By: kimoreena
Lists

My Fantasy Farewell Set

EJFarewellYBRTour

I can dream. And lately, I’ve been dreaming about what songs I would love to hear Elton and the Band play during their 3-year Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. So I thought I’d put together my list, with a few caveats:

  • I’ll limit the set list to 30 songs (although he usually doesn’t play more than 24-25 these days, I figure he can throw a few more in during this, his final, tour).
  • I’ll try to balance the classics with gems from the back catalog. Although I would love every song to be one of my personal favorites, I do appreciate that most people will want to hear songs from the juke box – and so many of them are so great live anyway).
  • I’ll try to spread selections across the decades, but (of course), they will be heavily weighted to the 70’s.
  • I’ll also try to balance upbeat, high intensity songs with more laid back ones. Gotta have some high energy at an Elton John concert!

So here goes…here’s my fantasy farewell set list:

  1. Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding –  There is no other way to start an Elton John concert, imho.
  2. Bennie and the Jets – Who doesn’t love this live?
  3. Rocket Man – The extended version, of course. The more ad libbing, the better.
  4. Made in England – Where it all began.
  5. Rock and Roll Madonna – Let’s go way, way back.
  6. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters – My all time favorite song.
  7. Amoreena – Sung as Kimoreena, thank you very much. (This is my dream, after all).
  8. Club at the End of the Street – I always thought this should have been a bigger hit, and it would be fun to hear live.
  9. Burn Down the Mission – Phenomenal live.
  10. Blues for Baby and Me – Instead of Daniel.
  11. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton’s and Bernie’s story, part 1.
  12. Original Sin – My second favorite Elton song.
  13. Mandalay Again – He was so proud of the work he did with Leon Russell (and rightfully so – and I love these lyrics).
  14. Take Me to the Pilot – Again, a great one live (and not knowing what it means makes it even more fun).
  15. Skyline Pigeon – He sang this at Ryan White’s funeral and it would be a nod to everything he’s done with EJAF.
  16. Tiny Dancer – The next four songs should be done in this order, just like the album. I’ve always thought this was a tour de force (fource) lineup.
  17. Razor Face
  18. Levon
  19. Madman Across the Water
  20. Pinky – Who doesn’t love this song?
  21. Tonight/Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word – I’m pretty sure he combined these live before and it is perfect pairing.
  22. I’m Still Standing – This always gets people out of their seats.
  23. Who Wears These Shoes – I always liked this song and think it would be fun live.
  24. All the Young Girls Love Alice – These 3 songs should be done in this order, just like on the album. And it will be a high intensity way of ending the main set list.
  25. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)
  26. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting

Encore

  1. The Bitch is Back – Perfect start for the encore.
  2. England and America – “And if I fall, it’s good to know, there’s England and America.”
  3. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Since the tour is called Farewell Yellow Brick Road, it would be good to save this until the end.
  4. Your Song – Sung just by him, no band, to each and every one of us.

Of course, it was very hard paring the list down to just 30 songs in total. And I would love the 2Cellos to perform with him as well as his backup singers. (Of course, I would also love a horn section and even an orchestra, too, but even my dreams are weighted in reality it seems).

Honorable Mention (These are the  songs that were in my first list but didn’t quite make the cut):

  1. Chloe
  2. Paris
  3. Harmony
  4. Island Girl
  5. Honky Cat
  6. Where to Now St. Peter
  7. Elderberry Wine
  8. Blue Avenue
  9. The Captain and the Kid
  10. Grey Seal
  11. Candle in the Wind
  12. Healing Hands
  13. Blessed
  14. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
  15. Crocodile Rock
  16. High Flying Bird
  17. Grow Some Funk of Your Own
  18. Live Like Horses
  19. Hey Ahab/Monkey Suit
  20. Just about everything else in his catalog

Now that you’ve seen mine, what songs would you include in YOUR fantasy farewell set list? I’d love to hear from you.