@Brettofdaburg I love this post. One of my favorite music artists is Billy Joel; he has an exceptional talent for storytelling songs like Piano Man. What many people don't know about this song, it is based on a true story of Billy Joel's real-life experience.
It’s a Friday night in Los Angeles, 1972. The neon sign outside The Executive Room flickers, promising warmth and music to anyone who wanders in. Inside, the air is thick with cigarette smoke and the clinking of glasses.
At the piano sits a young man — not yet famous, not yet the legend he would become. He calls himself Bill Martin here, hiding behind his middle name. His fingers dance across the keys, filling the room with melodies that make strangers feel like friends.
Around him, the regulars gather:
Paul, the real estate novelist — a man with dreams bigger than his desk job. He scribbles notes for a book that may never be finished, but tonight, the piano gives him hope.
Davy, still in the Navy — uniform crisp, laughter loud. He’s proud of his service, but the bar is where he feels most at home.
The waitress practicing politics — Elizabeth, sharp-eyed and witty, trading jokes and secrets with the customers as she balances trays. She’s more than a waitress; she’s the heartbeat of the room.
The businessmen, the lonely souls, the dreamers — each with their own story, each finding comfort in the music.
Bill plays, and the crowd sings along. They’re not just patrons anymore — they’re a chorus, united by longing, by routine, by the fragile joy of forgetting their troubles for a while.
The piano man knows their stories, and he weaves them into song. What begins as background music becomes something more: a hymn for the ordinary, a ballad for the forgotten, a reminder that everyone has a tale worth telling.
And so, in that smoky bar, Piano Man is born — not just a song, but a living portrait of real people, captured forever in melody. My other favorites of the 80's
Van Halen (David Lee Roth).
Duran Duran.
Talking Heads.
The Pretenders.
T'pau.
Meat Loaf.
The Cars.
Pink Floyd.
Fleetwood Mac.
Def Lepperd.
AC/DC.
Journey.
Steve Perry.
Prefab Sprout.
A-ha.
Plus a few others. Take care and GOD bless.
MOHLovesAlaska
