153:
with the piano tune occasionally stumbling over itself, recalling a "somewhat abused, slightly-out-of-tune piano that one would expect to find in the corner of a bar or left out in the rain." Waits repeatedly comments and complains about numerous inanimate objects with such lyrics as "The carpet
158:, the club where you can't find a waitress, 'even with a Geiger counter'; where 'the spotlight looks like a prison break' and the owner has 'the IQ of a fence post.'" The song's full title includes a reference to
226:
believed "The Piano Has Been
Drinking" to be "the archetypal Waits song: the laconic bar-room philosopher delivering pithy lyrics, in a voice that sounds like a garbage crusher." Bill Janovitz, writing for
988:
691:
920:
656:
631:
934:
968:
371:
732:
423:
525:
773:
677:
610:
603:
416:
127:
40:
479:
978:
983:
712:
557:
402:
163:
550:
518:
624:
973:
698:
235:
romanticizing, but it does so without being didactic or even very serious." The song has twice been covered by
787:
766:
663:
564:
486:
409:
364:
159:
738:
589:
430:
231:, wrote that the song "deflates the myth that there is glory in a life on the road, the darker reality of
859:
818:
752:
532:
941:
905:
780:
437:
395:
963:
745:
726:
719:
617:
444:
357:
236:
927:
842:
801:
493:
458:
299:
175:
884:
864:
794:
684:
180:
835:
705:
472:
99:
899:
759:
582:
210:
178:." Waits performed the song, in truncated form, on the short-lived US television show,
133:
77:
957:
189:
649:
894:
879:
596:
465:
232:
201:
72:
913:
197:
889:
874:
869:
326:
105:
85:
500:
451:
380:
122:
91:
31:
174:
In the mid-1970s, Waits occasionally performed the song as a medley with "
228:
193:
150:
146:
340:
311:
205:
154:
needs a haircut." The song has been described as " that late-night
155:
671:
The Piano Has Been
Drinking (Not Me) (An Evening with Pete King)
115:
The Piano Has Been
Drinking (Not Me) (An Evening with Pete King)
27:
353:
343:- Allmusic review by Bill Janovitz - accessed November 14, 2010
131:, and an extended live version on the 1981 compilation album
349:
166:, at which Waits performed from May 31 to June 12, 1976.
208:
in March, 1981, which appeared on the 1981 compilation
204:. Waits performed an extended version of the song in
196:, during which Waits asks to borrow money from hosts
852:
827:
811:
641:
574:
542:
510:
387:
97:
83:
71:
55:
47:
37:
26:
21:
302:- Tom Waits Library - accessed February 19, 2021
329:Tom Waits - the Piano Has Been Drinking - 1977
365:
341:"The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" review
192:in interview form, premised on a broken-down
8:
125:. The song first appeared on his 1976 album
692:Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
372:
358:
350:
18:
921:Come On Up to the House: Women Sing Waits
657:(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night
632:Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
275:
273:
188:. The appearance also included a short
295:
293:
291:
289:
256:
36:
25:
989:Song recordings produced by Bones Howe
145:Throughout the song, Waits imitates a
121:", is a song written and performed by
22:"The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)"
935:Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits
7:
300:"The Piano Has Been Drinking" lyrics
184:in 1977, during the promotion for
162:, co-founder and club director of
14:
733:16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six
265:The words and music of Tom Waits,
526:Romeo Bleeding: Live from Austin
222:Patrick Humphries, in his book
1:
237:Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
281:The many lives of Tom Waits,
224:The Many Lives of Tom Waits,
611:The Early Years, Volume Two
604:The Early Years, Volume One
403:The Heart of Saturday Night
119:The Piano Has Been Drinking
1005:
969:Songs written by Tom Waits
279:Humphries, Patrick (2007)
283:Omnibus Press, pp. 92–93.
117:", often referred to as "
316:- aired 1977-August-01st
164:Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
788:Come On Up to the House
774:Innocent When You Dream
767:Hang On St. Christopher
410:Nighthawks at the Diner
263:Kessel, Corinne (2007)
739:Jockey Full of Bourbon
590:Anthology of Tom Waits
16:1976 song by Tom Waits
819:Glitter and Doom Tour
533:Glitter and Doom Live
314:Season_01, episode_21
942:Tom Waits for No One
781:Way Down in the Hole
713:Heartattack and Vine
664:Tom Traubert's Blues
625:Used Songs 1973–1980
438:Heartattack and Vine
979:Songs about alcohol
746:Hang Down Your Head
727:In the Neighborhood
245:Alive & Lickin'
984:Songs about pianos
618:Beautiful Maladies
551:One from the Heart
445:Swordfishtrombones
951:
950:
928:New Coat of Paint
802:Back in the Crowd
699:Romeo Is Bleeding
459:Franks Wild Years
239:, for his albums
170:Live performances
111:
110:
996:
885:Rickie Lee Jones
865:Kathleen Brennan
853:Related articles
374:
367:
360:
351:
344:
338:
332:
324:
318:
309:
303:
297:
284:
277:
268:
261:
241:Beatin' The Heat
181:Fernwood 2 Night
151:nonsense phrases
102:
88:
67:
66:
62:
19:
1004:
1003:
999:
998:
997:
995:
994:
993:
974:Tom Waits songs
954:
953:
952:
947:
848:
836:The Black Rider
823:
807:
706:Kentucky Avenue
637:
570:
565:The Black Rider
538:
506:
473:Mule Variations
424:Foreign Affairs
383:
378:
348:
347:
339:
335:
325:
321:
310:
306:
298:
287:
278:
271:
262:
258:
253:
220:
172:
143:
98:
84:
64:
60:
59:
38:from the album
17:
12:
11:
5:
1002:
1000:
992:
991:
986:
981:
976:
971:
966:
956:
955:
949:
948:
946:
945:
938:
931:
924:
917:
910:
902:
900:Chuck E. Weiss
897:
892:
887:
882:
877:
872:
867:
862:
856:
854:
850:
849:
847:
846:
839:
831:
829:
825:
824:
822:
821:
815:
813:
809:
808:
806:
805:
798:
791:
784:
777:
770:
763:
760:Downtown Train
756:
749:
742:
735:
729:
723:
716:
709:
702:
695:
688:
681:
674:
667:
660:
653:
645:
643:
639:
638:
636:
635:
628:
621:
614:
607:
600:
593:
586:
583:Bounced Checks
578:
576:
572:
571:
569:
568:
561:
558:Night on Earth
554:
546:
544:
540:
539:
537:
536:
529:
522:
514:
512:
508:
507:
505:
504:
497:
490:
483:
476:
469:
462:
455:
448:
441:
434:
431:Blue Valentine
427:
420:
413:
406:
399:
391:
389:
385:
384:
379:
377:
376:
369:
362:
354:
346:
345:
333:
319:
304:
285:
269:
255:
254:
252:
249:
219:
216:
211:Bounced Checks
176:Makin' Whoopee
171:
168:
142:
139:
134:Bounced Checks
109:
108:
103:
95:
94:
89:
81:
80:
75:
69:
68:
57:
53:
52:
49:
45:
44:
35:
34:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1001:
990:
987:
985:
982:
980:
977:
975:
972:
970:
967:
965:
962:
961:
959:
944:
943:
939:
937:
936:
932:
930:
929:
925:
923:
922:
918:
916:
915:
911:
908:
907:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
857:
855:
851:
845:
844:
840:
838:
837:
833:
832:
830:
826:
820:
817:
816:
814:
810:
803:
799:
796:
792:
789:
785:
782:
778:
775:
771:
768:
764:
761:
757:
754:
750:
747:
743:
740:
736:
734:
730:
728:
724:
721:
717:
714:
710:
707:
703:
700:
696:
693:
689:
686:
682:
679:
678:Step Right Up
675:
672:
668:
665:
661:
658:
654:
651:
647:
646:
644:
642:Notable songs
640:
634:
633:
629:
627:
626:
622:
620:
619:
615:
613:
612:
608:
606:
605:
601:
599:
598:
594:
592:
591:
587:
585:
584:
580:
579:
577:
573:
567:
566:
562:
560:
559:
555:
553:
552:
548:
547:
545:
541:
535:
534:
530:
528:
527:
523:
521:
520:
516:
515:
513:
509:
503:
502:
498:
496:
495:
491:
489:
488:
484:
482:
481:
477:
475:
474:
470:
468:
467:
463:
461:
460:
456:
454:
453:
449:
447:
446:
442:
440:
439:
435:
433:
432:
428:
426:
425:
421:
419:
418:
414:
412:
411:
407:
405:
404:
400:
398:
397:
393:
392:
390:
388:Studio albums
386:
382:
375:
370:
368:
363:
361:
356:
355:
352:
342:
337:
334:
331:
330:
323:
320:
317:
315:
308:
305:
301:
296:
294:
292:
290:
286:
282:
276:
274:
270:
266:
260:
257:
250:
248:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
225:
217:
215:
214:
212:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
182:
177:
169:
167:
165:
161:
157:
152:
148:
140:
138:
136:
135:
130:
129:
124:
120:
116:
107:
104:
101:
96:
93:
90:
87:
86:Songwriter(s)
82:
79:
76:
74:
70:
58:
54:
50:
46:
43:
42:
33:
29:
20:
940:
933:
926:
919:
912:
904:
895:Larry Taylor
880:Jim Jarmusch
841:
834:
670:
630:
623:
616:
609:
602:
597:Asylum Years
595:
588:
581:
575:Compilations
563:
556:
549:
531:
524:
517:
499:
492:
485:
478:
471:
466:Bone Machine
464:
457:
450:
443:
436:
429:
422:
417:Small Change
415:
408:
401:
396:Closing Time
394:
336:
328:
322:
313:
307:
280:
267:Praeger, p23
264:
259:
244:
240:
223:
221:
209:
202:Fred Willard
186:Small Change
185:
179:
173:
144:
132:
128:Small Change
126:
118:
114:
112:
51:October 1976
41:Small Change
39:
914:Wicked Grin
860:Discography
720:Jersey Girl
543:Soundtracks
511:Live albums
480:Blood Money
243:(2000) and
198:Martin Mull
149:, spouting
100:Producer(s)
964:1976 songs
958:Categories
890:Marc Ribot
875:Bones Howe
870:Greg Cohen
327:youTube -
251:References
106:Bones Howe
795:Bad as Me
685:Somewhere
501:Bad as Me
494:Real Gone
452:Rain Dogs
381:Tom Waits
233:Kerouac's
218:Reception
160:Pete King
123:Tom Waits
92:Tom Waits
32:Tom Waits
906:Big Time
828:Musicals
519:Big Time
247:(2001).
229:Allmusic
194:tour bus
147:drunkard
48:Released
843:Woyzeck
650:Ol' '55
312:IMDb -
909:(film)
206:Dublin
141:Lyrics
78:Asylum
56:Length
812:Tours
487:Alice
156:hades
73:Label
753:Time
200:and
190:skit
28:Song
30:by
960::
288:^
272:^
137:.
65:37
804:"
800:"
797:"
793:"
790:"
786:"
783:"
779:"
776:"
772:"
769:"
765:"
762:"
758:"
755:"
751:"
748:"
744:"
741:"
737:"
731:"
725:"
722:"
718:"
715:"
711:"
708:"
704:"
701:"
697:"
694:"
690:"
687:"
683:"
680:"
676:"
673:"
669:"
666:"
662:"
659:"
655:"
652:"
648:"
373:e
366:t
359:v
213:.
113:"
63::
61:3
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.