and Words
It′s nine o’clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There′s an old man sittin’ next to me
Makin’ love to his tonic and gin
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
When I wore a younger man′s clothes”
Lyric excerpts from Musixmatch.
I don’t remember precisely when I first discovered this Billy Joel song, ‘Piano Man’. I moved from Puerto Rico to Florida in 1978; at that time, I spoke Cantonese and Spanish. Billy Joel released this single and album in 1973 before I started listening to music in English. Gradually over the ensuing years, I integrated more with American culture and listened to the radio. Billy Joel, a talented singer and songwriter, released many songs during that time. He became an integral part of my American experience.
During college, I picked up The Essential Billy Joel collection. They filled those discs with many songs I recognized; with great anticipation, I happily bought that collection. I may have zipped directly to the songs I knew the first few times. I’m embarrassed to admit that ‘Piano Man’ was not among the songs I recognized, and I thus delayed listening to it.