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Border Song
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Holy Moses, I have been removed
I have seen the spectre, he was been here too
Distant cousin from down the line
Brand of people who ain't my kind
Holy Moses, I have been removed

Holy Moses, I have been deceived
Now the wind has changed direction and I'll have to leave
Won't you please excuse my frankness but it's not my cup of tea
Holy Moses, I have been deceived

I'm going back to the border
Where my affairs, my affairs ain't abused
I can't take any more bad water
I've been poisoned from my head down to my shoes

Holy Moses, I have been deceived

Holy Moses, let us live in peace
Let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease
There's a man over there
What's his colour I don't care
He's my brother let us live in peace
He's my brother let us live in peace
He's my brother let us live in peace

from 'Elton John' (1970)

Your Song
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

It's a little bit funny this feelin' inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
Don't have much money, but boy, if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, ha, but then again no
Or a man who makes potions in a travellin' show
Oh I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell ev'rybody, this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down the words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses, well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgettin', but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

And you can tell ev'rybody, this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

from 'Elton John' (1970)


Take Me To The Pilot
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

If you feel that it's real
I'm on trial, and I'm here, yeah, in your prison
Like a coin in your mint
I am dented and I'm spent with high treason

Through a glass eye your throne
Is the one danger zone
Take me to the pilot for control
Take me to the pilot of your soul

Take me to the pilot, lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot, I am but a stranger
Take me to the pilot, lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot, I am but a stranger
Na na na, na na na ....

Well, I know he's not old
And I'm told, and I'm told he is a virgin
For he may be she
What I'm told is never, never for certain

Through a glass eye your throne
Is the one danger zone
Take me to the pilot for control
Take me to the pilot of your soul
Yeah yeah

Take me to the pilot, lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot, I am but a stranger
Take me to the pilot, lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot, I am but a stranger
Na na na, na na na ....

Through a glass eye your throne ....

from 'Elton John' (1970)

Levon
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
`Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town

Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spend his days counting
In a garage by the motorway

He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times said God is dead
And the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today

And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon

Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly

And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies

from 'Madman Across The Water' (1971)

Tiny Dancer
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad

Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows, the tune she hums

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer tiny dancer ....

from 'Madman Across The Water' (1971)
b-side of 'Rocket Man' in Germany

Rocket Man
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour, nine a.m.
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time ....

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time ....

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time ....

from 'Honky Chateau' (1972)

Honky Cat
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

When I look back boy I must have been green
Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream
Looking for an answer trying to find a sign
Until I saw your city lights honey I was blind

They said get back honky cat
Better get back to the woods
Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
And oh the change is gonna do me good
You better get back honky cat
Living in the city ain't where it's at
It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine
It's like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine

Well I read some books and I read some magazines
About those high class ladies down in New Orleans
And all the folks back home well, said I was a fool
They said oh, believe in the Lord is the golden rule

They said get back honky cat ....

They said stay at home boy, you gotta tend the farm
Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart
But how can you stay, when your heart says no
How can you stop when your feet say go

They said get back honky cat ....

from 'Honky Chateau' (1972)

Crocodile Rock
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

I remember when rock was young
Me and Suzie had so much fun
Holding hands and skimmin' stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
Was doin' a thing called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were rocking 'round the clock
We were hoppin' and boppin' to the Crocodile Rock

Well Cr'ile rockin' is somethin' shockin'
When your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh, Lawdy mama, those Friday nights
When Suzie wore her dresses tight
And the Cr'ile rocking was out of sight

La - lalalalala - lalalalala -lalalalala

But the years went by and the rock just died
Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy
Long nights crying by the record machine
Dreamin' of my Chevy and my old blue jeans
But they'll never kill the thrills we've got
Burnin' up to the Crocodile Rock
Learnin' fast as the weeks went past
We really thought the Crocodile Rock would last

Well Cr'ile rockin' is somethin' shockin'
When your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh, Lawdy mama, those Friday nights
When Suzie wore her dresses tight
And the Cr'ile rockin' was out of sight

La - lalalalala - lalalalala -lalalalala

I remember when rock was young
Me and Suzie had so much fun
Holding hands and skimmin' stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
Was doin' a thing called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were rockin' 'round the clock
We were hoppin' and boppin' to the Crocodile Rock

Well Cr'ile rockin' is somethin' shockin'
When your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh, Lawdy mama, those Friday nights
When Suzie wore her dresses tight
And the Cr'ile rockin' was out of sight

La - lalalalala - lalalalala -lalalalala ....

from 'Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player' (1973)

Daniel
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

They say Spain is pretty though I've never been
Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Oh and he should know, he's been there enough
Lord I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much

Oh, Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heel
Your eyes have died but you see more than I
Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky

Oh, Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heel
Your eyes have died but you see more than I
Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
Oh God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

from 'Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player' (1973)

Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

It's getting late have you seen my mates
Ma tell me when the boys get here
It's seven o'clock and I want to rock
Want to get a belly full of beer
My old man's a drunker than a barrel full of monkeys
And my old lady she don't care
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots
A handfull of grease in her hair

Hoh - don't give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Oh Saturday night's alright for fighting
Get a little action in
Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like
Saturday night's alright alright alright - ooh

Well they're packed pretty tight in here tonight
I'm looking for a dolly who'll see me right
I may use a little muscle to get what I need
I may sink a little drink and shout out "she's with me!"
A couple of the sound that I really like
Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike
I'm a juvenile product fo the working class
Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass, oh

Don't give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Saturday night's alright for fighting
Get a little action in
Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
'Cause Saturday night's the night I like
Saturday night's alright alright alright - ooh

Oh, don't give us none of your aggravation ....
Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday
Saturday, Saturday, Saturday night's alright ....

from 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (1974)

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

When are you gonna come down
When are you going to land
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man
You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up to you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues - aah, aah

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road - aah, aah

What do you think you'll do then
I bet that'll shoot down your plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
To set you on your feet again
Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
Sniffin' for tidbits like you on the ground - aah, aah

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road - aah, aah

from 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (1974)

Bennie And The Jets
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Hey kids, shake it loose together
The spotlight's hitting something
That's been known to change the weather
We'll kill the fatted calf tonight so stick around
You're gonna hear electric music, solid walls of sound

Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they're weird and they're wonderful
Oh Bennie she's really keen
She's got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
Bennie and the Jets

Hey kids, plug into the faithless
Maybe they're blinded
But Bennie makes them ageless
We shall survive, let us take ourselves along
Where we fight our parents out in the streets
To find who's right and who's wrong

from 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (1974)

Candle In The Wind
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Good-bye, Norma Jean, though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill and they made you change your name

It seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in
I would have liked to 've known you but I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did

Loneliness was tough, the toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar, and pain was the price you paid
Even when you died all the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say was that Marilyn was found in the nude

It seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind ....

Good-bye, Norma Jean, though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself, while those around you crawled
Good-bye, Norma Jean, from the young man in the 22nd row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe

It seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind ....
I would have liked to 've known you but I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did
Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did

from 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (1974)
* live recording