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Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Album: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Avg rating:
8.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1712









Released: 1973
Length: 3:12
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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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 with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah

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
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah

What do you think you'll do then
I bet they'll shoot down the 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
Sniffing for tidbits like you, on the ground
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah

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
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah, ah
Comments (36)add comment
What an album.
Posted 1 hour ago by GingerandMe    [ Reply ]
 jnhashmi wrote:

Why does Elton get so much play on RP and no Billy Joel? Not one song! They are very comparable. Billy Joel has all kinds of mainstream classics, just like Elton. Lots of deep cuts, just like Elton. Both were played to death on mainstream radio. C'mon Bill, give Billy a chance. Go for some deep cuts. RP would be a better place with some choice Billy Joel songs. Note: If you are going to comment "I come to RP to stay away from mainstream crap like Billy Joel", doesn't that go for Elton John and songs like this one? 


I can get behind that.

Joel's been going through a tough stretch of health problems lately. Hope he pulls out of it. Lots of amazing live stuff from him on the YouTubes. Live at the Tokyo Dome, near the top of that list.
Posted 2 months ago by TurtleMan    [ Reply ]
Why does Elton get so much play on RP and no Billy Joel? Not one song! They are very comparable. Billy Joel has all kinds of mainstream classics, just like Elton. Lots of deep cuts, just like Elton. Both were played to death on mainstream radio. C'mon Bill, give Billy a chance. Go for some deep cuts. RP would be a better place with some choice Billy Joel songs. Note: If you are going to comment "I come to RP to stay away from mainstream crap like Billy Joel", doesn't that go for Elton John and songs like this one? 
Posted 4 months ago by jnhashmi    [ Reply ]
Sara Bareilles does a fantastic job covering this song, recorded live. Elton was in the audience 💜
Posted 4 months ago by cynthia.loosley    [ Reply ]
 timmus wrote:

Up into the 8's we go.  Elton John really knocked it out of the park with this one.



Posted 5 months ago by below72    [ Reply ]
 coolassMike wrote:

A lot of musicians have commented that it's a perfect song; very hard to contradict.



Posted 5 months ago by below72    [ Reply ]
 Beaker wrote:

Absolute genius work.  Timeless.



Posted 5 months ago by below72    [ Reply ]
I just realized I've never clicked with Elton John because I don't know what his songs are about. He's saying words, and I can sort of hear them, but nothing comes across as having any meaning. I'm sure if I studied the lyrics I would find all kinds of rich meaning, but so many other artists I don't need to study in that way, the lyrics are effortlessly full of meaning.
Posted 10 months ago by jnhashmi    [ Reply ]
Posted 1 year ago by TallCreative1    [ Reply ]
Absolute genius work.  Timeless.
Posted 1 year ago by Beaker    [ Reply ]
A lot of musicians have commented that it's a perfect song; very hard to contradict.
Posted 2 years ago by coolassMike    [ Reply ]
 mattenuttall wrote:


Yeah, anybody know what happened to that guy? His comments were great to read!


thought he got banned for something (s) inappropriately posted.
Posted 2 years ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
Up into the 8's we go.  Elton John really knocked it out of the park with this one.
Posted 2 years ago by timmus    [ Reply ]
 Stratocaster wrote:


I remember when he was "romeotuma" and always said Elvis was his father, and how much he missed him...hasn't posted in 3 years, hope that's not a bad sign...
Hopefully he's just on a dancing tour through his multitude of churches and hotel rooms... :)



...and bowlegged Muleskinners!
Posted 3 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]


INNER ALBUM:



Posted 3 years ago by sfyi2001    [ Reply ]
This song and Daniel are my favourites of the 70's Elton. What a great song. 
Posted 3 years ago by cavemanleong    [ Reply ]
If you like to hear that song in a very different version - and this experience changed a lot for me (to appreciate this song even more!) - go and check out Angelina Jordan's version on youtube.
Posted 3 years ago by BettyKay    [ Reply ]
I believe this album to be Elton's best; created at the peak of  Bernie's songwriting, Elton's musicianship and the band at their best.   And it's a double album that is perfectly curated from start to finish.   Too much of a stretch to call it a masterpiece? 
Posted 3 years ago by CyrusPaul    [ Reply ]
10 ALL DAY LONG!!!
Posted 3 years ago by pablo2165    [ Reply ]
 AhhtheMusic wrote:


I am missing Lazarus.  Are you gone my dear?


I remember when he was "romeotuma" and always said Elvis was his father, and how much he missed him...hasn't posted in 3 years, hope that's not a bad sign...
Hopefully he's just on a dancing tour through his multitude of churches and hotel rooms... :)
Posted 4 years ago by Stratocaster    [ Reply ]
 AhhtheMusic wrote:


I am missing Lazarus.  Are you gone my dear?


Yeah, anybody know what happened to that guy? His comments were great to read!
Posted 4 years ago by mattenuttall    [ Reply ]
 Delawhere wrote:

Lazarus, are you by any chance a Delawarean? 

 




I am missing Lazarus.  Are you gone my dear?
Posted 4 years ago by AhhtheMusic    [ Reply ]
I remember driving in southern Spain with my lovely sons, then aged about 12 and 10, all of us singing along to this at the tops of our voices.  Happy days.
Posted 4 years ago by Edweirdo    [ Reply ]
10 always
Posted 4 years ago by Matt_Maurer    [ Reply ]
I like the lyrics and the tune. So there. I didn’t grow up with this played in my house neither on radio or older siblings so it hasn’t worn out it’s welcome
Posted 5 years ago by milleymeister    [ Reply ]
Every so often I have to put this album on and play it, loud.

This theme appears in a lot of BT's work, 'the country boy in the big city'.Captain Fantastic, Honky Cat, GYBR, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, et al.
c.
Posted 5 years ago by cc_rider    [ Reply ]
Great song. But not that great. And after approximately 1,277 plays to my ears over the FM years, if I never hear it again, it's far too soon. PSD. 
Posted 9 years ago by kingart    [ Reply ]
 
                                 New    Appreciative

                          More is the time capsule to keep
    Again change more for the inside of a man as the outside of funny
             Because you know that you belong to another planet.
                 Moreover, I never wanted something so bad.

Posted 9 years ago by twoplain2sea    [ Reply ]
Lazarus, are you by any chance a Delawarean? 

Lazarus wrote:


Everybody in my churches agrees...  love this song...
 

 


Posted 10 years ago by Delawhere    [ Reply ]
 Andy_B wrote:
IMHO his best works ended when he and Bernie Taupin split up.  The emotional and creative depth just wasn't there anymore despite commercial success of his later works. 
Elton and Bernie only split for a few years sometime around 1980. After that, Bernie wrote almost everything again.
I agree that the non-Bernie stuff was pretty bad.
The collaboration between these two was magical (right up there with Lennon/McCartney). 

I also agree with you about this era. Tumbleweed and Madman are both brilliant. Don't Shoot Me and Yellow Brick Road are almost as good. With a few exceptions, nothing after that quite lived up to the earlier works.
Posted 10 years ago by agkagk    [ Reply ]
 Andy_B wrote:
Although getting little airplay here on RP, many of Elton's songs from this era mostly rate a 10 in my book.  As noted below the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has to be one of his best albums ever.  IMHO his best works ended when he and Bernie Taupin split up.  The emotional and creative depth just wasn't there anymore despite commercial success of his later works.

 
I disagree that early-mid 70s EJ gets little airplay on RP.  I hear him here regularly.
Posted 10 years ago by xkolibuul    [ Reply ]
Although getting little airplay here on RP, many of Elton's songs from this era mostly rate a 10 in my book.  As noted below the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has to be one of his best albums ever.  IMHO his best works ended when he and Bernie Taupin split up.  The emotional and creative depth just wasn't there anymore despite commercial success of his later works.
Posted 10 years ago by Andy_B    [ Reply ]
So few comments.
I don't always always love Elton John but the melody of this song has always just plain blown me away; never fails. 
Posted 10 years ago by TJOpootertoot    [ Reply ]
Mind boggling this has not been played on RP before??!
Posted 10 years ago by aspicer    [ Reply ]
 d48m02h1918 wrote:
WOW - I am the first to comment on this great song?

What a song from a fantastic album, when Mr. Dwight was at the height of his creative powers!! {#Cheesygrin} 
 

Everybody in my churches agrees...  love this song...
 
Posted 12 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
WOW - I am the first to comment on this great song?

What a song from a fantastic album, when Mr. Dwight was at the height of his creative powers!! {#Cheesygrin} 
Posted 12 years ago by d48m02h1918    [ Reply ]