Piano Man

Piano Man by Billy Joel

I think I'm in the minority here, and while I like this song, I don't think it's all that great. Maybe it's the uninspiring bass line.

But it's not. I'll admit it. I hate the down-on-my luck lyrics. I can't stand the people at the bar... I can't stand their defeatist bullshit. And I can't stand Joel's Piano Man... the man who makes them forget about life instead of inspiring them to do something about it all.

I know this is Joel's first big hit and it isn't a do or die song. But it sounds like a do or die song. Joel sings it as if this is his last chance in the music business. But it wasn't. And it pisses me off.

See a do or die song is Springsteen's "Born to Run". That really was Bruce's last chance. And he pours everything and then some into that song (and album). Sure it's over the top and the lyrics can be laughable at times, but it throws caution into the wind. It's about Bruce and the American Spirit.

But Piano Man? It sounds nice, it moves you, if you're drunk it's a fantastic song, but it's calculated. And Billy Joel knew it was going to be a hit. The Piano Man is a pretentious hero who helps people forget about their pathetic lives. What's the difference between the Piano Man and drugs? Should the song and the Piano Man himself, strive to be more? Should the writer and the narrator want to inspire instead of trying to tell us that he can save us for five minutes at a time? Big deal... there are so many distractions in the modern world that getting away from life isn't difficult and one should not be proud of such 'ability'.

Thirty-five years later, the sad (or ironic) part is that Billy Joel is now one of the losers he sings about in this song. He has become the drunk. On the irony scale where would Joel listening to this song at a bar rank?