251. Elton John, "Honky Château"


 "Rocket Man," track 5 on this record, is, of course, one of the best-known songs in rock history and a staple of jukeboxes and karaoke machines worldwide, but I want to talk about a different song, one I have listened to far too many times in the last four days to be healthy, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," maybe the finest song John and lyricist Bernie Taupin  ever wrote.

The song starts quietly, with just piano and John's vocals:

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 trashcan 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

Obviously, it's a callback to Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem," but what the hell is going on here otherwise?  What is a trashcan dream?  I mean, this is clearly about New York City, but like, what about it?

There's also a really sad part if you like public transit:

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

I mean, the subway is a perfectly good way for a good man to go down, and I'm encouraged that all social strata are riding, but I don't why the hobo is drowning.

The chorus is really the gorgeous part, even if it sounds like it's about people doing cocaine:

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

It's impossible to describe how pretty the resolution of the last line is, so just go listen to the song.

The title of the last song, "Hercules," is also John's chosen middle name, and is a sort of 50's-rock rave up.  It was supposed to be a single but I guess never made it.  Oh there's also "Honky Cat," the album opener, a New Orleans-style white guy funk jam.

The one thing about this album that I was really blown away by is that it went gold (i.e., 500,000 sold) in July 1972, a few months after it was released, but didn't go platinum (a million sold) until 1995, more than 20 years later!  What the fuck?  

OK, that's it.  We're halfway done!  Took a little over a year, as I expected it might.  What a trip, man.  Well, it's all downhill from here I guess.

Does this album deserve to be in the Top 500? Yeah, for sure.

Comments

  1. GGNovember 29, 2021 at 1:51 PM

    I don't own an Elton John album (although for some reason I have a 45 of "Candle in the Wind"?) and never think to put one on, but whenever I hear one of his songs, I'm like, "Hell yeah, I should listen to Elton John more often." Anyway congrats on the halfway mark!

    ReplyDelete
  2. TKNovember 30, 2021 at 8:50 AM

    Pretty much the same here. I always forget about him, then when I listen to him I'm like "oh yeah, this is good!" And thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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