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From: rgyozo77
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  • tumblewed connection y madman across the water (gracias a ti grande bernie TAUPIN y a ti elton )pero despues de estas dos maravilla ....nada !!!solo a hacer dinero

  • tumblewed connectio and madman accross the water (think you great bernie taupin and naturaly elton )but after that .....nothing !!!!only making monay

  • I loved the Beatles. Stones. Dylan. Neil Young. The Band. The Who. Pink Floyd..........I thought Elton was great too. I liked his first album. I thought Tumbleweed Connection was terrific. I liked this album {Madman is my favorite song of his.} Then he got all weird. Initially he was just a really good, serious, artist. Then he started wearing all those big glasses and weird clothes and it was too bad. The music suffered too. Why did he feel he had to do that? What was the point of it??????

  • @kentucy9999 My theory is that when he came out as gay, he felt like a new man, though all artists evolve and to often it's for the worse. All you can do is enjoy the art they made and hope they make some more that you enjoy.

  • Stern brought me here

  • this album and tumbleweed connection are the only elton john that does not seem whimpy to me

  • life703,.....there is no wrong gen. What can only be wrong,....is if you buy the new over the proven.I am 46, and I like Delta Blues, and I never picked cotton,......what YOU like and love,.....nobody can take that away. Dig on what you feel, and let it make you happy. Rock On.

  • i was sooo born in the wrong generation <3

  • Brings back time of sitting by the radio(underground FM.WVHI Love radio) after school until bedtime listening to songs from Elton(Tumbleweed connection),Cat Stevens (Tea for the tillerman)and the entire Tommy album.

  • sounds a bit like something by the Eagles or F mac

  • 7 people enjoy Rebecca Black.

  • Extreme Talent!!

  • His best song.

  • It looks like rain.Great song,great album.

  • i just came from his concert this minute. it was unbelievable and the performance of this song was AMAZING!

  • This is the best song in the universe!

    

  • God, I just fucking LOVE Paul Buckmaster.

  • many many many memories

  • Brilliant lyrics, thank you Bernie. Excellent execution...thank you Elton.

  • I was actually surprised to hear this on KOLA 99.9 last weekend , usually its tiny dancer or crocodile rock ( no problem with that)

  • 6 people are deaf.....

  • To hear an obscure publisher's demo of this song; please visit my YouTube channel.

    I feature the first demo recorded by Elton John, as opposed to the second demo featured elsewhere on YouTube.

  • Wicked wicked nasty masterpiece.

  • just love early John and Taupin

  • Love the early non commercial John. Classically trained Pianist shows in this classic early Taupin lyrics, John arranged masterpiece.

  • Loved being a teenager in the 70's when we had music like this!

  • I can see very well There's a boat on the reef with a broken back And I can see it very well There's a joke and I know it very well It's one of those that I told you long ago Take my word I'm a madman don't you know Once a fool had a good part in the play If it's so would I still be here today It's quite peculiar in a funny sort of way They think it's very funny everything I say Get a load of him, he's so insane You better get your coat dear It looks like rain chorus We'll come ag
  • Only 21. Grew up on Elton John, Crosby Stills & Nash, Chuck Mangione. My dad would always pop in the cassette and play it when we went on vacation and to be honest, I didn't really like it as a kid.....What the hell was I thinking?

  • One of John's greatest albums. When he and Taupin were writing contemplative, literate songs. Before all the sunglasses and glam pop silliness. The orchestration is well done, not overwhelming.

  • es uno de los mejores discos que marcaron mi vida....gracias elton

  • 6 people need to.... oh wait I almost forgot that Im not douchebag who makes corny dislike puns :o

  • Elton John= 100000 good words

  • paid three hundred bucks to see elton with my daughters. forgot it was a working night.

  • agree with husomea!

  • Just saw Elton last night. Was my first concert ever.

  • @eisenmenger14

    That is pretty much the coolest thing ever. You are lucky.

  • great song but the best song on this album is indian summer

  • is the nightmare black or are the windows painted?

  • I always thought this song was about Richard Nixon. From England (The Madman across the Water)

    

  • @mydogspet Bernie Taupin mentioned in an interview that some people thought the song was about Nixon, which he refuted. It's just an urban legend.

  • its quit peculiar in a funny sort of way......

  • Just learned to play this great song....I live in Canada (Born UK) It`s almost my song!

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  • ITS ABOUT A MAN IN THE INSANE ASYLUM, ON AN ISLAND , WHO KEEPS THREATENING TO COMMITT SUICIDE, LOCKED IN HIS OWN PERSONAL PRISON. ANOTHER ELTON MASTERPIECE, OF COURSE BERNIE TAUPIN WROTE THE LYRICS.

  • what does this song mean if you factor out (very well)x(rest of the song) like that?

  • This man is amazing I love Elton John so much he is truly inspiring though his music and through his personality God bless him :)

  • 240p we meet again... -_-

  • 600th like!

  • It may be years in between, but people always find their way back to Elton...and this is one reason why...God bless the little munchkin ; )

  • this has to be one of the best songs ever

    i took my first date to an elton john concert

    wow i am old

  • I've seen Sir Elton last Saturday at Festival d'été Quebec City, he performed that song and made a extra version of over ten minutes. The bass was incredible! The best performance of the evening IMO!

  • Back when music mean't something, sadly, so long for that era!!

  • There are 6 madmen across the water.

  • one of the most underrated(so called) songs that sir el came out with, but to me one of my favorites!

  • @Defendor1983 this is one of the most freakin awesome musical masterpieces ever!

  • @Defendor1983 AMEN!

  • @Defendor1983 my favorite album hands down

  • My very favorite of Elton's songs. I was in high school when this album came out. He was so cute and I had such a crush. He did not "come out" for many more years. LOVE THIS SONG!

  • I love this album just for the engineering. Brilliant!

  • @19emeraldeyes....the eternal question. Killer album.

  • Is the nightmare black or are the windows painted?

  • But is it in your concience that your after -- another glimps of the MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER!

  • @goefursewf Conscience and glimpse.

  • He played this song when I saw him in concert back in March. What a performance. Davey Johnstone, even after all these years, still plays a mean guitar!

  • Did any of you fellow baby boomer have the UNI vinyl with the yellow label and the rainbow on it? But I do digress ... on the LP, this dark gem ended side one. That side began with 'Tiny Dancer' and "Levon', back-to-back. What more could you ask for? Great to hear this.

  • LOVED smokin and trippen and listening to this song at Canyon Lake.Tx

  • This is an 11. This scale goes to 11.

  • @SunnyDays951 No, this scale goes to 10, but the song is still an 11

  • 6 people don't know the the joke very well

  • Totally Amazing  , Sound Quality like I've never heard before, Perhaps one of the Finest Recordings Ever !!!! I happen to love Elton, and this does great Justice !!!!

  • My parents raised me on this wonderful music and the thing I always have a problem with is what a cheeseball EJ became in his later career. Schlock master!

  • @drewbacsi Are you referring to his music or personal life? No one, not even Bach or the Beatles can maintain sustained excellence over the long haul. If your referring to his personal life, what do you care if he's gay or not? 

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  • @BENFICA60 Was there any insinuation whatsoever that I was talking about his personal life? The Beatles did maintain excellence while they were together.

  • Take my word I'm a MADWOMAN don't you know...?!?

  • When I first saw Elton John....he started this song in the dark and slowly brought up the spotlights...Tumbleweed Connection had just come out

  • This song is so badass!

  • It is so good to hear this track again. I use to have the album years ago and literally wore it out. I agree with several comments listed below that this is one of his best. Daing he a Bernie Taupin did some great stuff. Absolutely brilliant lyrics. Thanks so much for sharing - I'm gonna get another copy:-)

  • Army boot camp--Bradley C. Emmonds had some angel dust laced weed, and we smoked it. God so F/U'd up, couldn't even hold a plug in the wall for the floor buffer. But John Klise had this album, and it just blew us away!

  • I like the Tumbleweed Connection version better myself.

    Great song!

  • thanks to almost famous i found this great album!!! a few years ago i wouldnt have even given this a second look. its now become one of my favorite albums ever!!

  • so many songs from this era had a cool sound. bad company's bad company album. Fine song here. Last ages of the tubed amplifiers. Digital transistors and integrated circuits just don't sound the same.

  • ...masterpiece...

  • It's been given credit as being one of the best produced live albums ever done. His use of the orchestra was hailed as ingenius in it's day. Can't wait to see his concert in May.

  • One of the best albums of all time - yes - all time. But just one of the best albums, if you know what I mean

  • Patrice Love,

    Theres a joke and I know it very well

    It's one of those that I told long ago

    Take my word I'm a madman don't you know ?

  • i like what im hearing, but I need more cowbell!

  • @legendiver Too damn funny!!! Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken would laugh their asses off if they read this!!! LOL!!!

  • iam the the mad man across the water i dis own my entire family for ever one by one they die and i feel nothing....................

  • there's some smoke, and I know it very well

  • My Mom brought this album home when I was maybe 10 years old. I have loved it ever sense. Funny thing is I'm not much of an EJ fan, but this album....

  • It looks like rain!!!! there's no madness in that.... I live in Seattle!!!!!! I love Elton double rainbow ALL THE WAY!!!!

  • This is my favorite album. Indian sunset is amazing too.

  • Il vertice della sua cifra stilistica. Elton superbo interprete dei mali interiori dell'uomo "normale".Sembra un brano angoscioso che non ti lascia scampo ma Elton rende il tutto farcito dalla sincerità di chi crede nella Musica come condizione esistenziale e non certo perchè a caccia di coccodrilli e rock derivati.Insuperabile.Solo con Indian Sunset si ripeterà il miracolo in questo Lp.Fantastico.

  • Wow, "I can see very well, there's a boat on the reef with a broken back" Does not get much better. Fortunate to see Sir Elton in 1970. Looks like rain. Amazing!! Thank you for posting.

  • rap is about dead as disco and rock and roll lives on my friends.if anything ruined anything id say it was probably money and comercialization. its " how can we get these dipshits to buy our stuff now?" i say...stuff it up your asses ill listen to this old music.. yall can keep your beyonces and shot em wit ma nine songs.hey it got you blingin and some white bitches. now let it die.

  • @philup219 Rock and roll lives on? I have a hard time buying that as I have heard no quality material released lately. Tupac has put out better albums since his death than 99% of these rock bands. What killed music in general is this American Idol mentality, we don't care if you can play, write or perform live, but how you look on camera. Music in general is dead right now.

  • @philup219 from what i understand from years ago is Elton John was the first record artist that a record company which was RCA. Approached him to taylor an album of music for young kids ages 13 -16 which at that time were the biggest buyers of albums then. I think at the time he received a million dollars for this and he ended up writing the double Yellow Brick Road album. The comps.. cut down on all the bands under contract slowly but surely after that. To my understanding. thank you. Drohegda

  • MAY THE LIGHT OF ENGLISH ROCK CONTINUE.

  • dont blame the death of rock on 90's alt bands - not much left to work with - there is a finite number of chords - as the BNL's say " It's all been done".

  • Rick Wakeman on organ!! Just before he joined Yes.

  • 1971 forever..i can see it very well..!!

  • "Is the madman blind or are the windows painted?"

  • @darkexile7

    Is the NIGHTMARE black or are the windows painted?

  • @darkexile7 hard to say with ground so far down

  • i happen to agree about rappers not being able to write something like this hell they can't relate this is REAL MUSIC!!! kaykay12ization

  • i happen to agree about rappers not being able to write something like this hell they can't relate this is REAL MUSIC!!!

  • one of his very best but then he didn't do any bad ones!!!! and by the way i happen to agree with garydemaio, mt sentiments exactly

  • Hey guys, lets argue over our own opinions without anything but our opinions to back us up. We'll go really far.

  • Epic.

  • HEARD THIS WAS ABOUT NIXON

  • @82ghall If it is, it's so obscure in that reference as to be pointless in that regard.

  • I HEARD IT WAS ABOUT NIXON::

  • There's a joke and I know it very well.

  • @hodogetsmoney but it looks like so far 6 people don't...

  • Yeah, you go ahead and make up stuff off the top of your head like rappers do.

    I love this song...I listened to stuff like this in the '70's when I was growing up.

    And believe it or not...back in the day, stuff like this, or any rock music, was considered shit. So shut up. You're making yourself sound really old.

  • @ garydemaio.....thanks bro......could not have said that better myself....this kind of music is gone forever sadly enough......peace bro....better get your coat dear.....

  • fking religious

  • my god the man is a genius, im loving him "now" through his music. hes keeping me alive in sort of a strange way. thank you Reginald. im still living and youll keep me and ill know who i am always because of your ingenius pourage. taste and be filled.

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  • Elton John and Eminem and Elton John and 2-Pac did songs together,music is music, as llong as theres a message.

  • It's a kick ass song but whose the madman and what do the in-laws have to do with the story..or is not a story?

  • Does anyone know where the lyrics came from?

  • ok, who are the 6 assholes that don't like this?????

  • I've always loved this. I first heard it around 1974 or so, I was 12. And have listened to it regularly ever since.

  • Is the nightmare really black?

  • Such the best Elton John song ever. My God.

  • This song is about Hitler.

  • @glimmer2158

    How do say the song is about hitler?

  • @tinpan2 Well, the song was released about a decade after WWII and "Madman across the water" could be referring to someone crazy over seas (i.e. Hitler)

    But honestly, the lyrics in this song are so open you could put it together to be about The War of The Worlds by H.G. Wells.

  • @rockcabbage 

    Well, good golly man, this song was released in 1970 when E.J. was 23. WWII ended late in 1945.

    I'm confused by your comment. No, on second thought.... I'm embarrassed by your comment.

    Honestly.

  • @smarlonc I thought the release date of this song to be in the early 1960's, I am not an expert on chronology nor Elton John, I'm just a long time fan of his work.

    No need to become so harsh over such a minor misunderstanding.

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  • @rockcabbage

    Only thing embarrassing here is your meanness disguised as confusion...Honestly.

  • @glimmer2158 This song is the furthest thing from being about hitler. Its funny you capitalize his name haha nazi. any way, this song is about himself. The mad man across the water is him. He's looking at himself from the UK across the water at himself in the United States, and how different he is, trust him he's a mad man. Its an autobiography song one could say.

  • L'Elton più vero e sincero che esista.Canzoni generate dalla fame e dal bisogno vero di esternare la propria genialità.Elton fino a Cap.Fantastic è insuperabile. Poi inizia il lento declino, la vena subice tracolli paurosi.Le canzoni sono state tutte scritte ed Elton ne ha scritte di assolutamente straordinarie.Questa nel 33 omonimo iniseme alle altre sono immortali.

  • this was an assignment for abstract poetry in high school in 72  still relavant (sic)

  • the best singer song writers ever. and to think they were half a world apart. amazing!

  • Saw him in concert not too long ago with Billy Joel. Absolutely lost it when he did this song. Love it. :)

  • @MsSpiderJerusalem Was that in Atlanta? Some of those tickets cost around 1500 dollars, and they sold out in hours!

  • I am a HUGE Elton fan and I think this song is the best example of his vocal talents. Just fucking PERFECTION! It will never be beaten.

  • This man has more talent than any 100 rappers combined. That's why he's, quite justly called, "Captain Fantastic". And this song is his best!!!

  • Love this song. Also love stuff like Mos Def. Different styles...same emotions.

  • Well, I really love this song. I loved it when I bought the album it was on when it was first released.

    I also like the stuff that rappers like Mos Def are doing.

    I guess you can plug up your ears. I'm sure you hated Nirvana, too.

  • Paul Buckmaster was such a genius. His compositions floated many of Eltons early songs. Listen to the symphony Paul wrote for the movie "Friends"

    This song - Awesome 1975, stoned and happy, driving from Chamonix to Munich, this tape was on through the tunnels of Switzerland - what a wonderful day that was.

  • Why did he do that?

  • The credit for the mysterious, dark quality of this song (and Madman album in general) belongs a great deal to Paul Buckmaster, who arranged the strings which dominate this track. Paul had been on earlier records, but was never allowed to be such an intregral part of the music as he was on this record, which was also his last with Elton) The next record was Honky Chateau, which is a lot lighter, poppier and radio friendly (Honky Cat and Rocket Man surpassed any singles at that time). Classic!

  • Who would have thought that decades later 2 songs from this album, Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset, would be big rap hits in UK?

  • For me, this was the last good album Elton made. I remember the effect this had on us here in thates in 1971... magical.

  • I believe this bout Tricky Dick!!!!!!!

  • I had always hoped that Nirvana would cover this song.

  • This is genious, on both Bernie and Elton's part.

  • I can see....very well.......

  • I'm drunk

  • @ottoZ24 Your a riot

  • @ottoZ24 ME TOO!!! Too cool!!! LOL!!!

  • Great song wish they would write, have real instruments and produce music like this again.

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  • Nice come back there juleswinnfield84..You will become a internet hero with that kind of intellect ? Look him up on youtube. Serch Elton rants. You will see a side of him that is disturbing .

  • I didn`t say he had no talent I don`t like his life style. If you don`t stand up for some things then you will fall for anything. I don`t compare what they sing I compare who they are and what kind of image they portray. You can have all the talent in the world but still be a freek or abnormal. Have you ever seen the way Reginald Dwight really acts like? Oh that is his real name .does`nt sound too bad but like his of his songs say ..they made him change his name. He`s rude and as a spoiled kid

  • I didn`t say he had no talent I don`t like his life style. If you don`t stand up for some things then you will fall for anything. I don`t compare what they sing I compare who they are and what kind of image they portray. You can have all the talent in the world but still be a freek or abnormal. Have you ever seen the way Reginald Dwight really acts like? Oh that is his real name .does`nt sound too bad but ..like his of his songs say ..they made him change his name. He rude and as a spoiled kid

  • my first date was an elton john concert,yeah i am that old,this song still hits me like it did then

  • Lady GAGAG GOO GOO doesn`t even write her own songs I bet. She is a robotic bimbo that this messed up world thinks is talent . Most singers now days are just fluffy little faggots and lesbos who sell their wears with the big recording companies.

  • @lewandlo You are looking very ignorant. Lady Gaga was a song writer before a singer. She writes all her own songs and will not put a song she didn't write or co-write on her albums. Plus, she was told that she could never be a pop singer because she wasn't "pretty" enough. Her voice got her there. I don't think Elton John would appreciate you using the words "faggots" and "lesbos". Gaga and Elton John have performed together multiple times. They are both great people and are both very talented.

  • @lewandlo hahahahahaha you demonstrated ignorance and stupidity in a just 5 lines. WELL DONE!!! imma give you a gold star for being such a special boy :)

  • Elton's superb album The Union with Leon Russell is closer to his roots than anything he's done since the 70s. 

  • what does lady gaga or kanye have to do with this? Elton, Kanye, and Lady Gaga are all great. The last 2 arent as good as Elton but that only puts them in a category with 99.8 % of musicians. Btw, Kanye is a rapper, and basically the best thing to happen to hip hop this decade.

  • I consider myself a person of great musical prowess and experience, however I've heard this only yesterday. At the "take my word I'm a madman don't you know" part, I literally bursted tears for some reason. A reason I can't explain. Dear Elton John, my supreme hats down to you for this masterpiece.