Elton John's Greatest Songs Part 7: High Flying Bird
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2022
- I am analysing Elton John's greatest songs. My website: someonesavedmylife.wordpress....
Richard Thompson sings Beeswing: • Richard Thompson - Bee... 
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John,
this has always been one of my favorite songs (of my favorite 100's) of Elton and Bernie. Thanks for sharing this breakdown... now if we could only get Bernie to explain these lyrics.....??!!
Indeed. From his own experience or entirely fictional? I would guess the former.
Well done, John. You pinpointed the varied phrase lengths in verses--that conversational, magical way Elton unveils many verses, from Rocketman to Goodbye Yellowbrick Road and more. This instinctual verse freedom is a musical hallmark of his genius.
True and Elton seems to cope so we'll with it. Very natural.
Very happy you're exploring one of our favorites! Good analysis of music and lyric. Thanks, John.
Thanks, but did I get the meaning right?
@@eltonmusicfan I wouldn't venture to guess. I always heard it as a broken romance, but personal experience influences most song interpretations.
Really appreciate your comparison to Richard Thompson's terrific song. RT is one of the greatest songwriters (and guitarists) ever.
Glad you enjoy Beeswing. He is such a talented songwriter and performer.
one and a half minutes in on my first time on your channel. Love "High Flying Bird". Then you mentioned "Bee's Wing" and I subscribed. I am so ready for this
Thanks. I appreciate your feedback. I've seen Richard Thompson live and he's a great artist. I'm not sure I understood High Flying correctly though and will be doing a follow-up video.
@@eltonmusicfan there are songs I actively work at not understanding. High flying bird brings up feelings almost to the surface. I almost figure out what it reminds me of. I think if I figured it out it would lose something
It's not a break up song - I'm certain it's about a lost friend, a young 21 year old who died suddenly after collapsing in a Hollywood arcade, the same person also made reference to somewhere in Blues Never Fade Away, "The white walls of your dressing room are stained in scarlet red - You bled upon the cold stone like a young man, In the foreign field of death" the song also remenising in other respects. There are other lyrics about "thought I meant her harm," "moved away" and so on though, which seem to contradict that assessment of this song, though perhaps reflected other elements of that relationship, but I'm certain the key inspiration was that particular loss I've highlighted. Sure I heard that somewhere! Willing to stand corrected however. Bernie's not often all that on the nose with his lyrics, so this can be tough to nail down.
That's very interesting. You may well be right. I suppose it's another Bernie lyric which he's never explained. I'll try to pick up on your comments in a follow-up video.
@@eltonmusicfan I might not be right, may well have just pulled a bunch of threads together, though sure I remember hearing something about that mentioned somewhere.
You forgot to mention the very interesting and different rhyming scheme in the verses. The first and third, then fourth and sixth stanzas of each verse contain the rhyming words.
Thanks for this. I'd missed that. Another example of his great skill at wordcraft.
@@eltonmusicfan I often wonder if the lyrics were presented to Elton in this fashion (six stanzas) or in a standard fashion (four stanzas). Were there any revisions made after the "first draft"? Who knows? Anyway, I agree that great wordcraft and an excellent tune to fit were at work here. One of my favorites from Elton and Bernie.
Mm.... Beeswing was written a thousand years after High Flying Bird. Anyway, not to be too picky but after hearing it on the radio and on record High Flying Bird is actually a semitone higher in A flat major, but I suspect that the sheet music people wanted to make things a little easier for whoever wanted to learn this song. A few passing chords would not go amiss in fleshing out the backing to the melody either, but there you go.
Thanks for this. Elton sings it in A flat but I simplified it for the piano on to g. Anything for an easy life. Do you have the black book? It is pretty good.
@@eltonmusicfan I do not have the black book, I learn by ear.
@@candelise Yes, I normally do as well but I still find there's the odd chord which I just can't get. For instance, there was one in The One which I couldn't work out until I got the book.