The "Oh my soul" part is my 7yr olds favorite part of the song. It's not really any more fillerish than the "Na, na na na na..."in "Hey Jude" but then I'm sure some people wish that was a little shorter too.
Well I guess I would have to agree in a way. When I first heard this song, I thought it was way too long, but after it grew on me, it's too short now :p
this was a dig at his many critics at the time. Remeber when he was 'three chord' and 'four chord', a chubby fingered flash in the pan yadda blah blah? They struck back, albeit obscurely to many minds...
I regret that "a full blooded city boy is a full blooded city man" is the chorus as it is senseless or obscure. Lucky for the world there can be beauty in mystery. Elton sings it beautifully.
The opening, with its question of one against many, arrests. Isn't that dangling music hall echo in the chorus a wonderous contrast to the innocence of voice in the verse? The long chorus is fun but you can't add weight, no matter how often you repeat "oh my soul" if you haven't defined the moral calamity.
In 1971, Elton's fund of melody, prodigal and oddly chaste, seemed bottomless. When, as here, his lyricist leads us to the water's edge of profundity and abandons us to obscurity, Elton's invention, clarity and playfulness makes it worthwhile.
Awesome, thank you very much! This is one of my favorites and I just love hearing the demos so I can hear how the song came together instead of just how it ended up.
I always hated the "Oh my soul" bit. I read somewhere once that they were trying to make it sound like "Hey Jude" by doing that. They failed miserably, in my view. I used to skip over the song entirely when I played MADMAN. Now I just skip over that one part. I also play the shortened version when I do this one on piano.
the version and pure qaulity on madman across the water album makes you want to play again and again especially when choir comes in oh my soul infact what a classic album its a amazing album and so old
The Greatest Melody Writer Ever In Popular Music
mactheartofwarfare 2 years ago
The "Oh my soul" part is my 7yr olds favorite part of the song. It's not really any more fillerish than the "Na, na na na na..."in "Hey Jude" but then I'm sure some people wish that was a little shorter too.
PianoShapedObject 2 years ago
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galinadenzpubyl 2 years ago
I agree about the "Oh my soul" bit - boring filler.
It's one of the overlooked tracks on the album and I like it. I don't like 'Levon' for instance.
This demo is an OK version :).
chenlung1 2 years ago
@chenlung1 Elton never 'filled' his songs. He knew exactly what he was doing and everything was done on purpose.
straightshots 2 years ago
I just thought it was overlong :).
chenlung1 2 years ago
Well I guess I would have to agree in a way. When I first heard this song, I thought it was way too long, but after it grew on me, it's too short now :p
straightshots 2 years ago
god i love this song/album/elton/bernie so much.. i never would have sat down at the piano for the first time if it wasn't for him
jtsnowman66 3 years ago 2
this was a dig at his many critics at the time. Remeber when he was 'three chord' and 'four chord', a chubby fingered flash in the pan yadda blah blah? They struck back, albeit obscurely to many minds...
jxkerr 3 years ago
I would like to see all of his early albums re-released, with just unembellished demo versions in the same running order as the originals.
ArnoldGallagher 3 years ago
Where do these demo tapes come from? What a gift-thank you.
wendoface 3 years ago 2
please do not forget Indian sunset which was the main reason i bought the album
weirdguy75 3 years ago
I regret that "a full blooded city boy is a full blooded city man" is the chorus as it is senseless or obscure. Lucky for the world there can be beauty in mystery. Elton sings it beautifully.
hethquilord 3 years ago
what do you mean? senseless or obscure?
JackSmith07 3 years ago
Yeah, it's sure not, it fits right in with the song. And with Bernie's life to that point.
ArnoldGallagher 3 years ago
The opening, with its question of one against many, arrests. Isn't that dangling music hall echo in the chorus a wonderous contrast to the innocence of voice in the verse? The long chorus is fun but you can't add weight, no matter how often you repeat "oh my soul" if you haven't defined the moral calamity.
hethquilord 3 years ago
In 1971, Elton's fund of melody, prodigal and oddly chaste, seemed bottomless. When, as here, his lyricist leads us to the water's edge of profundity and abandons us to obscurity, Elton's invention, clarity and playfulness makes it worthwhile.
hethquilord 3 years ago
Wonderful. I'm speachless.
DantinaDB 4 years ago
Wonderful. I'm speachless.
DantinaDB 4 years ago 2
madman across the water is my favorite album :)
xallison10x 4 years ago 6
My favourites are Madman Across the Water, Empty Sky, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Ice on Fire, Sleeping with the Past.... oh so many of them
straightshots 3 years ago
you're right.
he has so many incredible albums, that it's
almost impossible to pick just one.
he's just an amazing artist :)
xallison10x 3 years ago
@xallison10x samesies!!! it's brilliant!
IndecentAndDancing 1 year ago
Awesome, thank you very much! This is one of my favorites and I just love hearing the demos so I can hear how the song came together instead of just how it ended up.
72miche19 4 years ago
I always hated the "Oh my soul" bit. I read somewhere once that they were trying to make it sound like "Hey Jude" by doing that. They failed miserably, in my view. I used to skip over the song entirely when I played MADMAN. Now I just skip over that one part. I also play the shortened version when I do this one on piano.
GlitzPianoman 4 years ago
When they sing "Oh my soul" for the last time on this song is one of my favourite parts of the whole album
eltonator 3 years ago
@GlitzPianoman
I think the "Hey Jude" influence can be traced to the lower-pitched "do-do-do"s, too.
ClassicTVMan1981X 8 months ago
the version and pure qaulity on madman across the water album makes you want to play again and again especially when choir comes in oh my soul infact what a classic album its a amazing album and so old
godsbum 4 years ago 2
omg tnhanksssss
itsabirditsaplane00 4 years ago