“From Texas”: Billy Joel, Piano Man

Yesterday evening I was going to a grocery with a friend of mine, and his mp3 player started playing a nice song called “Piano Man” by Billy Joel.
He was surprised when I told him I didn’t know that song, although I knew the author and other songs by him.
Actually, to be sincere, I was confusing him with Roy Orbison (‘cause I was thinking of “Pretty Woman”, “Anything you want you got it” and “California blue”…yes, that moment Roy wasn’t existing in my mind)…I apologize to him.
Anyways, Chris continued complaining about the fact I didn’t know one of his most beautiful and famous song (together with “She’s Always a Woman to Me” e “Uptown girl”).

The song was written in 1973 and gives the name to the whole album, which has been his first real success.
It’s got the fascination of most of melancholic song, underlined also by the use of the mouth organ (that reminds me Bob Dylan).
It can be read as a complaining about the loneliness of one’s life, ‘cause ruts get you miss something (such as a wife, or any plan), taking as examples customers lives who’re drinking in the bar where the singer is playing the piano.
They seem to find a bit of consolation by listening to the song though.

What can I say? It is a sadly true song. You spend most of your time working, and you have to work if you want to survive, but it steals your free time and, with it, part of your life. And meanwhile time passes…