Baby Grand Lyrics

[Verse 1: Billy Joel]
Late at night when it's dark and cold
I reach out for someone to hold
When I'm blue, when I'm lonely
She comes through, she's the only one who can
My baby grand is all I need

[Verse 2: Ray Charles]
In my time, I've wandered everywhere
Around this world, she would always be there
Any day, any hour
All it takes is the power in my hands
This baby grand's been good to me

[Chorus: Billy Joel & Ray Charles]
I've had friends, but they slipped away
And I've had fame, but it doesn't stay
I've made fortunes, I spent them fast enough
But as for women, they don't lust with just one man
But my baby grand is gonna stand by me

[Verse 3: Billy Joel & Ray Charles]
They say that no one's gonna play this on the radio
Why, I don't believe that
They said the melancholy blues were dead and gone
But only songs like these played in minor keys
Keep those memories holding on
[Chorus: Billy Joel & Ray Charles]
I've come far from the life I strayed in
And I've got the scars from those dives I played in
Now I'm home, and I'm weary
And in my bones, every dreary one night stand
My baby grand is coming home with me
With me

[Outro: Billy Joel]
But ever since this gig began
My baby grand's been good to me

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About

Genius Annotation

“Baby Grand” is the fourth single from 1986’s The Bridge and is a duet featuring Ray Charles. The single peaked at #75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at #3 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

Featuring dual pianos (even though the music video depicts the pair playing side by side on the same piano), they sing about the piano and how it shares a relationship with its players.

When Billy Joel’s daughter, Alexa, was born in 1985 he gave her the middle name “Ray” as a tribute to his idol, Ray Charles. The legendary singer and pianist contacted Joel shortly after and Charles set up the idea of recording a duet as long as he had the “right song” in mind. Billy Joel then immediately went to work writing “Baby Grand” in one night.

Inspired by “Georgia on My Mind”, a Ray Charles standard, the song features a dueling set of verses for Billy Joel and Ray Charles to alternate from. Initially, during recording, Joel would sing using his thick Long Island accent, only to find that Ray Charles was actually mimicking him. It was his attempt to follow the leader and would let Joel lead the song in whatever direction he pleased, making it an extremely easy collaboration. As a result, Joel switched to his best Ray Charles impression as the basis for his vocal and Ray followed suit, singing in the same style.

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Release Date
July 9, 1986
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