Baseball Related Song: “Zanzibar” by Billy Joel
In today’s episode of baseball related songs, we pay attention to Zanzibar, performed by Billy Joel. At first one can wonder what this song has to do with baseball, but there is more than is apparent to the eye.
We all know Billy Joel, famous for songs like “We didn’t start the fire”, “River of Dreams”, She’s Always a Woman”, “We didn’t Start The Fire“, and “Piano Man.”
William Martin Joel as his full name is, started his career in 1971 with his debut album Cold Spring Harbor. In 1977, Joel had his commercial breakthrough with his album “The Stranger”, which became Columbia Records’ best selling album with 10 million copies. One year later, Joel released “52nd Street”, which became his first number one album on the Billboard 200.
Then his baseball related song “Zanzibar”, part of the 1978 success album “52nd Street.” One may think “What does an island that belongs to Tanzania have to do with baseball?” But as written in the prologue, there is more than is apparent to the eye.
Pretty soon the song appear to be dealing with a sports bar named Zanzibar, which become apparent with the following lines:
Rose, he knows he’s such a credit to the game
But the Yankees grab the headlines every time
Melodrama’s so much fun
In black and white for everyone to see, whoa
Of course the part “But the Yankees grab the headlines every time, Melodrama is so much fun” refers to the 1977/1978 Yankees, a.k.a. The Bronx Zoo, when Reggie Jackson stirred the pot and could not get along with Billy Martin.
The lyrics of Zanzibar are as follows:
Ali dances and the audience applauds
Though he’s bathed in sweat, he hasn’t lost his style
Ali don’t you go downtown
You gave away another round for free, whoa
Me, I’m just another face at Zanzibar
But the waitress always serves a secret smile, whoa
She’s waiting out in Shantytown
She’s gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me
I’ve got the old man’s car
I’ve got a jazz guitar
I’ve got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that’s where I’ll be, I’ll be
Rose, he knows he’s such a credit to the game
But the Yankees grab the headlines every time
Melodrama’s so much fun
In black and white for everyone to see, whoa
Me, I’m trying just to get to second base
And I’d steal it if she only gave the sign, whoa
She’s gonna give the go ahead
The inning isn’t over yet for me, for me
I’ve got the old man’s car
I’ve got a jazz guitar
I’ve got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that’s where I’ll be, I’ll be
Tell the waitress I’ll come back to Zanzibar
I’ll be hiding in the darkness with my beer, whoa
She’s waiting out in Shantytown
She’s gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me
I’ve got the old man’s car
And I’ve got a jazz guitar
I’ve got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that’s where I’ll be, I’ll be