Elton/Bernie Lyric Recognition Part 4 Quiz

Answer: A Once Upon A Time

From the song "Curtains" from the album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975). This song is a continuation of the previous song on the album; "We All Fall In Love Sometimes". This song is thought to be about the "Brown Dirt Cowboy" leaving the country for the city, in this case, Lincolnshire for London. Elton John has described this song as "crap"; however the vast majority of Elton/Bernie fans would disagree.

Answer: Candyfloss

From the song "Shoulder Holster" from the album "Blue Moves" (1976). This song tells the ballad of a woman named Dolly Summers who is the ex-wife of a "black jack hustler" called "Candyfloss". One day Dolly decides to hunt him down but when she sees the state that he is in, she gives up on killing him. "Blue Moves" was Elton's second double album following "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

Answer: an ugly word

From the song "It's Me That You Need", a single from 1969. A major hit in Japan, this song supposedly tells the story of a man who is certain that only he could be the right one for his girl. This song was covered by Italian singer Maurizio Vandelli, who changed the title to "Era Lei", meaning "that was her".

Answer: ten below zero

From the song "Pinky" from the album "Caribou" (1974). The song tells the story of a man and a woman who in the song is called "Pinky". It isn't made clear if that is her name or just a nickname. The singer starts off watching Pinky sleep; once she wakes they stay home for breakfast. The album contains such hits as "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me".

Answer: a whisper in the darkness

From the song "Voyeur" from the album "The Diving Board" (2013). The song, as is suggested in the title, is about a voyeur who sees "through a curtain blowing back against the rain" and "through the crack in a door that heaves with pain", among other places.

The voyeur says that he will always come away with something to keep "you" in his heart. It is not made clear who "you" is. The album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the UK Albums Chart.

Answer: Dixie Lily

From the song "Dixie Lily" from the album "Caribou" (1974). This song tells the story of a paddle boat much loved by its catfishing owner, who much prefers his old Lily to the other big boats. This song is one of the lesser-known songs of the album, but there are live performances of it. Caribou was the eighth album of what Elton John says were his best years; fans might argue otherwise.

Answer: nobody knows

From the song "Billy Bones and the White Bird" from the album "Rock of the Westies" (1975). The song tells the tale of fictional character "Billy Bones" from Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island" who rides some flying contraption called the "White Bird".

However it seems that poor Billy dies and washes ashore, leaving not a soul to fly the White Bird home. The album contains such hits as "Island girl", and debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number one, just like "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" from the same year.

Answer: a dozen

From the song "Holiday Inn" from the album "Madman Across the Water" (1971). Elton John said that the song is about the band's times touring and staying at the Holiday Inn. The album contains such hits as "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", the former famously featured in the 2000 film "Almost Famous".

Answer: filling your prescription for a brand new heart attack

From the song "Tower of Babel" from the album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975). The album, whose name is frequently shortened to just "Captain Fantastic" is an autobiographical album about Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's lives. The song may be a reference of the luxurious lifestyle that mainly Elton lived.

The album contains such hits as "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".

Answer: on his lip

From the song "The Scaffold" from the album "Empty Sky" (1969). The album was not released in the US until 1975, but was released in 1969 in the UK, where it didn't do too well. "The Scaffold" has lyrics that refer to mythology and legends, much like other songs on the album, such as "Valhalla" and "Sails".

The album was a very experimental album that served much like a trial run for Elton and Bernie, and it did please fans, even not until five or six years later.