One Horse Town (Elton John song)
| "One Horse Town" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Elton John | |
| Released | 22 October 1976 |
| Recorded | March 1976 |
| Genre | Progressive rock, symphonic rock, hard rock, disco |
| Length | 5:56 |
| Label | MCA (US/Canada) The Rocket Record Company |
| Songwriter(s) | Elton John, Bernie Taupin |
"One Horse Town" is a song by Elton John with lyrics written by Bernie Taupin. It is the third track of his 1976 album, Blue Moves. The song tells a story about a man who lives in a small village in Alabama, and how there's nothing to do; simply a "one horse town".[1] It might reference the American civil war; "They ain't too well acquainted with the stars and stripes". Musically, it uses a lot of instruments; a string section, xylophones, vibraphones, organs and more. The first one and a half minutes is a slow-tempo intro with heavy orchestration, before settling into the main upbeat tempo which could remind a little bit of disco.[1] It was also performed at his last concert before his throat surgery in Sydney, on 14 December 1986.
Personnel
- Elton John – piano, vocals
- Paul Buckmaster – conductor
- Ray Cooper – percussion
- Martyn Ford – strings
- Michael Hurwitz – cello
- Davey Johnstone – electric guitar
- James Newton-Howard – synthesizers, electric piano
- Kenny Passarelli – bass guitar
- Roger Pope – drums
- Caleb Quaye – electric guitar
References
- ^ a b Rosenthal, Elizabeth J. (2001). His song. New York City, New York: Billboard Books. pp. 136. ISBN 0-8230-8893-6.
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