Piano Man by Billy Joel | Lyrics With Guitar Chords

Piano Man by Billy Joel was released in 1973. The song was written after Joel took almost a year off to be a lounge singer in Los Angeles. It has since become Joel’s signature song.

You can learn to play Piano Man by Billy Joel with guitar chords, lyrics and a strumming trainer directly in the Uberchord app. This app helps listen to guitar chords as well as play songs and identify chords too.

Key of the Song:

The original key of Piano Man by Billy Joel is in C major.

Guitar Chords for Piano Man by Billy Joel

The key playing this similar to the piano is the strumming pattern. You can focus on hitting the lower notes on the first beat, while accenting the higher notes on the higher strings on the next beats (like the piano).

There are also many quick chord changes to this song so be sure to know these shapes in and out before attempting this progression.

Video Lesson for Piano Man by Billy Joel

Piano Man by Billy Joel – Lyrics with Chords

[Intro]
 
C G F C  F C D7 G  C G F C  F G C   G
 
[Verse 1]
 
     C      G          F    C
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
    F       C              D7 G
The regular crowd shuffles in
           C       G       F       C
There's an old man sitting next to me
       F           G         C   G
Making love to his tonic and gin
 
          C            G         F   C
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory
    F          C           D7  G
I'm not really sure how it goes
         C            G           F          C
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
     F        G             C
When I wore a younger man's clothes."
 
[Interlude]
 
Am              D7
la la la, di da da
Am           D7    G  F C G7
La la, di di da da dum
 
[Chorus]
 
C         G                F     C
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
F         C      D7   G
Sing us a song tonight
            C          G          F   C
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
    F                 G         C     G
And you've got us all feeling alright
 
[Verse 2]
 
    C           G        F         C
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
   F          C          D7  G
He gets me my drinks for free
         C            G              F             C
And he's quick with a joke and he'll light up your smoke
            F               G           C   G
But there's some place that he'd rather be
 
          C         G             F       C
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
       F          C            D7  G
As the smile ran away from his face
          C           G          F     C
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
   F           G           C
If I could get out of this place"
 
[Interlude]
 
Am              D7
la la la, di da da
Am           D7    G  F C G7
La la, di di da da dum
 
[Verse 3]
 
    C         G           F   C
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
    F         C          D7  G
Who never had time for a wife
         C            G           F            C
And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy
    F             G      C   G
And probably will be for life
 
        C           G          F   C
And the waitress is practicing politics
       F           C           D7    G
As the businessman slowly gets stoned
             C         G               F     C
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
         F           G         C    G
But it's better than drinking alone
 
[Chorus]
 
C         G                F     C
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
F         C      D7   G
Sing us a song tonight
            C          G          F   C
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
    F                 G         C     G
And you've got us all feeling alright
 
[Verse 4]
 
       C           G           F    C
It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
        F       C          D7    G
And the manager gives me a smile
          C               G               F         C
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see
   F            G           C   G
To forget about life for a while
 
        C         G             F    C
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
        F          C             D7  G
And the microphone smells like a beer
         C          G           F           C
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
          F             G         C     G
And say, "Man, what are you doing here?"
 
[Interlude]
 
Am              D7
la la la, di da da
Am           D7    G  F C G7
La la, di di da da dum
 
[Chorus]
 
C         G                F     C
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
F         C      D7   G
Sing us a song tonight
            C          G          F   C
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
    F                 G         C
And you've got us all feeling alright