Blues Never Fade Away - Elton John

Artist: Elton John
Song: Blues Never Fade Away
Year: 2006
Album: The Captain & The Kid

Bernie Taupin and Elton John write and record beautiful songs. Most of their recent work have had a lot of meaning behind the lyrics. Since they have been around for four decades, each has seen their share of loss. Most of the losses they've had to deal with have been losses that we have had to endure as well. Though, I would imagine, they were a lot closer to the people that we've all lost in the during their careers.

All of the people mentioned or hinted at are real people that Bernie and Elton knew. They have been victims of AIDS or murder. There are so many people that fit the vague descriptions in the lyrics that memories of many celebrities and victims that were thrown into the spotlight appear through my mind when I hear this song.

Elton John songs lost their way in the nineties. Too much focus was on Disney soundtracks and quick cash that Elton did not seem relevant anymore. He became the old man singing the generic love songs. Thankfully, that image has washed away with the last few albums. He won't regain his old status as the hottest ticket in town, but he has become the elder statesman instead of the crooning old man.

Songs like this one show me that there is a lot left in Bernie and Elton's bag of tricks. There is still things to be said and music left to write. I'm just hoping that another soft rock bonanza doesn't pitfall the boys. That would be a tragedy.

Lyrics:
He wasn't famous but I sure did love him
I've got his picture in a little frame
He lost his life to a big disease before it even had a name
But there's so many more and I've lost count
The hows and whys aren't important now
All that matters is they came around
And brightened up our lives

She was twenty one with her life ahead
You don't need to know her name
She breathed her last on the cold stone floor of a Hollywood arcade
But fate's right hand isn't always just
Puts a lot of pressure on your faith and trust
She was just a little girl, ain't that enough
To rage against the day

And how did we get so lucky
Targets on the rifle range
Who makes the call and who gets to choose
Who gets to win and who gets to lose
It's like a rolling dice in the belly of the blues
And blues never fade away
Hey hey hey, colors run when the rain falls
But blues never fade away

He shone so bright with a lust for life
Like the Sun King that he was
His passions hung upon his walls and were printed onto cloth
And for reasons I never understood
About the choices made between the bad and good
I've tried to figure out why
The pain never goes away

And how did we get so lucky
Targets on the rifle range
Who makes the call and who gets to choose
Who gets to win and who gets to lose
It's like a rolling dice in the belly of the blues
And blues never fade away
Hey hey hey, colors run when the rain falls
But blues never fade away

And there's marble markers and little white crosses
Along the beaten path
And I've spread their ashes on the wind
And I miss John Lennon's laugh

And how did we get so lucky
Targets on the rifle range
Who makes the call and who gets to choose
Who gets to win and who gets to lose
It's like a rolling dice in the belly of the blues
And blues never fade away
Hey hey hey, colors run when the rain falls
But blues never fade away