Printing,Pressure,Pressure

I am currently working on everything: the DBA law, finding an assignment, rolling out Nextcloud within SMEs, and of course EduNEX, our AI-based solution. In addition, everything happens privately. A good friend has left life behind, my mother is in the hospital, my brother is leaving soon for a long work trip, my adolescent daughter is puberty at full strength, and there are members' meetings that require attention. In short, it is a hectic time. But today I felt like relaxing.

And what do you do? Right, you're analyzing, together with two AIs, the text of Piano Man by Billy Joel.

ChatGPT, Mistral and the Untraceable Woman

Since ChatGPT sometimes stumbles over intellectual property, I decided to engage Mistral as well. This provided interesting insights. ChatGPT remained cautious, while Mistral asserted with certainty that somewhere in the song a woman enters the bar. I couldn't find her. Eventually, I combined the input of these digital assistants with my own brain capacity and came to the following conclusion.

This song is even more amazing than I thought.

BIG disclaimer: Of course, I don't know if Billy Joel intended or wanted this to happen. This is my interpretation and I can be very wrong!

Analysis of ‘Piano Man’ – Billy Joel

Introduction

‘Piano Man’ is a narrative song in which Billy Joel sketches the atmosphere of a bar through various characters. Each character has its own story and symbolizes unfulfilled dreams, loneliness or desire for something better. The pianist (Billy Joel himself) acts as an observant narrator, capturing the emotions of the bar visitors and translating them into music.

1. The Old Man at the Bar

Rules:
“There’s an old man sittin’ next to me Makin’ love to his tonic and gin
He says, ‘Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes
But it’s sad, and it’s sweet, and I knew it complete When I wore a younger man’s clothes’’

• Symbolism:
  • The old man symbolizes nostalgia and melancholy. He remembers a song from his childhood, but the details fade away. This may indicate old age or regret over lost time.
  • His drink, a gin and tonic, is a symbol of solitude and comfort in alcohol.
  • The sentence “when I wore a younger man’s clothes” suggests that he longs for a time when he was younger and happier.

2. John the Barman

Rules:
“Now John at the bar is a friend of mine He gets me my drinks for free
And he’s quick with a joke, or to light up your smoke But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, ‘Bill, I believe this is killing me’ As the smile ran away from his face
‘Well, I’m sure I could be a movie star If I could get out of this place'’

• Symbolism:
  • John is a symbol of unfulfilled ambitions. He dreams of being a movie star, but is stuck in his work as a bartender.
  • The rule “Bill, I believe this is killing me” suggests that he is deeply unhappy and that his current life is exhausting him.
  • Although he gives a cheerful impression with jokes and lighting cigarettes, his smile is only a facade (‘As the smile ran away from his face’).

3. Paul, the Real Estate Novelist

Rules:
“Now Paul is a real estate novelist wHo never had time for a wife
And he’s talkin’ with Davy, who’s still in the navy
And probably will be for life’

• Symbolism:
  • Paul is a real estate agent with the soul of a writer. The term ‘real estate novelist’ suggests that he writes as a hobby or dream, but has never been able to follow his true passion.
  • His loneliness is evident from the rule ‘Who never had time for a wife’. He has spent his life at work or an unattainable dream, neglecting relationships.
  • His interlocutor, Davy, is a person who is stuck in a life path that he probably cannot or does not want to leave (“who’s still in the navy and probably will be for life”). This implies routine and a degree of hopelessness.

4. The Waitress and the Businessmen

Rules:
“And the waitress is practicing politics as the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it’s better than drinkin’ alone’

• Symbolism:
  • The waitress is a character who is probably trying to socialize and hold his own in a world full of customers and drunk men. “Practicing politics” It could mean she's charming and politically correct in earning tips.
  • The businessmen Use alcohol as a way to mask their loneliness. The Paradox in ‘sharing a drink they call loneliness’ Emphasizes how people come together, but are still lonely.
  • The rule “But it’s better than drinkin’ alone” suggests that companionship, however superficial, is still better than total isolation.

5. The Pianist (Billy Joel)

Rules:
‘And the piano, it sounds like a carnival and the microphone smells like a bear
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, ‘Man, what are you doin’ here?’’

• Symbolism:
  • The pianist is both an entertainer and a confidant for the regulars.
  • “The piano, it sounds like a carnival” suggests an airy, almost magical atmosphere, while the rule “the microphone smells like a beer” emphasizes the raw reality of a pub performance.
  • The sentence ‘Man, what are you doin’ here?’ points out that others consider him too talented for this setting, possibly referring to Billy Joel's own struggle in this period of his life.

Conclusion

‘Piano Man’ It's a melancholy tale of people with dreams and regrets. The bar acts as a sanctuary where music temporarily brings relief. And if this analysis has taught me anything, it is that AI can sometimes be just as confused as we are. Fortunately, we have music.