinkin', come home stinkin',
And you went and fell asleep on the floor.
And then your lady comes and finds you a)sleepin'
Starts into weepin' 'bout the hours you been keepin'
And you better get your ass out the door.
Ain't no crime,
Yeah, it's good to get it on to get a load off your mind,
It ain't no crime,
Well, ev'rybody gets that way sometime.
It ain't no crime.
Oh.
Opening
Well now you tell me you love somebody
And you'll love 'em forever, you may love 'em forever,
But you won't like 'em all of the time.
Well now you tell me you need somebody
For the rest of your life you might have somebody,
But you won't want 'em ev'ry day.
Ain't no crime,
Well it's just human nature, happens all the time,
It ain't no crime,
Well ?????
It ain't no crime.
Oh.
Ain't no crime,
Yeah, it's good to get it on to get a load off your mind,
It ain't no crime,
Well it's just human nature, happens all the time,
It ain't no crime.
Oh.
Opening
And just as surely as the wind keeps blowin',
The grass keeps growin', you gotta keep goin',
And the Lord have mercy on your soul.
Oooh, la la la la.
You're My Home (Joel) - 3:14
When you look into my eyes
And you see the crazy gypsy in my soul
It always comes as a surprise
When I feel my withered roots begin to grow
Well I never had a place that I could call my very own
That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home
When you touch my weary head
And you tell me everything will be all right
You say, "Use my body for your bed
And my love will keep you warm throughout the night"
Well I'll never be a stranger and I'll never be alone
Whenever we're together, that's my home
Home can be the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Indiana's early morning dew
High up in the hills of California
Home is just another word for you
Well I never had a place that I could call my very own
That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home
If I travel all my life
And I never get to stop and settle down
Long as I have you by my side
There's a roof above and good walls all around
You're my castle, you're my cabin and my instant pleasure dome
I need you in my house 'cause you're my home.
You're my home.
The Ballad of Billy the Kid (Joel) - 5:35
From a town known as Wheeling West Virginia
Rode a boy with a six-gun in his hand
And his daring life of crime
Made him a legend in his time
East and west of the Rio Grande
Well, he started with a bank in Colorado
In the pocket of his vest, a Colt he hid
And his age and his size
Took the teller by surprise
And the word spread of Billy the Kid
Well, he never traveled heavy
Yes, he always rode alone
And he soon put many older guns to shame
And he never had a sweetheart
And he never had a home
But the cowboy and the rancher knew his name
Well, he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma
And the law just could not seem to track him down
And it served his legend well
For the folks, they'd love to tell
'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town
Well, one cold day a posse captured Billy
And the judge said, "String 'im up for what he did!"
And the cowboys and their kin
Like the sea came pourin' in
To watch the hangin' of Billy the Kid
Well, he never traveled heavy
Yes, he always rode alone
And he soon put many older guns to shame
And he never had a sweetheart
But he finally found a home
Underneath the boothill grave that bears his name
From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island
Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand
And his daring life of crime
Made him a legend in his time
East and west of the Rio Grande
Worse Comes to Worst (Joel) - 3:28
Today I'm livin' like a rich man's son
Tomorrow mornin' I could be a bum
It doesn't matter which direction, though
I know a woman in New Mexico
Chorus:
Worse comes to worst
I'll get along
I don't know how, but sometimes
I can be strong
Oh, and if I don't have a car, I'll hitch
I got a thumb and she's a son of a bitch
I do my writing on my road guitar
And make a living at a piano bar, oh
Chorus
Lightning and thunder
Flashed across the roads we drove upon
Oh, but it's clear skies we're under
When I am together, when I sing the song
Chorus
Oh, fun ain't easy if it ain't free
Too many people got a hold on me
But I know something that they don't know
I know a woman in New Mexico
Chorus 3x and fade
Stop in Nevada (Joel) - 3:40
He always found it hard to take her
She wouldn't listen to advice
And though he never tried to make her
She often thought it would be nice
Oh, and now she's headin' out to California
It's been a long time comin'
But she's feelin' like a woman tonight
And she left a little letter,
Said she's gonna make a stop in Nevada
Goodbye. Goodbye.
She tried for years to be a good wife
It never quite got off the ground
And all those stories of the good life
Convinced her not to hang around
Oh, and now she's headin' out to California
And she doesn't know what's comin'
But she sure knows what she's leavin' behind
And she left a little letter,
Said she's gonna make a stop in Nevada.
Goodbye. Goodbye.
And though she finds it hard to leave him
She knows it would be worse to stay
He wouldn't understand the reasons
That make a woman run away
Oh, and now she's headin' out to California
With some money in her pocket,
She's a rocket on the Fourth of July
And she left a little letter,
Said she's gonna make a stop in Nevada.
Goodbye. Goodbye.
(Repeat last chorus)
If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You) (Joel) - 3:35
If I only had the words to tell you
If you only had the time to understand
Though I know it wouldn't change your feelings
And I know you'll carry on the best you can.
If I only had the urge to tell you
If you only knew how hard it is to say
When the simple lines have all been taken
And the radio repeats them ev'ry day.
If I never find the song to sing you
If you always find it hard to comprehend
Well, you know there wouldn't be much meaning
If I had to sing those tired words again.
Life goes on and on
And tonight will soon be gone
But if we try we can be sure.
If I only had the words to tell you
If you only had the time to understand
But I only have these arms to hold you
And it's all that you can ask of any man.
La la la la, la la la la
If I only had the words to tell you
If you only had the time to understand
Oh, but I only have these arms to hold you
And it's all that you can ask of any man.
Somewhere Along the Line (Joel) - 3:17
Well it's a rainy night in Paris
And I'm sitting by the Seine
It's a pleasure to be soaking
In the European rain
Now my belly's full of fancy food and wine
But in the morning there'll be hell to pay
Somewhere along the line
Sweet Virginia Cigarette
Burning in my hand
Well you used to be a friend of mine
But now I understand
You've been eating up inside me for some time
But I know your gonna get me
Somewhere along the line
Somewhere along the line
Well I know it's just a matter of time
When the fun falls through and the rent comes due
Somewhere along the line
Well, you know I love my woman
And I would not let her down
And I did my share of lovin'
When I used to get around
Now I'm satisfied that she is lookin' fine
But you pay for your satisfaction
Somewhere along the line
Hey, it's good to be a young man
And to live the way you please
Yes, a young man is the king
Of every kingdom that he sees
There's an old and feeble man not far behind
But it surely will catch up to him
Somewhere along the line
Captain Jack (Joel) - 6:55
Saturday night and you're still hangin' around
Tired of livin' in your one-horse town
Like to find a little hole in the ground
For a while
So you go to the village in your tie-dye jeans
And you stare at the junkies and the closet queens
It's just like some pornographic magazine
And you smile
Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push and you'll be smilin'
Your sister's gone out. She's on a date
You just sit at home and masturbate
The phone is gonna ring soon but you just can't wait
For that call
So you stand on the corner in you New English clothes
And you look so polished from your hair down to your toes
But still your finger's gonna pick your nose
After all