As I’m headed to Wings over Homestead tomorrow, I thought I’d get into the mood a little bit early and talk about Planes. Although a lot of the planes I’ll be seeing tomorrow will be more of the “rocket man” type, I’ve been wanting to share this song with you because it is a recent and unexpected discovery for me (where was I all these years)? And since that’s the intent of my blog (to introduce people to out of the mainstream tunes from the vast Elton John discology), away we go…
Oh Jessie I’d like to be
One of those men upon the screen
With an elegant lady and a cafe in Paris
Serving Pernod and Kahlua with cream
That voice!!! That’s the Elton voice that reaches into my soul. If I used the word swoon, that’s how I would describe my reaction to his voice when he sounds like that.
I remember the first time I heard Planes. A couple of years ago, I was sitting in my car, and I just happened to be listening to the Rare Masters disc. This song comes on, and I was caught off guard. I can’t explain why I had never heard it before (my head hangs in shame as I type this), but I hadn’t (ok, there, I’ve admitted it). It was like opening up a scrapbook that you hadn’t looked at in years and finding some unexpected treasure that brings a smile to your face and warms your heart. Needless to say, this song has been played over and over and over again since then.
And won’t you look at the planes
Riding down the skyway
Jessie ain’t those wings just fine
Don’t it make you want to fly [pause] someday
And the pause is absolute perfection, if a pause can be such. Kind of like taking a breath as you’re dreaming aloud to come back to reality.
Why friend am I so still
Tied to my job with time to kill
Do I still bear the traces of old Don Quixote
Tilting giants on imaginary hills
Ok, Bernie, there you go again, gracing us with such poetic lyrics.
To me, Planes is very reminiscent of Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (my all-time favorite EJ song), musically, the tempo, and that voice! And the lyrics are melancholy, almost elegaic.
BTW, I believe that Planes is an outtake from Rock of the Westies…an outtake? Hard to believe. I can’t imagine it not being included (except that I guess it didn’t fit thematically).
Unfortunately, I can’t find a free version of this tune on the web to share with you (there are a couple of covers, though). I’ll try to upload it soon so you can swoon, too. But trust me – it is amazing!
Planes (Rare Masters – 1992)
The Captain and the Kim 