And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
I was thinking the other day about the Elton John song Levon.
Something about the song has always bothered me. Specifically the song's most famous line, "He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day/When the New York Times said "God is dead" and the war's begun.
I had always though that headline was printed in the 60s, and if Levon was born in the 60s, how could he have war wounds, and a son named Jesus that blows up cartoon balloons all day?
Most Elton john websites say that the "God is Dead" headline was made up by Bernie Taupin, and that it never ran in the paper. However, I knew it did, and a little detective work was all it took to discover that the page 1 headline ran in 1968, on March 24, not Christmas. The song was written in the 70s so I don't see how Levon could have been born then.
Still unsatisfied, I set out to discover what the article in question was about. I found this:
'God is Dead'
The following ritual was presented during a chapel service at a small denominational college in the South. It was designed to explore in liturgical form the experience of the "death of God." The reaction, according to campus reporter, "ranged from tears to a new enthusiasm for theology."
Reader:
He was our guide and our stay
He walked with us beside still waters
He was our help in ages past
Chorus:
The lengthening shadow grows formless
The lengthening shadow grows formless
Reader:
Now the day is over
Night is drawing nigh
Shadows of the evening steal across the sky
Chorus:
He is gone. He is stolen by darkness
He is gone. He is stolen by darkness
Reader:
Now we must wonder
Was He our only dream.
A dream painted across the sky
Chorus:
And in the beginning our fear created him
And in the beginning our fear created him
Reader:
Did we create Him in our image?
Did we surround Him with hosts because
We were alone?
Chorus:
Our imaginations rescued us from the deep
Our imaginations rescued us from the deep
Reader:
Space has stretched beyond Him.
It is very cold here
And from time there comes no warmth
Chorus:
The universe is too vast for him
The universe is too vast for him
Reader:
Beyond the stars, more stars
Beyond the sky, more sky
Above our dreams, more dreams
Chorus:
Heaven is empty
Heaven is empty
Reader:
Only his footsteps remain
Only stained glass and arched hopes
Only wasted steeples and useless piety
Chorus:
There is silence along the forest path
There is silence along the forest path
Reader:
Why is there no dawn?
Why do our dead only die?
Why do our living only live?
Chorus:
Your God is Dead
He died in the darkness of your image
He died because he grew ill from your dreams of salvation
He died because you held his hand too tightly
God is Dead
New York Times, Jan 9, 1966, pg. 146
That's rather disturbing.
In fact, a number of articles appeared in the Times with this headline, in a major (page 3) article on January 7, 1970. Smaller pieces, including the one above, dated January and April 1966 that feature the phrase in their headings can also be found.
The Vietnam War began in 1964, so i guess he could have been talking about the Jan 9 1966 article, because that's pretty close to Christmas.
A Time Magazine cover story (April 8, 1966) on religion in America asked "Is God Dead?" It would become one of Time's most controversial issues.
I guess the most reasonable explanation is that Taupin meant that Levon's son, Jesus, was the one born when the headline appeared, but still, Madman Across the Water came out in 1971, so if he was referring to the 1966 article, the kid would be 5. If he was referring to the 1968 article, he'd be 3, which is too young to attend "the finest schools in town." But, if the pronoun "he" refers back to the last person mentioned, it would be referring to Levon.
I also learned that people who like Elton John enough to make or comment on websites about him, are by and large, the biggest douches on earth.
Something about the song has always bothered me. Specifically the song's most famous line, "He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day/When the New York Times said "God is dead" and the war's begun.
I had always though that headline was printed in the 60s, and if Levon was born in the 60s, how could he have war wounds, and a son named Jesus that blows up cartoon balloons all day?
Most Elton john websites say that the "God is Dead" headline was made up by Bernie Taupin, and that it never ran in the paper. However, I knew it did, and a little detective work was all it took to discover that the page 1 headline ran in 1968, on March 24, not Christmas. The song was written in the 70s so I don't see how Levon could have been born then.
Still unsatisfied, I set out to discover what the article in question was about. I found this:
'God is Dead'
The following ritual was presented during a chapel service at a small denominational college in the South. It was designed to explore in liturgical form the experience of the "death of God." The reaction, according to campus reporter, "ranged from tears to a new enthusiasm for theology."
Reader:
He was our guide and our stay
He walked with us beside still waters
He was our help in ages past
Chorus:
The lengthening shadow grows formless
The lengthening shadow grows formless
Reader:
Now the day is over
Night is drawing nigh
Shadows of the evening steal across the sky
Chorus:
He is gone. He is stolen by darkness
He is gone. He is stolen by darkness
Reader:
Now we must wonder
Was He our only dream.
A dream painted across the sky
Chorus:
And in the beginning our fear created him
And in the beginning our fear created him
Reader:
Did we create Him in our image?
Did we surround Him with hosts because
We were alone?
Chorus:
Our imaginations rescued us from the deep
Our imaginations rescued us from the deep
Reader:
Space has stretched beyond Him.
It is very cold here
And from time there comes no warmth
Chorus:
The universe is too vast for him
The universe is too vast for him
Reader:
Beyond the stars, more stars
Beyond the sky, more sky
Above our dreams, more dreams
Chorus:
Heaven is empty
Heaven is empty
Reader:
Only his footsteps remain
Only stained glass and arched hopes
Only wasted steeples and useless piety
Chorus:
There is silence along the forest path
There is silence along the forest path
Reader:
Why is there no dawn?
Why do our dead only die?
Why do our living only live?
Chorus:
Your God is Dead
He died in the darkness of your image
He died because he grew ill from your dreams of salvation
He died because you held his hand too tightly
God is Dead
New York Times, Jan 9, 1966, pg. 146
That's rather disturbing.
In fact, a number of articles appeared in the Times with this headline, in a major (page 3) article on January 7, 1970. Smaller pieces, including the one above, dated January and April 1966 that feature the phrase in their headings can also be found.
The Vietnam War began in 1964, so i guess he could have been talking about the Jan 9 1966 article, because that's pretty close to Christmas.
A Time Magazine cover story (April 8, 1966) on religion in America asked "Is God Dead?" It would become one of Time's most controversial issues.
I guess the most reasonable explanation is that Taupin meant that Levon's son, Jesus, was the one born when the headline appeared, but still, Madman Across the Water came out in 1971, so if he was referring to the 1966 article, the kid would be 5. If he was referring to the 1968 article, he'd be 3, which is too young to attend "the finest schools in town." But, if the pronoun "he" refers back to the last person mentioned, it would be referring to Levon.
I also learned that people who like Elton John enough to make or comment on websites about him, are by and large, the biggest douches on earth.