The first part of Billy Joel’s documentary ends with the musical titan noting, "I realize life doesn't always have a happy ending.” The second half of the engrossing “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” wraps with a similar sentiment of realism sprinkled with optimism.

Billy Joel had a complicated relationship with his father, Howard — and knew that when it came time, he would do things differently. “I didn't have a dad, so it was very important for me to be a dad," Joel tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story.