Elton John: Your Personal Favorites

[Ky Fried Redleg]

I've been a fan since the height of John's popularity in the early and mid '70's. Seen him a good number of times live. Bought most of his records. He's had a Top 10 single in six different decades. With John having such a deep and diverse catalog, I'd expect a pretty wide range of favorite tunes from those who have listened to his music over the years.

I'd be curious as to what you would rate as your top four or five songs of this singer/songwriter. While his hits are terrific, I think some of his best work were some of his lesser known songs. Maybe your favorite is one of his biggest hits or maybe it is a more obscure, hidden gem. Either way, I'd love to hear some of your favorites. Thanks, in advance.

************************************************** ************************************************** *************
I used to know this old scarecrow
He was my song
My joy and sorrow
Cast alone between the furrows
Of a field
No longer sown by anyone
I held a dandelion
That said the time had come
To leave upon the wind
Not to return
When summer burned the earth again
Oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Cultivate the freshest flower
This garden ever grew
Beneath these branches
I once wrote
Such childish words for you
But that's okay
There's treasure children always seek to find
And just like us
You must have had
A once upon a time
Oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh

[westofyou]

Curtains - We All Fall In Love Sometimes is a great end to what (IMO) is his last GREAT piece of work. Saw him at Riverfront in 1976 at the peak, he was the 70's in so many ways

[Ky Fried Redleg]

On the morning of April 3, 1882, Jesse James was having breakfast with Robert and Charlie Ford at a house Jesse and his family was renting under the name "J.D. Howard. " Unbeknownst to James, Robert Ford was the paid assassin of Missouri Governor, Tom Crittenden. As Jesse stood on a chair to adjust a picture in the parlor of the house, Ford fired a shot that hit James just below the right ear, killing him.

Leave it to Elton to write a beautiful song, using, the bullet from the gun of the coward , Robert Ford , as a metaphor for the end of a romantic relationship. Not your typical breakup song, but one, nevertheless. Simply brilliant and lovely.

************************************************** ***************************************



Like a corn in a field, I cut you down
I threw the last punch too hard
After years of going steady, well, I thought that it was time
To throw in my hand for a new set of cards
And I can't take you dancing out on the weekend
I figured we'd painted too much of this town
And I tried not to look as I walked to my wagon
And I knew then, I'd lost what should have been found
You know that, I knew then I'd lost what should have been found
And I feel like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford
I'm low as a paid assassin is
You know I'm cold as a hired sword
I'm so ashamed, can't we patch it up?
You know, I can't think straight no more
You make me feel like a bullet, honey, in the gun
In the gun of Robert Ford
Like a child when his toys have been stepped on
That's how it all seemed to me
I burst the bubble that both of us lived in
And I'm damned if I'll ever get rid of this guilt that I feel
And if looks could kill then I'd be a dead man
Your friends and mine don't call no more
Hell, I thought it was best but now I feel branded
Breaking up's sometimes like breaking the law
Breaking up's sometimes like breaking the law
And I feel like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford
I'm low as a paid assassin is
You know I'm cold as a hired sword
I'm so ashamed, can't we patch it up?
You know that I can't think straight no more
You make me feel like a bullet, honey, in the gun
In the gun of Robert Ford

[Ky Fried Redleg]

Curtains - We All Fall In Love Sometimes is a great end to what (IMO) is his last GREAT piece of work. Saw him at Riverfront in 1976 at the peak, he was the 70's in so many ways

No doubt. I can't think of the '70's without thinking of Elton John.

[Bob Sheed]

From Tumbleweed Connection to Captain Fantastic, not many musicians had a stronger, more prolific period of depth and creativity.

Anything before, or after that, I could take or leave, honestly.

Same answer from me for Stevie Wonder. Music of My Mind, through Songs in the Key of Life. God-Tier Prolific. Anything before or after though? Meh.

EDIT: I'm just glad they are both still alive. Threads like this usually start with RIP these days.

[mth123]

Funeral for a Friend
Tiny Dancer
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Crocodile Rock
Your Song
Take Me To The Pilot
I’m Still Standing
Honkey Cat
The ***** is Back
Sorry Seems to like Be The Hardest Word

That’s 10 I think.

As far as album runs go, I’ll take The Stones: Beggars Banque; Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Mainstreet.

[goreds2]

Philadelphia Freedom because this song always make me think of my dad driving out of the dealership in his new Chevy pickup truck in the mid-70’s. This song was playing on the radio. Funny how I remember that.

[Ky Fried Redleg]

From Tumbleweed Connection to Captain Fantastic, not many musicians had a stronger, more prolific period of depth and creativity.

Anything before, or after that, I could take or leave, honestly.

Same answer from me for Stevie Wonder. Music of My Mind, through Songs in the Key of Life. God-Tier Prolific. Anything before or after though? Meh.

EDIT: I'm just glad they are both still alive. Threads like this usually start with RIP these days.

You read my mind, Bob. While thinking about a thread, I thought, "Why wait til he's dead and do a RIP thread?"

[Ky Fried Redleg]

Seriously, who can possibly write a cool, melodic, catchy chorus to these words:


It's party time for the guys in the tower of Babel
Sodom meet Gomorrah, Cain meet Abel
Have a ball y'all
See the letches crawl
With the call girls under the table
Watch them dig their graves
'Cause Jesus don't save the guys
In the tower of Babel




Elton John, in his prime creative years, that's who.

[texasdave]

[Ky Fried Redleg]

How's this for a B-Side????

Flip side of "Croc Rock."




"Those were the days
We'd lay in the haze
Forget depressive times ..." (Elton John, or was it, Roy Tucker?) LOL

[Roy Tucker]

Funny, my wife and I went to see the musical “Moulin Rouge” today. It’s a jukebox musical where all but one of the songs in it were popular songs in their own right.

One song played (and sung) was John’s “Your Song”. I hadn’t heard it in years and was flooded with emotion when I heard it. It came out my freshman year at Ohio Univ. and that album could be heard coming from lots of Sargent Hall and other dorm rooms. But those were tumultuous years and my life was going through a lot of changes and ups and downs and spastic growth. And hearing that song today brought back all those emotions of the long past.

Anyhow, I was an Elton John fan of:
Elton John
Tumbleweed Connection
Madman Across The Water
Honky Chateau
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (his best)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

My musical tastes went elsewhere after that.

[WrongVerb]

Favorite Elton John song is Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

[ShyGuy]

Amoreena


Perhaps the greatest use of a song in an opening movie sequence for Dog Day Afternoon

[Kingspoint]

Benny, Benny, Bennnny and the Jeeeeeeeets.