Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1970
Border Song
Buy Border Song now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Border Song'" is a song by Elton John with music by John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. The song initially appeared on the 1970 album 'Elton John', and was released in the spring of 1970 as the LP's first single. After failing to chart in the UK, it was released in North America a few months later. It met with more success there, especially in Canada, where it peaked at No. 34. The appearance of "Border Song" on the Canadian charts was John's first chart appearance in any country.
"Border Song" was also John's first song to chart in the United States, peaking at No. 92 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and No. 69 in the 'Cash Box' Top 100 in October 1970. A cover by soul icon Aretha Franklin (with "Holy Moses" following the title in parentheses to reflect the repeated phrase in the song) fared better reaching No. 37 in the 'Billboard' Hot 100 and No. 23 in the 'Cash Box' Top 100 in December 1970. It was included as the closing track of Aretha's 1972 'Young, Gifted and Black' album as well.
In the Netherlands it peaked at No. 29 in the Dutch Top 40 in January 1971.
Music and lyrics
The song's melody is similar to that of a spiritual. A choir sings during an instrumental break led by John's piano.
John has said that the song is about the alienation Taupin felt in and about London at the time ("Brand of people who ain't my kind"), and his desire to visit home as often as he could. John himself wrote and added the last verse, which departs from the theme of alienation and speaks against bigotry: "Holy Moses, let us live in peace/let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease/there's a man over there. What's his colour I don't care/he's my brother let us live in peace."
Format and track list
*'1970 US/Canadian 7" single'
# "Border Song" 3:22
# "Bad Side of the Moon" 3:15
Personnel
* Elton John piano, lead vocals
* Madeline Bell backing vocals
* Tony Burrows backing vocals
* Roger Cook backing vocals
* Brian Dee organ
* Lesley Duncan backing vocals
* Kay Garner backing vocals
* Colin Green guitar
* Tony Hazzard backing vocals
* Clive Hicks guitar
* Barry Morgan drums
* Dave Richmond bass
*Choir led by Barbara Moore
*Arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster
Cover versions
* Aretha Franklin's album 1972 album 'Young, Gifted and Black' concludes with her solo cover of this song. 'Cash Box' said of this version that Franklin "brings the song to a boil in an almost-spiritual arrangement of the Elton John hit."
* Elton John and Aretha Franklin performed the song together on Franklin's 1993 Duets special.
* In 1996, Sophie B. Hawkins recorded the song for the soundtrack of the movie 'The Associate'.
* Willie Nelson covered the song on the 2018 John-Taupin tribute album 'Restoration'.
* Italian singer Mia Martini recorded in 1972 this song in Italian, with the title as "Io straniera".
B-side
The song's B-side, "Bad Side of the Moon", was subsequently covered by April Wine, whose version is on the album 'On Record' and was released as their second single from that album, and by Toe Fat, whose version appears on their self-titled debut album and was also released as a single. The song became a big hit in Canada, reaching No. 16 there. April Wine's version remains a staple of classic rock radio in North America.
References
Category:1970 songs
Category:1970 singles
Category:Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Category:Songs with music by Elton John
Category:Elton John songs
Category:Aretha Franklin songs
Category:Atlantic Records singles
Category:DJM Records singles
Category:Uni Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Gus Dudgeon
Category:Song recordings produced by Jerry Wexler
Category:Song recordings produced by Arif Mardin
Category:Songs against racism and xenophobia
Buy Border Song now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1970