Elton's a "Madman"! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iroquois

This is slightly assumed, since the character is speaking to the "Great Father of the Iroquois" about his own life. The Sioux nation is mentioned also (the warrior has to "run the gauntlet of the Sioux"), and Geronimo, a noted Native American warrior, was a member of an Apache tribe. It is quite a touching song.

Answer: Holiday Inn

Here is the missing verse:

"Oh I don't even know
If it's Cleveland or Maine
Well the building's as big
And the room's just the same
And the TV don't work
And the French fries are cold
And room service closed 'bout an hour ago"

This verse could also be heard in live performances of the song in 1971. Perhaps it was removed because it seems to portray the real-life hotel chain in a bad light, which is not the intention of the rest of the song.

Answer: Richard Wakeman

Rick Wakeman was the keyboardist from the group "Yes", a popular group whose own 1971 releases included "Roundabout" and "I've Seen All Good People: Your Move". James Newton Howard would go on to play keyboards in Elton's band during the late '70s and early '80s. Tom Scholz was the oft-used keyboardist for Boston. And I'm sure Billy Joel could play the keyboards just fine, though he usually stuck to classic piano.

He and Elton have never actually collaborated together on an album, but did go on numerous successful tours together where both played piano on their own and each other's songs (called the "Face to Face" tour).

Answer: green grass

"Rotten peaches rotting in the sun"; quite the appealing lyric. The song is thought to be about an ex-prisoner lamenting his past and his time in prison.

Answer: None

Surprisingly, no songs from this album were included on Elton's original greatest hits album. "Levon" and "Tiny Dancer" were the two singles from the album, peaking at 24 and 41 respectively on the US charts. "Levon" was included on the original "Elton John Greatest Hits Volume II" in 1977. "Tiny Dancer" was added to the same greatest hits album when it was rereleased in 1992.

Answer: Music critics

Elton John has had a long and storied history with the critics, for better (in the '70s) and for worse (in the '80s), which isn't uncommon for an artist who has been performing for the better part of 40 years.

And for the record, though Taupin is currently in marriage number 4, he was still married to his first wife at the time of this song's release.

Answer: Jesus

"Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus"

and

"Alvin Tostig has a son today
And he shall be Levon"

can paint a picture of the family tree: Jesus (Son), Levon (Father), Alvin Tostig (Grandfather). Coincidentally, Levon was born on Christmas day!

Answer: snow

No, I have no idea what that particular lyric means, and the rest of the song is just as cryptic. But it's a very beautiful song, albeit too short.

Answer: painted

A long song, but well worth every minute. The song was originally intended to be included on Elton's previous album release, but was left off and became the cornerstone of this album.

Answer: None of these

This was one of the few albums NOT to contain B-side singles or other bonus material when it was later released as a remastered CD. The original "Madman Across the Water" can actually be found on the remastered "Tumbleweed Connection" CD, while the other two songs can only be found in certain 'rarity' collections, such as "Rare Masters".