# Rock Songs (Not Broadway Show Tunes) That Would 'Translate' Well Into A Piano Bar Set **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442 "2005-05-04T21:11:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/1 "2005-05-04T21:11:20Z")
I need a list of songs you’d like to hear played / sung (i.e. covered) at a piano bar (as opposed to a bucket-of-blood saloon). There are only a few criteria: [ul][li]Songs whose original version have a prominent part for piano and[/li][li]Nothing so obscure that your uncle is only one of 5 people on the planet who owns the LP[/li][li]Nothing with an arrangement so complex it would make Liszt go cross-eyed [/li][li]No Billy Joel, Elton John, Broadway Show Tunes, Country Western or Pop Standards (read: Misty)[/ul][/li]Here’s what I have so far:[ol] [li]Mess Around - **Dr. John** [/li][li]Iko Iko - **Dr. John** [/li][li]I’m Ready - **Fats Domino** [/li][li]Walkin To New Orleans - **Fats Domino** [/li][li]Bald Head - **Professor Longhair** [/li][li]Tipitina - **Professor Longhair** [/li][li]RC Cola & A Moon Pie - **NRBQ** [/li][li]Magnet - **NRBQ** [/li][li]Sweet Emily - **Leon Russell** [/li][li]Tight Rope - **Leon Russell** [/li][li]Baldry’s Out - **John Baldry** [/li][li]Conditional Discharge/Don’t Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of RnR - **John Baldry** [/li][li]The Piano Has Been Drinking - **Tom Waits** [/li][li]Emotional Weather Report (With Intro) - **Tom Waits** [/li][li]Eggs & Sausage (With Intro) - **Tom Waits** [/li][li]Vicious Vicious Vodka - **Amos Milburn** [/li][li]Good Good Whiskey - **Amos Milburn** [/li][li]One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer - **Amos Milburn** [/li][li]The Load Out / Stay - **Jackson Brown** [/li][li]Hold On Hold Out - **Jackson Brown** [/li][li]All The Way From Memphis - **Mott The Hoople** [/li][li]Just Another Night - **Ian Hunter** [/li][li]We Gotta Get You A Woman - **Todd Rundgren** [/li][li]Slut - **Todd Rundgren** [/li]Edward The Mad Shirt Grinder - **Quicksilver Messenger Service / Nicky Hopkins** [/ol]Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/2 "2005-05-04T22:23:08Z")
Many of those qualify as relatively obscure - although lots of folks have heard of Tom Waits, not many own any of his albums or have heard any of his stuff. Same with Dr. John and many of the others. Amos Milburn? Anyway - how about: Joe Jackson - Steppin’ Out or a ton of other stuff… Louis Jordan - Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby? Jerry Lee Lewis - the Killer? Shoot - any of his songs - they all rock. Stevie Wonder - Boogie on Reggae Woman or a TON of his other stuff. Beatles and post-Beatles - Hey Jude, Imagine, Baby I’m Amazed Bruce Hornsby - The Way it Is What other keyboard players do you like? There are a ton of great rock piano/organ/synth players worth trying on 88 straightforward keys… But I think you are limiting yourself with “songs who originally have a prominent piano part” What about: Tori Amos’ version of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit That new kid - Jamie Cullum? from UK - has a few piano-reworked songs. The mind fairly reels at the possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/3 "2005-05-04T23:13:24Z")
[QUOTE=JohnBckWLD] I need a list of songs you’d like to hear played / sung (i.e. covered) at a piano bar (as opposed to a bucket-of-blood saloon). There are only a few criteria: [ul][li]Songs whose original version have a prominent part for piano and[/li][li]Nothing so obscure that your uncle is only one of 5 people on the planet who owns the LP[/li][li]Nothing with an arrangement so complex it would make Liszt go cross-eyed [/li][li]No Billy Joel, Elton John, Broadway Show Tunes, Country Western or Pop Standards (read: Misty)[/ul][/li]Here’s what I have so far:[ol] [li]Mess Around - **Dr. John** [/li][li]Iko Iko - **Dr. John** [/li][li]I’m Ready - **Fats Domino** [/li][li]Walkin To New Orleans - **Fats Domino** [/li][li]Bald Head - **Professor Longhair** [/li][li]Tipitina - **Professor Longhair** [/li][li]RC Cola & A Moon Pie - **NRBQ** [/li][li]Magnet - **NRBQ** [/li][li]Sweet Emily - **Leon Russell** [/li][li]Tight Rope - **Leon Russell** [/li][li]Baldry’s Out - **John Baldry** [/li][li]Conditional Discharge/Don’t Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of RnR - **John Baldry** [/li][li]The Piano Has Been Drinking - **Tom Waits** [/li][li]Emotional Weather Report (With Intro) - **Tom Waits** [/li][li]Eggs & Sausage (With Intro) - **Tom Waits** [/li][li]Vicious Vicious Vodka - **Amos Milburn** [/li][li]Good Good Whiskey - **Amos Milburn** [/li][li]One Scotch One Bourbon One Beer - **Amos Milburn** [/li][li]The Load Out / Stay - **Jackson Brown** [/li][li]Hold On Hold Out - **Jackson Brown** [/li][li]All The Way From Memphis - **Mott The Hoople** [/li][li]Just Another Night - **Ian Hunter** [/li][li]We Gotta Get You A Woman - **Todd Rundgren** [/li][li]Slut - **Todd Rundgren** [/li][li]Edward The Mad Shirt Grinder - **Quicksilver Messenger Service / Nicky Hopkins** [/ol]Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated[/li][/QUOTE] Everthing done for Barry Manilow. ;j ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/4 "2005-05-04T23:46:42Z")
Have A Little Faith in Me - John Hiatt The Dance - Garth Brooks (OK, so it’s country, but it could very easily not SOUND country) Georgia Rain - Joshua Kadison (Also - Painted Desert Serenade by him) Cool Change - Little River Band Sleep - Savatage And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears You said no Billy Joel or Elton John, but how 'bout some Elvis Costello, Queen, Peter Gabriel and Tom Petty? Most would be easily adapted to piano, if not already done with piano. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/5 "2005-05-05T00:10:35Z")
Napalm Death’s “You Suffer”. 😃 Any number of power ballads will do quite nicely. How about “Sweet Child of Mine”? ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/6 "2005-05-05T06:58:15Z")
I agree with wordman - dont limit yourself to piano songs - Nirvana’s All Apologies Costello - Shipbuilding Costello - Angels Want to Wear my Red Shoes (try it in 3/4) Temptations - Just my Imagination McGuinness Flint - When I’m Dead and Gone The Band - The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down Ryan Adams - Come Pick Me Up EAgles - Hotel California I really like to hear altered cover versions MiM ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/7 "2005-05-05T08:00:22Z")
[QUOTE=JohnBckWLD] [li]No Billy Joel, Elton John[/li][/QUOTE] So Randy Newman’s OK? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/8 "2005-05-05T16:31:11Z")
The Doors - Riders On The Storm (great piano riff) Janis Joplin’s version of Me And Bobbie McGee … but for a piano bar intro, or lead in to a break, do the acapella “Oh Lord, Won’t You Buy Me A Mercedes Benz”…every drunk in the crowd will sing along and clap to the beat! ---
**Author:** ![Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58956e/32.png) [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/9 "2005-05-05T16:47:18Z")
Any self-respecting piano perfesser has to throw in a wigged-out rendition of some ol’ classical chestnut. have you heard James Booker’s _Black Minute Waltz_? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/10 "2005-05-05T16:53:39Z")
> [@Hoodoo Ulove](#): > > Any self-respecting piano perfesser has to throw in a wigged-out rendition of some ol’ classical chestnut. have you heard James Booker’s _Black Minute Waltz_? Oooooo, Booker’s _Spiders on the Keys_ - amazing stuff. Was he the Art Tatum of New Orleans or what? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/11 "2005-05-05T17:01:21Z")
Here’s an obscure song from a band that everyone either loves or hates: Anagram (for Mongo)- Rush, from _Presto_ One of their few pieces with a piano sound. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/12 "2005-05-05T17:05:37Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > But I think you are limiting yourself with “songs who originally have a prominent piano part” What about: I concur. I think it’s much more fun taking rock songs and pianofying them. Almost any Beatles tune can be done well on piano. Plenty of melody and harmony to go around. Nirvana, as has been mentioned, is pretty open to decent piano interpretation. (Besides Tori Amos, check out The Bad Plus’s take on “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Phenomenal. It’s jazz, but with the soul of rock-and-roll.) How about the Rolling Stones? I sometimes do a version of “Dead Flowers,” which has a fun honky-tonk piano part on it already. Or “Wild Horses.” I’ve even been known to do a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy.” 🙂 But if you really must stick to piano tunes, you really can’t go wrong with a lot of Ben Folds Five songs. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/13 "2005-05-05T17:06:22Z")
_Beth_ by **KISS**? ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/14 "2005-05-05T19:16:34Z")
The Band, The Weight, Tears of Rage, Rag Mama Rag Beach Boys, Caroline No, God Only Knows Bee Gees, Nights on Broadway, I Started a Joke Billy Preston, Nothing from Nothing Bob Dorough, Three (The Magic Number) Bob Dylan, Ballad of a Thin Man, Dear Landlord, Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (I dare you) The Clash, Julie’s in the Drug squad, The Card Cheat CCR, Long as I Can See the Light David Bowie, Oh! You Pretty Things, Changes Elvis Costello, Man Out of Time, Shabby Doll Fountains of Wayne, Halley’s Waitress The Kinks, Village Green Preservation Society, Sunny Afternoon The Magnetic Fields, Washington DC, Papa Was a Rodeo, Busby Berkeley Dreams The Raspberries, Go All the Way R.E.M., Shaking Through, (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville The Replacements, Androgynous Rolling Stones, Out of Time, Tumbling Dice, Torn and Frayed Stew, Cavity, Giselle, North Bronx French Marie, Ken Tom Waits, Georgia Lee, The Piano has Been Drinking Van Morrison, Caravan, St Dominic’s Preview Velvet Underground, New Age Wilco, Say You Miss Me, Pieholden Suite Warren Zevon, Excitable Boy, Gorrila You’re a Desperado ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/15 "2005-05-05T19:32:34Z")
I came in to suggest Tom Waits (some good choices already) and Ben Folds, as well as Elvis Costello… maybe some of his more upbeat, rockin’ stuff like “Oliver’s Army” (which already has a terrific piano line). As for Ben Folds, I think you could win over any crowd with “Army,” “Don’t Change Your Plans,” “My Philosophy,” “Zack and Sara”… the possibilities are endless. Just don’t do “Brick” or you’ll depress the whole room. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/16 "2005-05-05T19:39:35Z")
I’ve been listening to Tori Amos alot. A couple songs I like are ‘Winter’ and ‘China’ Neil Young - After the Goldrush Traffic - Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (maybe) Beatles - Martha My Dear ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/17 "2005-05-05T21:05:19Z")
How 'bout Springsteen? “Hungry Heart” is a great piano singalong tune. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/18 "2005-05-05T21:59:39Z")
David Bowie’s _Aladdin Sane_: that’s got a great piano part by Mike Garson that’ll have 'em dancing in the aisles. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/19 "2005-05-05T23:38:48Z")
– An Elvis tune no one has mentioned yet: “Accidents Will Happen”, which he’s actually covered on the piano. – Pretty much any Ben Folds song. – Pretty much any Dashboard Confessional song. going thru all my CD collection, picking out weird and/or strangely appropriate songs: – “This Corrosion”, Sisters of Mercy – “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, Joy Division – “Woke Up in a Car”, Something Corporate – “Float On”, Modest Mouse – “Nightengale”, Saves the Day ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442/20 "2005-05-06T00:43:16Z")
I saw a guy do rock standards on a piano at [Bumbershoot](http://www.bumbershoot.org/) many years ago. The two songs that stand out (or the only two I can remember) was Deep Purple’s Woman From Tokyo and China Grove by the Doobie Brothers. I had arrived after the guy had started and lots of people were talking about his rendition of Foxy Lady. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-not-broadway-show-tunes-that-would-translate-well-into-a-piano-bar-set/302442.md?page=2)