九月二十六日星期五晚上,到東區開柴灣支部地區協議會。散會後歸心似箭,匆匆忙忙走到會館樓下的自動櫃員機提錢,然後再趕乘 8P 跑落銅鑼灣,選了久遺了的太興燒味吃晚飯。結帳時才驚覺,剛才提款時拿走了提款咭之後,忘記把現金一併提走,白白失去八百大元。收銀姨姨笑笑口對我說:「我們不接受信用咭。鄰近有提款機,提錢後再回來找數吧。」她不怕我就這樣走了去嗎?在櫃員機提款忘記拿錢、不夠現金找數這種事,都是生平第一次遇到。回家途中看見一張宣傳海報,原來 Billy Joel 十一月來港開演唱會。又想起剛才失去的八百元,差不多可以買兩張最廉價的票。雖然機會難逢,但沒聽過身邊的友人也有喜歡 Billy Joel 的,所以老早已打消買票的念頭。聽演唱會有別於睇電影,要有人陪才有興頭嘛。
依稀記得阿余也是聽 Billy Joel 的,中學時代的他已擁有銀灰色封面的 Billy Joel Greatest Hits: Vol. 1 & 2 黑膠唱片,很令我羨慕。但他什麼歌都愛聽,不見得他特別喜歡 Billy Joel。大學時代在戲社裡混,知道有堅哥這一號人物,後來發現,他可能是我認識的人唯一喜歡 Billy Joel 的。由於他唱功不凡,更撚得一手好結他,當年阿 Jack 搞戲需要一個街頭賣唱藝人,於是特邀他客串一角,他居然一口應承。有一次,在排戲的休息時段,我們玩了即席點唱。我問堅哥懂不懂彈 Billy Joel,他二話不說便自彈自唱了一首 Honesty。當然,如果他彈 Just The Way You Are 我會更加雀躍,若然彈 She’s Always A Woman 就更加不得了。堅哥說相對而言,Billy Joel 比較冷門,他奇怪我會喜歡。我也實在說不出所以然,亦不覺得喜歡 Billy Joel 便見得特別有深度。正如我喜歡其他任何事物一樣,大部分時候只是純粹的喜歡罷了。
將要錯過 Billy Joel 的香港演唱會,最可能感到飲恨的,就是不能現場感受 Billy Joel 自彈自吹(口琴)自唱 Piano Man。每次聽到這首歌,都不期然會血脈沸騰,在 HMV 連續試聽多次也不膩(輪候的人未必這麼看啊)。那種全場興奮地起立,一同唱最後一段副歌,一同 forget about life for a while 的氣氛,一定很令人 feelin’ alright。
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It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday
The Regular crowd shuffles in
There’s an old man sitting next to me
Makin’ love to his tonic and gin
He says, “Son, can you play me a memory
I’m not really sure how it goes
But it’s sad and it’s sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man’s clothes.”
Sing us a song you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright
La la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there’s someplace that he’d rather be
He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me.”
As the smile ran away from his face
“Well I’m sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place”
Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he’s talkin’ with Davy, who’s still in the Navy
And probably will be for life
And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it’s better than drinkin’ alone
Sing us a song you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright
It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
‘Cause he knows that it’s me they’ve been comin’ to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, “Man, what are you doin’ here?”
Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum