Lyrics: A bottle of white, a bottle of red Perhaps a bottle of rose instead We’ll get a table near the street In our old familiar place You and I, face to face oooh A bottle of red, a bottle of white It all depends on your appetite I’ll meet you any time you want In our Italian Restaurant. Things are okay with me these days Got a good job, got a good office Got a new wife, got a new life And the family is fine Oh, we lost touch long ago You lost weight, I did not know You could ever look so nice after so much time! Do you remember those days hanging out at the village green? Engineer boots, leather jackets,and tight blue jeans Oh, you’d drop a dime in the box play a song About New Orleans Cold beer, hot lights My sweet romantic teenage nights Brenda and Eddie were the popular steadies And the king and the queen at the prom Riding around with the car top down And the radio on Nobody looked any finer or was more of a hit at the Parkway Diner We never knew we could want more than that out of life Surely Brenda and Eddie would always know how to survive Brenda and Eddie were still going steady in the summer of ’75 When they decided the marriage would be at the end of July Everyone said they were crazy Brenda you know you’re much too lazy And Eddie could never afford to live that kind of life But there we were waving Brenda and Eddie goodbye. They got an apartment with deep pile carpet And a couple of paintings from Sears A big waterbed that they bought with the bread They had …
It´s like a very small rock opera.Billy is telling a story..Love the line “they just did not count on the tears”..
perhaps a bottle of zima instead…
I heard an interview on the Radio a while back (just before his last tour-which I then saw!!!!) and in it, he stated that this song began life a s 4 seperates with their own stories. Whilst working on each one individually it just happened naturally that he started to amalgamate them….the result? “Scenes form an Italian Restaraunt”…..Such an amazing artist and one opf my all time favourites!
I agree that this feels like more than one song. It’s like a romantic piece with a hard rocking piece right in the middle. It feels a little schizophrenic, but I don’t mind Billy Joel throwing a curve ball every now and then. It’s a cool song from a classic album.
This is like two to four little songs, each with its own tone and tempo, strung together in a medley of complete awesomeness.
I’ll forget about Billy Joel for like a year sometimes, then run across his greatest hits when I’m packing for a road trip or something…always fantastic to hear him again.
I didn’t know this was that song……
YEAH, when he sang this @ the concert, I had NO IDEA what song it was, because I hadn’t heard it before!! GREAT SONG!
In my book, this song wrestles for the number one song of all time with the Beatles “You never give me your money.” I go back and forth, but it is indeed one of the greatest songs of all time.
This, and Piano Man, are two of the best songs he has ever written. I saw this concert in the 70′s and was floored! He, and Bruce, are American Legends!! appreciate them.
this is one of his top ten best songs
This and Only the Good Die Young are my fave Billy Joel songs ever like to jam to them while Im driving around in my car especially during the summer when I can have the windows down a blast the music
An all-time classic from one of the greatest “stroy-teller” lyricists. This song always seemed like two completely separate songs that Billy melded into one… ( I had this album on 8-track!)
only 3 hours by car and I miss LI
@chinery91
I’m just kidding..This song is amazing!
Clay Aiken is on the same level as Pat Boone or Neil Sedaka. Billy Joel is a legend.
I’m revoking your man-card. I also think an intervention at the end of an ice-pick would do well for you.
@Bzamm615 Damn Bz ur making me jealous brilliant song but alas Cristiano’s is far from Ireland, wish I was there
Haha, I live in Oyster Bay, this song is about Cristiano’s, a resturaunt I eat at frequently. It’s pretty good food, and I love this song!
Meh..Clay Aiken is better
beautiful, evocative songwriting. 3 songs in one, and he ties it all together in the end. a gem.
I love billy joel so much and this is a great song of his.
IM IN HEAVEN WHEN I HEAR BILLY
@danielson726 Best album, and best Billy Joel song.
This song is amazing and gorgeous. The piano, the vocals…sigh. It all fits together perfectly! Whenever times are tough, it reminds me things will change and get better someday. Real art.
(speaks randomly in russian and runs off) lolz favorie part!
Though I like many, many of his songs, Italian Restautant and River Of Dreams are my 2 favorite Billy Joel compositions. He is such a talent.
Billy Joel is pretty ballin’