Anyone who has ever bartended at, served at or simply been a regular at a bar can relate to at least one verse from Billy Joel's 1973 single Piano Man. Joel paints a word picture that many of us are able to envision with very little coaxing. The cast of characters is stereotypical of almost any neighborhood watering hole: The bartender, the waitress, the businessman, an old man and so on. We all know at least one of these characters. Perhaps we are these characters in someone's mind as they listen to this classic tune. When we hear Piano Man, those of us who have spent more than a few nights sitting at the same bar, are likely to be reminded of the sense of family and of belonging that can develop as all the regular crowd shuffles in. While the song is sung from the piano player's point of view, it could just as easily come from any member of the bar family. We find comfort in the familiarity of our surroundings. Like an actual family, we worry about each other, think about each other and we look out for each other. The family, however, evolves. People move, get new jobs, start families and all the faces eventually change. But, there is always a few stragglers left and those are the people I always hope to see when I decide to make an appearance at my old watering hole because, let's face it, the line rings true when Billy Joel sings it's better than drinking alone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se9rfWucgeY
