Elton John's "Daniel"

[Ed Cate]

I've had this song going through my head for the last couple of days ( although
I'm not sure as to why ). I know that this discussion has come up in the past,
so I hope that I'm not disturbing anyone, but does anyone know the origin of
this song( who the song is about, etc. ).

Ed

[Marc Wielage]

On Sat, 9 Oct 1999 5:59:02 -0700, Ed Cate wrote
(in message <19991009085902...@ng-co1.aol.com>):

> >-------------------<snip>-------------------<

Here's my notes on Elton's 1973 hit:

"Single b/w "Skyline Pigeon." Elton later admitted in interviews that because
of time reasons, he omitted lyricist Bernie Taupinšs last verse of this song,
which explained that it was about a Vietnam Vet who lost his eyesight in the
war. Coincidentally, three months earlier, Anne Murray had a major Top 10 hit
with "Dannyšs Song."

"Eltonšs original was later covered as an album track by Wilson Phillips in
1991 on the tribute album _Two Rooms -- Celebrating the Songs of Elton John &
Bernie Taupin._"

--
--MFW

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-= Marc Wielage | "The computerized authority =-
-= MusicTrax, LLC | on rock, pop, & soul." =-
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[RCampb3422]

Speaking of Elton John - he sang a song that had a line in it that went, "Get
back ________ cat." Anyone know what goes in the blank. I always thought he
was saying - "Get back copy cat. Better get back to the woods. Get back copy
cat. Change is gonna do you good."

I like nearly every single one of Elton John's songs. I saw a show on him on
VH-1 I think it was. He talked about how unhappy he was years ago. He never
came off that way, but I suppose when you're in the public eye you cover all
that up. People pay to see each other happy and really don't want it any other
way.

And Anne Murray - I loved her voice! I haven't heard anything from her on the
radio in years! She definitely takes me back to the 70s.

Denise
http://www.chistell.com

[Avalon8074]

Denise wrote:

Must be 'Honky Cat' (1972)

[Eric Brothers]

Honky Cat. I think thats right..

[S.J.Carras]

>Subject: Re: Elton John's "Daniel"
>From: rcamp...@aol.com (RCampb3422)
>Date: Sun, 10 October 1999 02:51 PM EDT
>Message-id: <19991010145143...@ng-fj1.aol.com>

>
>Speaking of Elton John - he sang a song that had a line in it that went, "Get
>back ________ cat." Anyone know what goes in the blank. I always thought he
>was saying - "Get back copy cat. Better get back to the woods. Get back
>copy
>cat. Change is gonna do you good."
>
>I like nearly every single one of Elton John's songs. I saw a show on him on
>VH-1 I think it was. He talked about how unhappy he was years ago. He never
>came off that way, but I suppose when you're in the public eye you cover all
>that up. People pay to see each other happy and really don't want it any
>other
>way.
>

Honky cat..as in white jazz player.:)

20s-to-50...@onelist.com/
buffy...@eskimo.com
For more visit www.onelist.com
[Hyperlink eliminated for the hyperlink-wise challenged.
Anyone using my name on an e-mailing list will be reported.

[Tiny Dancer]

And so the word went out from rcamp...@aol.com (RCampb3422):

>Speaking of Elton John - he sang a song that had a line in it that went, "Get
>back ________ cat." Anyone know what goes in the blank. I always thought he
>was saying - "Get back copy cat. Better get back to the woods. Get back copy
>cat. Change is gonna do you good."

As a couple of posters have confirmed, Denise, this is definitely "Honky Cat",
first released on the album, "Honky Chateau", in 1972. The same album that
gave us, "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)" and
the treasure, "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters". So the lyrics you're looking
for are actually these:

They said get back honky cat

Better get back to the woods

Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
And oh the change is gonna do me good

>I like nearly every single one of Elton John's songs.

Ditto, what a shock, eh? ;-) But I have confessed to my distaste of his disco
album, "Victim Of Love", so I'm not a blind fan.

>I saw a show on him on VH-1 I think it was. He talked about how unhappy he
>was years ago. He never came off that way, but I suppose when you're in the
>public eye you cover all that up. People pay to see each other happy and
>really don't want it any other way.

This may have been the documentary, "Tantrums and Tiaras", the first time
I really heard him express how unhappy he was during what the fans consider
his prime-time (early to mid '70's). I never knew he'd tried to kill himself during
this period, well after the incident which produced, "Someone Saved My Life
Tonight", what a shocker! Thank goodness it didn't work, Elton seems to be
very happy now with David and his career. If he can survive the deaths of two
close friends (Versace and Diana) and the betrayal of his long-time manager,
John Reid, he can survive anything.

>And Anne Murray - I loved her voice! I haven't heard anything from her on the
>radio in years! She definitely takes me back to the 70s.

Same here, a beautiful voice and surprisingly one of the best concerts I've
ever seen was one of hers a couple of years ago. Free tickets from my Mum,
I would have never bought them myself and she was amazing!

Cheers,

TD

Webmistress of The Sesame Street Lyrics Archive
http://i.am/tinyd

Tiny Dancer's X-Files Episode Guide
http://www.insanity.com.au/td/

[King Pineapple]

"Honky Cat" is imho Elton's tribute to the 50's/early 60's New Orleans sound
(he refers of course to NO in the lyric). The horns sound like something Dr.
John would have done. And of course Reg's piano playing is in the vein of
Professor Longhair on that tune.

Tiny Dancer wrote in message <380495e5...@bigmomma.idirect.com>...