☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about a man who gets drunk in a bar and finds beauty in it.
- He describes Hollywood as a place where there are only stars, no matter which direction you look.
- The protagonist feels lonely and longs for someone he misses.
- Despite his friends' worries, he finds comfort and forgetfulness in the bar.
- The bar symbolizes a place where he can leave his worries behind.
Interpretation
In the lyrics of the song 'The Bar Is a Beautiful Place' by
Ryan Adams, it is about a man who gets drunk in a bar. He describes Hollywood as a place where there are only stars, no matter which direction you look. Then he goes to Cherokee to get drunk in a bar.
The protagonist knows that his friends worry about him and he sees it written on their faces. Despite that, he finds the bar beautiful. He has a coldness in his heart that the doctor cannot feel. The doctor tells him to get himself a beer, but the sun must not come in.
The bar, where prostitutes, thieves, and junkies play, is like a circus. The protagonist worries about how he fits in there. He longs for a particular person he misses. He sees her face in a store window and that stops him from throwing his bottles at cars.
Then, the protagonist speaks directly to Mrs. Samuels and Laura and asks if they would take an old drunk if he were sweet to them. He knows they will probably give up hope at some point, but he wouldn't blame them. Because despite everything they've told him, he finds the bar beautiful.
The lyrics suggest loneliness, loss, and the comfort that the bar offers. It seems that the bar is a place where the protagonist can forget himself and escape from his worries.