Monday, April 05, 2010

Music Monday: The Entertainer by Billy Joel

As my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers may know, when Roxy was growing up (and well into my thirties), all I dreamed about was becoming a disc jockey and owning radio stations. In the past ten or fifteen years, I've taken a different path, but still try to find ways of being "the entertainer." I'm working on a long personal story to go along with this week's Music Monday post, and hope to have it up before the end of the day on Monday here in the Roxiticus Valley. (Road to hell, best laid plans, etc: things didn't go as planned) In the meantime, please enjoy the video from a much much younger Billy Joel, and stop back in a day or so to see if I've had the chance to be a better entertainer after London and Maddie are done with our Easter egg hunt and Easter Sunday dinner with Grammy.



I am the entertainer,
And I know just where I stand:
Another serenader,
And another long-haired band.
Today I am your champion.
I may have won your hearts.
But I know the game,
You will forget my name,
And I won't be here
In another year,
If I don't stay on the charts.

I am the entertainer,
And I've had to pay my price.
The things I did not know at first,
I learned by doin' twice.
Ah, but still they come to haunt me,
Still they want their say.
So I've learned to dance
With a hand in my pants,
And they rub my neck,
And I write 'em a check,
And they go their merry way.

I am the entertainer,
Been all around the world.
I've played all kinds of palaces,
And laid all kinds of girls.
I can't remember faces,
I don't remember names.
Ah, but what the hell,
You know it's just as well.
'Cause after a while
And a thousand miles,
It all becomes the same.

I am the entertainer,
I bring to you my songs.
I'd like to spend a day or two.
I can't stay that long.
No, I've got to meet expenses.
I got to stay in line.
Gotta get those fees
To the agencies.
And I'd love to stay,
But there's bills to pay,
So I just don't have the time.

I am the entertainer,
I come to do my show.
You've heard my latest record,
It's been on the radio.
Ah, it took me years to write it,
They were the best years of my life.
It was a beautiful song.
But it ran too long.
If you're gonna have a hit,
You gotta make it fit--
So they cut it down to 3:05.

I am the entertainer,
The idol of my age.
I make all kinds of money,
When I go on the stage.
Ah, you've seen me in the papers,
I've been in the magazines.
But if I go cold,
I won't get sold.
I'll get put in the back
In the discount rack,
Like another can of beans.

I am the entertainer,
And I know just where I stand:
Another serenader,
And another long-haired band.
Today I am your champion.
I may have won your hearts.
But I know the game,
You will forget my name,
And I won't be here
In another year,
If I don't stay on the charts.



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2 comments:

Liz said...

He's my husband's favorite singer. Happy MM.

Jason said...

Hey Roxy, just dropping in to vote. I do enjoy some BIlly Joel. My personal favorite is Moving Out, mainly because the line about a "heart atack ack ack ack ack" cracks me up every time.