Billy Joel: The Entertainer Meaning

Song Released: 1975

The Entertainer Lyrics

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...

1. anonymous

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   Dec 8th 2012 report

   "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"
   
   This part was about Piano Man. Radio stations often cut it to 3:05 (removing a significant portion of the song) and Billy Joel wasn't very happy about it. Amusingly, this song runs a little over 3 minutes. Intentional?
2. anonymous

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   Oct 13th 2011 report

   It's about his life. Musians are wanders and no matter how much he wants to, he can't stay in one spot for long or else he'll go cold.
3. anonymous

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   Jun 28th 2011 report

   I reckon it's about an Entertainer.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
4. anonymous

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   Jun 14th 2008 report

   This song is Billy's way of telling his critics and fans alike, that he knows what and who he is. At this point in his carrear (1974) he knows the music industry up, down, left and right. He knows exactly how it works and exactly how he may end up.
   
   "But I know the game, you'll forget my name
   And I won't be here in another year
   If I don't stay on the charts"
   
   If he doesn't keep comming out with good music, everyone will forget about him and make room for the new super-stars
   
   "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"
   
   This describes how record companies pretty much ran everything for you back in those days. They wanted a good song to be short enough to keep the listener's attention and make them wanna hear it again and again and again.
   
   "Today I am your champion
   I may have won your hearts
   But I know the game, you'll forget my name
   I won't be here in another year
   If I don't stay on the charts"
   
   Once again stating how everyone loves him now that he has a great song that just came out, but in 3 or 4 years, no one will remember who he is unless he writes another great song that everyone wants to listen to.

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