My Favorite Billy Joel Songs: The Entertainer (#7)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (67220)
United States
May 27, 2020 9:28am CST
Today’s the big day. My favorite restaurant is reopening over here. Let’s celebrate with some salsa and queso! Oh, and how about a little Billy Joel? Here’s the next song on the list of my favorites, as requested by @DianneN .
#7: The Entertainer
Oh, there’s nothing like a snarky slap at the music industry. And this is just about as in-your-face snarky as they come. In this marvelous, hilarious tune (no relation to the Scott Joplin song that was in The Sting), Joel rips everything to shreds.
Everything. From the 70s look (“another long-haired band”) to groupies (“laid all kinds of girls”) to the perception of stardom (“I make all kinds of money when I go on the stage”), this is one of the best commentaries on the business of music that you’ll ever hear.
My favorite dig? The one Joel put in on his record label and AM radio stations “conspiring” against his breakthrough hit, “Piano Man.” The song, as recorded, was nearly six minutes long. While Elton John was slowly changing the concept of how long a hit single could be at that time, most singles were still “radio friendly” in length. When “Piano Man” was released as a single, there was a problem with a song that long. So, as Joel explains:
It was a beautiful song
But it ran too long
If you’re gonna have a hit
You’ve gotta make it fit
So they cut it down to 3:05
I don’t know that Joel has done a funnier song than this one.
The Entertainer
Written by Billy Joel
From Streetlife Serenade, 1974
Like another can of beans:
Billy Joel “The Entertainer" from Old Grey Whistle Test Listen to Billy Joel: https://billyjoel.lnk.to/listenYD Shortly after Billy Joel earned his first U.K...
6 people like this
4 responses
@FourWalls (67220)
• United States
27 May 20
I understand and respect everyone’s feelings about this, because they have to make the decisions. Personally, restaurants were already held to high standards of cleanliness before this, so I actually feel better in a restaurant than in Walmart!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
27 May 20
@FourWalls That’s fine for you.
I’m perfectly happy cooking at home these days. Don’t forget, we live close to the worst hit city. It spread here due to the many commuters. Our state is still barely opened.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (67220)
• United States
27 May 20
@DianneN — completely understand. I don’t even want my car close to one with New York plates!!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79236)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 May 20
Thank you for sharing I love Bill Joel.
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58472)
• Germany
27 May 20
Good to know that there are restauratns starts to open in your place. Here too but they are not accepting too much people in the dine in.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (176200)
• United States
27 May 20
Nope. Don't know this one either. We may try a restaurant in about a week or so. A little leery.
1 person likes this