Elton John

Tonight I saw "27 Dresses" with the girls, and it was really good. I've been really tired and kind of stressed this week, so the break did me a lot of good. The movie itself was pretty typical, but there was one scene that made the entire experience for me: (spoiler follows...)

So, a lot of chick flick movies have one scene where girl-being-pursued lets her hair down, and steps off of her high horse long enough to have a wild, carefree moment of self actualization with guy-whose-love-is-still-unrequited. That moment in this movie took place in a bar after the car they were in got stuck and they apparently couldn't find a tow at night. After a few shots, they started opening up to each other, and just when it seemed like things were going to get disgustingly predictable, the song "Bennie and the Jets" came on the jukebox.

I'm not going to argue that the moment wasn't still disgustingly predictable, but it made me smile. After the initial "OMG YOU LOVE THIS SONG TOO!?!" moment, the two characters flubbed around with the lyrics (which was hilariously well done, as anyone familiar with the song could identify with) and before long they were dancing on the bar, singing and clowning it up. I can't imagine a better song for a moment like that - it's funky, goofy, and - I would argue - soulful - AND it has the added benefit of NOT being some cheesy love song.

Admittedly, I'm biased. I've always had a huge soft spot for Elton John's music*. Part of it stems from the fact that I grew up with a lot of it, and I have a lot of really good memories with his songs as a soundtrack. At the same time, I think that it's legitimately *really good music.*

I'm pretty picky about which of his music I like - and it's moreso the earlier stuff than the later stuff. I think that "Madman Across the Water" is a brilliant album, especially in terms of creativity. A lot of the songs manage to sound really personal and human, even while the lyrics themselves are a bit out of the ordinary. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and his self titled album are my other favorites.

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is such a beautiful, heartfelt song. I love the "what have I gotten myself into!?!" tone of the lyrics, and the way that the piano actually sounds like someone's stepping down (off of?) a yellow brick road. (Um, go listen to the song. I can't explain it.) I remember listening to it on the radio with my Dad one summer when we were running an errand getting ready to move from D.C. to Ohio, and it sort of ended up being my theme song for the rest of that summer. His self titled album, aside from "Your Song", definitely one of my favorite ballads, has a couple songs that he's not really well known for but that I absolutely adore.

One of them is "Border Song" and it's more or less about racism. I love how the phrase "Holy Moses" makes the song sound almost like a spiritual, but the piano and his inflection singing keep it from becoming cliche or satirical. The song is really powerful without being confrontational, and I really appreciate how it sounds like someone just taking a deep breath and saying "I'm really uncomfortable with all of this tension; we really shouldn't be doing this; let's just get along" without being too casual or too inflammatory.

The other is "The Greatest Discovery" and it starts out with some strings and an acoustic guitar. The piano kicks up with the lyrics, and it's a really sweet story - it's a narrative of a little boy finding out that he has a newborn brother, told from the boy's perspective. It's so simple, and so loving, and it does a lot to convey how much human life means.

Along those lines, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" probably rounds out my top few favorite Elton John songs. It's another from the same general time period as the others, and it's about not taking life for granted, and taking a moment to appreciate the people that really mean a lot to us:

"And now I know
Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say
I thought I knew
But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City

Until you've seen this trash can dream come true
You stand at the edge while people run you through
And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you

While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers
Turn around and say good morning to the night
For unless they see the sky
But they can't and that is why
They know not if it's dark outside or light

This Broadway's got
It's got a lot of songs to sing
If I knew the tunes I might join in
I'll go my way alone
Grow my own, my own seeds shall be sown in New York City

Subway's no way for a good man to go down
Rich man can ride and the hobo he can drown
And I thank the Lord for the people I have found
I thank the Lord for the people I have found"

Hearing that song always makes me think of friends and family, and a bunch of people I'm really glad and lucky to know. Makes me happy.

Ah. That was a bit of a digression from "I really liked the movie I saw tonight" - oh, well.

*I say "Elton John's music" with full acknowledgment given to the fact that Bernie Taupin wrote most of the lyrics.