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"

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"

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

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?"