Poetry 101

If you asked me, "hey, do you like poetry?," I would probably say "no, not really," and go on to bore you by explaining how I prefer reading Actual Books to silly little haikus and how it was So annoying of them to make us English majors take all those poetry classes at UNC. But. Like most everyone else, I am a sucker for rock and roll, and, more to the point, rock and roll Lyrics, hell even country Lyrics. Like certain types of good poetry, good song lyrics simultaneously tell their own story and allow the listener to feel as if its his story being told. Maybe it's that I don't find the plain written word as moving without musical accompaniment....I don't think I'd find Oh Holy Night nearly as powerful if it was just written verse. Anyway. Since you asked and all.

The lyrics below weren't even written by Elton John, but he sure as hell sings them like they were. Which somehow seems to precisely illustrate the above. This is a sad song, kind of....I guess it depends on whose perspective you look at it from. I can feel it as the boy and and as the vodka soused wretch he leaves. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, indeed.............

(Oh, and a bizarre reference to the horny back toad never hurts.)

When are you gonna come down
When are you going to land
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man

You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues

So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

What do you think you'll do then
I bet that'll shoot down your plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics
To set you on your feet again

Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground