The Piano Man

by Elton John and sung by Billy Joel and Elton John

(1) 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.

(2) He says, "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 [ly]
When I wore a younger man's clothes."

La la la, dee da da
La la, dee da da da dum

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' all right.

(3) 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 some place 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 da da
La la, di da da da dum

(4) 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.

(5) 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
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 got us feeling all right

(6) 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, dee da da
La la, dee da da da dum

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 got us feeling all right.

COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY
(Please talk to your partner and then write your answers in complete sentences.)
1. Where is this story taking place? and When is it taking place?

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2. Who is telling this story?


3. One of the customers asked for a song that was a memory for him. He said he knew the whole song when he “wore a younger man’s clothes.” What does that mean?



4. What is a CHORUS in a song?

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5. Who sings the CHORUS in this song?
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6. What is John’s job?
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7. “This is killing me. “ What does this expression mean in this song?

8. What would John rather be doing?
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9. What does Paul do? Tell me two things. Also, is he married?
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10. What does Davy do?
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11. What does it mean that the businessmen are slowly getting “stoned.”
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12.Are the businessmen in the bar by themselves or with someone?
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13. Who do the customers come to see in this piano bar?
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14. What does, “put bread in my jar” mean?
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GRAMMAR

1. There’s an old man sitting next to me makin’ love to his tonic and gin.

One BE verb is enough for this present progressive grammar construction.
An old man is sitting and making = There is an old man sitting . . .

(Use this sentence as a model, and answer this question.)
1. Who is sitting next to you and what is that person doing?

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2. subject + be verb = subject
It’s me. (spoken English) It’s I. (standard English)

Practice this dialogue:
A: I’m calling to talk to Ms. Jones.
B: This is she.
A: I’m sorry. I meant Mr. Jones. Can I speak to your husband.
B: Yes. Just a minute. Honey, telephone!
C: Hello?
A: Is this Mr. Jones?
C: Yes. This is he. How can I help you?

3. Songs are like poems. Many have rhyming words. What words rhyme in this song?

a, In verse 1, what rhymes with IN? _________________
b. In verse 2, what rhymes with GOES? _______________
c. In the chorus, what words rhyme? ______________________________
d. In verse 3, what words rhyme ___________________________________

e. In verse 4, what words rhyme with WIFE? _________________
DAVY rhymes with _______________
f. In verse 5, STONED almost rhymes with __________________
g. In verse 6, what word rhymes with SMILE? ________________
BEER rhymes with __________________
CONVERSATION
Answer the questions and tell your partner WHY!
would rather be
I would rather be healthy than rich. (adj.)
I’d rather be a doctor than a lawyer. (noun)
I’d rather be in San Francisco than in any other place. (prepositional phrase)
1. Is there somewhere else you’d rather be?

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would rather be + ing
I would rather be swimming right now.

John says that he’d rather be somewhere else than where he is.
He’s in a bar, but maybe he’d rather be in Hollywood.

2. You are in school right now. Is there something else you’d rather be doing?

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would rather _+ another base-form verb.
_______I would rather eat vegetables than meat.
I’d rather drive than fly to Los Angeles.
I’d rather use my cell phone than my land line.
.3. Is there something else you’d rather do ?

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