Interpretation
"Piano Man" is an emotional narrative by
Billy Joel about his experiences as a bar pianist. The different characters mentioned in the song represent the different types of people Joel has encountered in the bar. Each of them has their own story, but they all share a common longing for escape and comfort in music.
The old man at the beginning of the song asks the pianist to play a nostalgic song as he yearns for times gone by. He drinks to drown his loneliness and remember better times.
John, the bartender, jokes and offers drinks, although he feels that his job is slowly killing him. He dreams of being a movie star, a fantasy that is far from his current reality.
Paul, the real estate novelist, and Davy, who is still in the Navy, represent people who are so absorbed in their work that they have no time for personal relationships or love.
The waitress and the businessmen share a drink they call 'loneliness'. This shows that despite their company, they still feel the sense of loneliness.
The chorus 'Sing us a song, you're the piano man' is a recurring theme that highlights the role of the pianist. He is asked to play a song to lift the mood and provide people with a moment of joy and forgetting in their otherwise dreary lives.
The song ends with the pianist receiving praise from the audience, who recognize that his music helps them forget their worries and stress for a while. However, they wonder why he, a talented musician, is playing in a bar instead of on a bigger stage.
Overall, "Piano Man" is a melancholic song that showcases the dreams, desires, and disappointments of ordinary people who come together in the bar to drown their sorrows and find solace in music.