according to Philip Norman's (brilliant) biography of EJ, when he and Bernie Taupin first toured the US, Bernie read a newspaper article about a young kid whose brother had been sent to fight in Vietnam. Tp save him worrying his parents had told the youngster that his brother was going on holiday to Spain. His brother then returned blinded and with many other wounds. Originally there was a third verse which brought it all together (a "denouement" as they call it) but it was cut in the studio to include the elctric piano solo and keerp the song to three minutes.
according to Philip Norman's (brilliant) biography of EJ, when he and Bernie Taupin first toured the US, Bernie read a newspaper article about a young kid whose brother had been sent to fight in Vietnam. Tp save him worrying his parents had told the youngster that his brother was going on holiday to Spain. His brother then returned blinded and with many other wounds. Originally there was a third verse which brought it all together (a "denouement" as they call it) but it was cut in the studio to include the elctric piano solo and keerp the song to three minutes.
@jonnytwospoons Yes real sad, it is a beautiful song, really moving.
@jonnytwospoons Yes real sad, it is a beautiful song, really moving.