Is Billy Joel’s classic ‘Piano Man’ set in a gay bar?
Weirdly, some of Billy Joel‘s biggest hits are the ones that are least reflective of who he is as a person.
While there’s something to be said about how much his characters form separate entities in and of themselves, in other cases, some of his most popular songs rarely scratch the surface of his broader artistry or vision. Often, they feel more like standalone responses rather than a part of his broader legacy.
Simultaneously, this versatility is likely what makes him one of the most timeless artists out there. While the passion doesn’t hit as intensely in some places (with America standing firmly at the fore of the ‘We Love Billy Joel’ movement), it’s this diversity that makes him feel entirely fluid, like a world-class folk imitator or anthemic historian one moment and a classical veteran the next.
Perhaps this is also what makes him so flexible when it comes to audience appreciation: one of the best selling points in the modern age is the ability to take the shape of anything, giving just enough to incite excitement without ostracising audiences with too much. Wading through various forms is one of the most powerful tools, and, aside from his obvious skill, Joel has mastered the art of disguise. A jack of all trades, if you will, one that celebrates lack of specificity in a way that keeps intrigue high.
The mystery behind Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ bar
In Joel’s world, therefore, leaning into ambiguity – the kind that requests a higher level of imagination – has always been his forte, and no song proves this better than ‘Piano Man’. With this number, we’re supposed to feel some sort of strange displacement or detachment, like sitting somewhere surrounded by locals in a space you struggle to understand, with even its place in culture representing some kind of unspecified ambiguity that’s hard to put your finger on. But really, it’s quite simple.
And above all, this core mood raises another interesting question, aside from the different people central to the bigger picture: where exactly is the bar? Maybe it’s the fact that it’s based on Joel’s real experience that makes it feel like a familiar place to fall into as a listener. But there’s also something inexplicable about a potential exact location, or even more general atmosphere, making it easy to apply meaning even when the lyrics themselves are fairly specific about the song’s broader message.
Considering the different characters of the navy guy, the bartender, the novelist, and so on, it’s easy to assume this could be any bar, anywhere, filled with the same types of personalities you might stumble upon picking any venue down a busy street at the end of the week. But there are some subtleties that have pushed others to suspect it might be somewhere a little more specific than just any bar, with some even convinced Joel created this world from the inside of a gay bar.
Let’s look at the hints: bartender John gives out free drinks, but there’s “someplace that he’d rather be”. Granted, this could be anywhere, but is there a secret over he’s keen to attend to? Real estate novelist Paul also “never had time for a wife”, but he’s “talkin’ with Davy, who’s still in the Navy” and “probably will be for life”. Aren’t most fictionalised same sex romances filled with tragedy? Funnily enough, although this wasn’t the intention when he wrote the song, Joel once said he could understand the interpretation.
“There’s this new theory out there now that it’s actually about a gay bar,” Joel said on NBC’s Today. He continued, “I [thought], ‘Oh, I see how that could be’. Paul’s talking to Davy, who’s in the navy; he doesn’t have time for a wife.” While he also explained that the inspiration for Paul’s story came from the idea of someone too busy in their work to focus on finding love, he sees how some might see it as part of a different interpretation, which incidentally, is also the entire appeal of the song.
In truth, we’ll never actually know the specific details of the bar itself – what it looks like, sounds like, feels like, or how much they’d overcharge for a disappointing pint of Coors. Nevertheless, it’s bloody fun imagining all the possibilities anyway, soaking up the comfort of the song, all the warm, fuzzy memories it stirs up, without ever really clocking what actually went into making it in the first place. Perhaps, after all, it’s all just about this: “We’re all in the mood for a melody / And you’ve got us feelin’ alright”.
