The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)

Tom Waits' song "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" is a masterful blend of surrealism and dark humor, painting a vivid picture of a chaotic, almost dreamlike bar scene. The lyrics are filled with absurd and whimsical imagery, such as a piano that has been drinking, a necktie that is asleep, and a telephone that is out of cigarettes. These personifications and bizarre scenarios create a sense of disorientation and confusion, mirroring the experience of being in a drunken stupor.

The song's narrative voice is unreliable, constantly deflecting blame for the disorderly state of the bar onto inanimate objects. This deflection serves as a metaphor for denial and avoidance, common themes in the context of addiction and substance abuse. The repeated insistence that "the piano has been drinking, not me" highlights the narrator's refusal to take responsibility for their actions, instead projecting their own inebriation onto the surroundings.

Tom Waits' distinctive gravelly voice and jazz-influenced musical style add to the song's atmosphere, evoking a smoky, dimly lit bar where reality seems to blur at the edges. The characters mentioned in the lyrics, such as the blind light man, the hearing-impaired piano tuner, and the sumo wrestler bouncer, contribute to the sense of a surreal, almost nightmarish world. This setting serves as a backdrop for exploring themes of escapism, denial, and the often absurd nature of human behavior when under the influence of alcohol.

"The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)" is a poignant and darkly comedic exploration of the human tendency to avoid facing uncomfortable truths. Through its vivid imagery and clever wordplay, the song captures the essence of a night lost to drunkenness and the surreal, disjointed reality that accompanies it.