Billy Joel
Its nine oclock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
Theres an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin
He says, “Son can you play me a memory
Im not really sure how it goes
But its sad and its sweet
And I knew it complete
When I wore a younger mans clothes”
* Sing us a song youre the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well were all in the mood for a melody
And youve got us feeling alright *
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And hes quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But theres someplace that hed rather be
He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me”
As a smile ran away from his face
“Well, Im sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place”
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And hes talking with Davy, whos still in the Navy
And probably will be for life
现在是周六晚上九点
人群如往常涌入酒吧
有位老头儿坐在我的旁边
正与他的琴东尼酒缠绵
他说,“孩子,你给我弹一段吧
我已记不太清它的旋律
它是悲伤的,是甜蜜的
曾经它在我脑海中是那么清晰
当我还是个年轻小伙的时候”
* 钢琴手,给我们来一曲吧
为今晚高歌一曲
我们都是来听歌的
你弹得棒极了 *
酒保约翰是我的朋友
他给我免费的酒水
讲笑话或是点烟,他都很机灵
但他还有让他神往的地方
他说,“比尔,再这样下去我就毁了……”
笑容从他的脸上褪去
“嗯,如果能离开这鬼地方
我肯定能成为电影明星”
保罗是位有着作家梦的房产经纪人
忙碌工作顾不上娶妻
和他交谈的小伙子是戴维,还在海军服役
或许将终生效力海军
5:38 VS 4:33 VS 3:05
最初《Piano Man》样带的长度是5分38秒,唱片公司的制作人们听后觉得太长,不易营销宣传,便有了4分33秒的版本,而比利在另一首歌《The Entertainer》中还自嘲为了上电台放送打榜,歌曲还有过更精简的版本:“It was a beautiful song / But it ran too long/ If youre gonna have a hit / You gotta make it fit / So they cut it down to 3:05”,这期因为音频制作原因也只能为大家放送4分33秒的版本,但我们的歌词是不减量的噢,希望大家能喜欢。
And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes theyre sharing a drink they call loneliness
But its better than drinking alone
Repeat *
Its a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
Cause he knows that its me theyve been coming to see
To forget about life for a while
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 what are you doing here?”
Repeat *
女侍应耍着小花招
将商人们灌醉
他们同饮一杯叫“寂寞”的酒
但总好过独自浇愁
重复 *
这是个热闹的周六夜
经理给了我一个满意的笑容
因为他知道客人们都是为我而来
为了暂时忘却生活的烦恼
跳动的琴键像是在狂欢
连麦克风也有股啤酒的味道
吧台上的客人们将小费放进我的罐子里
问道,“哥们,你怎么会在这种地方弹琴?”
重复 *
不 不推荐经典
一听到歌曲开篇的钢琴声,脑海中不禁浮现《海上钢琴师》中昏暗路灯下小号手为人娓娓道来1900故事的场景。“Youre never really done for as long as youve got a good story and someone to tell it to.”欢快的口琴声为你拉开上世纪七十年代洛杉矶热闹嘈杂的酒吧的帷幔:那边有位正追忆往昔的老头儿,吧台处幽默机灵的酒保的梦想是有一天能成为电影明星,忙碌的房产经纪人却做着作家梦——写一本伟大的小说,还有海军士兵、女侍应、商人等形形色色的人物和他们微妙的心态,这些都被一位钢琴手看在眼里,他理解他们追梦的心情,正如他也一直在追求着自己的梦想,他能体会他们的苦闷,正如他此时正经历的黯淡。那就让我们举杯!让我们高歌!暂时忘记这苦闷的生活吧!
这位在洛杉矶酒吧里弹唱,被人熟知为Bill Martin的钢琴手正是比利·乔本人(Billy Joel)。1971年,比利在首张专辑《Cold Spring Harbor》并不太成功,加之与唱片公司有了矛盾纠纷,随后来到洛杉矶,并在一家酒吧为客人弹琴唱歌。比利说歌中所描写的John、Paul和Davy都是酒吧中的朋友及熟客,而他的第一任妻子伊丽莎白(Elizabeth Weber)当时也正在这家酒吧做女侍应。他在此呆了六个月,直到哥伦比亚唱片公司找到他。比利的才情注定不会被埋没。1973年哥伦比亚唱片公司签约比利,并灌制《Piano Man》这张专辑,他一曲成名,就此一发不可收拾。