Author's note: Yep. It's another songfic.
Itaclic- The song that the entire fic is based off of. Piano Man by Billy Joel
Bold - The other songs that are used. In order: 1) Cinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman (2) Working Class Hero - John Lennon (3) You're the Inspiration - Chicago (4) Courtesy of the red, white and blue - Toby Keith (5) Show me the meaning of being lonely - The Backstreet Boys
Regular- The actual story
"Blah" - Talking
Disclaimer - I unfortunatly do not own the Transformers of any of the songs listed above and used in the fanfiction. I am just borrowing them, and like any othe fanfiction writer, will be returning them shortly.
When the war on Earth ended, most of the Autobots hadn't known what to do with themselves. Many went out and got jobs while the rest stayed at headquarters, doing what work needed to be done around base. Saturday night rolled each week, and would often find both humans and robots alike gathered at a bar designed for both humans and robots to hang out in. On Saturday nights performers would come to perform for the group.
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
It is Saturday, November 15. It is almost nine o'clock, which means it is almost show time for a young singer. She isn't very well known at the bar, but she is hoping to change that. She's already gotten several song requests, and she is glad that she know most of the songs. Blue eyes watched as robots shuffled into their section and humans move over to the bar. Brown hair shifts as she walks over to the stage. Jeans and a nice shirt are the best outfit the young performer has. She glances at her watch, noticing it is 9. Showtime, she realizes as she grabs her microphone.
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
Across the room she can see an older man, drinking something. He holds his drink gently. He looks at the glass as if deep in thought. Suddenly the man stood and walked over to her and her stage.
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."
"Miss? Do you think you could play me a song for my little girl?" The singer can now see the man is wearing a nametag. 'Lennox' is what it says. Looking into the man's eyes the woman can see grief. He lost his baby to something terrible. And so she smiles and nods, deciding this man deserved to have his song first. The man reminded her of her own father, in a way. The man smiles back at her and walked back to his table. The singer paused and thought of a song.
" She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders
It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying 'Dad I need you.
There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh please, Daddy please?'
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
Because all too soon
The clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
She says he's a nice guy
And I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of her dress
She says 'Dad the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh please, Daddy please?'
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
Because all too soon
The clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
She will be gone
Well she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says 'Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh please, Daddy please?'
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't wanna miss even one song
Because all too soon
The clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone."
The singer glanced up on the man. She could see a sad smile on his face. She was glad she had managed to make the man smile, not matter how bittersweet it was.
La la la, de de da
La la la, de de da da da
Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' all right
The singer looked around the room, She could see most of the eyes were on her. She could see they wanted more music. She could tell they wanted more bittersweet songs like the last one. But what to sing? She glanced aroung the room, quickly trying to find inspiration.
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke, and he'll light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
Finaally she looked over at the bar. She noticed the bartender was looking at her intently. The man was a good friend of hers. He always wanted to be any place but here, working in a bar. And so she had her next idea.
He says 'Bill I believe this is killing me.'
As the smile ran away from his face
'Well I'm sure I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place'
The woman glanced at her bartending friend one more time before she began to sing again.
"As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're cleaver and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
When they've tortured and scared for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function, you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
Keep you doped with religion and sex and T.V.
And you think you're so clever and class-less and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
There's room at the top they're telling you still
But first you must learn to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me
Another glance at the bar earned her a smile from the bartender. She smiled back quickly before taking another look at the room. They weren't all staring at her quite as much, which was a relief. She tried to work off of who she saw in the crowd, and it worked well until her time was up. She was asked to come back the next Saturday. She was overjoyed at the opportunity.
Oh la la la, de de da
La la la, de de da
Now Paul is a real-estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
The young singer soon found herself coming to that bar every Saturday, along with a couple of other nights. She was also starting to notice certain members of the crowd. She noticed a man who was known as an author who was working hard to get his name out there. He had often commented to the young singer that she really inspired him. With that thought in mind she picked of the song she would start off with that night.
"You know our love was meant to be
The kind of love that lasts forever
And I need you here with me
From tonight until the end of time
You should know, everywhere I go
You're always on my mind
In my heart, in my soul
You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
Bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me saying
No one needs me more than I need you
And I know, yes I know it's plain to see
We're so in love when we're together
Now I know that I need you here with me
From tonight until the end of time
You should know, everywhere I go
You're always on my mind
In my heart, in my soul
You're the meaning in my life
You're the inspiration
Bring feeling to my life
You're the inspiration
Wanna have you near me
I wanna have you hear me saying
No one needs you more than I need you"
The singer looked up and saw the author's smirk from across the room. He was currently writing a romance novel, which was what truly made the song a perfect fit, The ginger noticed someone next to her author friend.
And he's talkin' with Davy
Who's still in the navy
And probably will be for life
The man was the older one that she had seen on her first night. The man had a smile on his face as well. The singer smiled at the pair. She looked the man -His name was Lennox, right?- trying to think of a song for him. Tonight he was in an black military-looking uniform. She smirked, thinking of one of her favorite Toby Keith songs.
"American girls
And American guys
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recognize
When we see Old Glory flyin'
There's a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head
My daddy served in the Army
Where he lost his right eye
But He flew a flag out in out yard 'till the day that he died
He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister, and me
To grow up and live happy in the land of the free
Now this nation that I love has fallin' under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flyin' in from somewhere in the back
Soon as we could see clearly
Through our big black eye
Man we lit up your world
Like the Fourth of July
Hey Uncle Sam, put your name at the top of his list
The Statue of Liberty started shakin' her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, there's gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start a ringin' her bell
And it'll feel like the whole wide world
Is rainin' down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white, and blue
Justice will be served and the battle will rage
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage
You'll be sorry that you messed with the U. S. of A.
'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass it's the American way
Hey Uncle Sam, put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty started shakin' her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, there's gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom start a ringin' her bell
And it'll feel like the whole wide world is rainin' down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue
Brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue
Ooooooooohhhhhhh, hhhhhooooooooooo
Of the red, white and blue
Oooooohhhhh ho hoooooooo
Of my red, white and blue"
The young singer looked up to see many smiles. The mood in the bar was lighter than most nights. She liked that. She tried to keep it that way, if only for one night.
And the waitress is practicing politics
While the buisnessman slowly gets stoned
Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinking alone
By the next night she came in the happy mood was gone. Instead most of her visitors seemed more lonely than normal. So, She was willing to sing whatever songs would fit their mood.
"Show me the meaning of being lonely
So many words for the broken heart
It's hard to see in a crimson love
So hard to breathe
Walk with me and maybe
Night of light so soon become
Wild and free
I could feel the sun
You're every wish, will be done
They tell me
Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart
Life goes on as it never ends
Eyes of stone observe the trends
They never say forever gaze
If only
Beauty rose to an endless love
There's no control
Are you with me now
Your every wish will be done
They tell me
Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart
There's no where to run
I have no place to go
Surrender my heart, body and soul
How can it be your asking me
To feel the things you never show
You are missing in my heart
Tell me why can't I be there where you are
Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart
Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart"
The singer glanced up, There were no smiled for her this time, but she did have everyone's attention at the very least. Her heart felt a bit empty. She was feeling the loneliness just at badly as any of the robots or humans that came to hear her sing.
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling all right
The woman's routine continued. She always managed to find new songs to sing, and the mood of the bar was never the same. She started to come every week. The audience wanted her and they way she knew just what to sing. She'd been offered many other jobs, but she had turned them down. She loved the crowd to much. Mikaela Banes, the waitress, Samuel Witwicky, the author, Major William Lennox, the soldier who'd lost his daughter to a war, Ron Witwicky, the kind bartender… They all were important to her despite that she only knew them through a few brief conversations before and after her show. She also loved the stage, and had become the slightest bit possessive of it. Like it was her home.
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
The woman looked out from the stage at the biggest crowd she had ever had. Normally there were only a few of the giant robots at the bar, but tonight their section was packed. The humans too, were filling their part of the bar to the brim. She caught her manager's eye, by some miracle, and was flashed a smile before the manager was swallowed by the crowd once more. She saw Ron was having trouble keeping up with everyone's orders. There were more people than any of them had ever seen, and the huge building suddenly became a tiny bathroom with all the people and machines in it.
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?'
The night was going wonderfully. The musicians who played with every singer in the bar were as enthusiastic as anything. The microphone smelled like beer. The bar was full, and the singer would be paid well for all of these guests. But soon the singer was singing her last song for the night as the bar got closer to closing time. Only a few stragglers remained. Ron at the bar, Mikaela cleaning up the now mostly abandoned floor, Sam scribbling away at a notebook, Lennox glancing at the writer and rolling his eyes. It was her favorite crowd that remained.
Oh la la la, de de da
La la la, de de da da dum
Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling all right
"Hey Jen, why don't you give us a special song before you put the mike away?" Ron asked from the bar. His voice was a bit teasing. The singer smiled at the bartender.
"Sure Ron." She said, not even really thinking before she began to sing. "It's nine o'clock on a Saturday. The regular crowd shuffles in…"