Wonderful Crazy Night - Elton John

Wonderful Crazy Night - Elton John

3:13

Wonderful Crazy Night, 2016

Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

This is a pleasant, uptempo, cheery ballad that celebrates, as the title indicates, a memorable night with friends.  "And it feels like the clocks have stopped / Calypso moon just cast its spell / We grabbed that magic just because / We remember and never forget."  Producer T. Bone Burnett adds just a hint of country to the piano-based pop rock, resulting in a fun, melodic song — not one of John's greats, but definitely worth putting on a party playlist.

Jack Rabbit - Elton John

Jack Rabbit - Elton John

1:53

single, 1973

Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

This song, a brisk country rocker, was released as the B-side to "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting."  The song apostrophizes the titular rabbit, who is racing around enjoying himself, while danger looms at every corner.  "Go jack-rabbit running through the woods / You had a good night and you feel real loose / Gunfire breaking up the peaceful night / Jack-rabbit lying in the cold daylight."  The tone is deceptively light, but carpe diem and memento mori, everybody; Taupin’s rustic imagery and Elton’s galloping piano make it feel like a fable in which carefree sport turns to tragedy.  Et in Arcadio ego and all that. 

Part-Time Love - Elton John

Part-Time Love - Elton John

3:16

A Single Man, 1978

Written by Elton John and Gary Osborne

Working with the pen of his lesser-known writing partner, John made this bouncy little tune about what appears to be adultery.  "You've been seen running around... Don't tell me what to do / When you've been doing it too / Because you, me and everybody's got a part-time love."  Everybody does it, apparently.  "I've got someone at home / But she's got a love of her own."  It's a jaunty tune you can bob your head to, until perhaps the lyrics start sinking in.

Elderberry Wine - Elton John

Elderberry Wine - Elton John

3:34

Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, 1973

Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

A heavy, funky piano rocker with a horn section from Sir Elton.  In this song, a man regrets his wife, who left him a year ago.  The music is rollicking, but the lyrics aren't Taupin's best (and he was always much more of a painter of images than a wordsmith): I mean, "You aimed to please me / Cooked black-eyed peas me."  No, that won't do.  That's not mention the women being passed around hand to hand.  And this guy whines he can't get by in life without a wife to pick his crops and get him drunk?  No wonder she left.