Daniel (song)
Encyclopedia
"Daniel" was a major hit song by Elton John
. It appeared on the 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
. It was written by John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin
. In the United States the song reached #2 on the pop charts and #1 on the adult contemporary charts for two weeks in the spring of 1973.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A. In Canada, it became his second #1 single, following "Crocodile Rock
" earlier in the year, holding the position for two weeks in the RPM 100
national singles chart. In the UK it made the top 5.
. The lyrics (including a verse in the original draft that was cut from the final version) describe a fictional veteran who was blinded as a result of the war ("your eyes have died"/"but you see more than I") and travels to Spain to escape those around him back home ("do you still feel the pain"/"of the scars that won't heal?"), including his brother, from whose point of view the story is told.
"'Daniel' had been the most misinterpreted song that we'd ever written," explained Bernie, in the Two Rooms tribute project
. "The story was about a guy that went back to a small town in Texas, returning from the Vietnam War
. They'd lauded him when he came home and treated him like a hero. But, he just wanted to go home, go back to the farm, and try to get back to the life that he'd led before. I wanted to write something that was sympathetic to the people that came home."
by Wilson Phillips
. It reached number seven on the US Adult Contemporary chart as an album cut.
"Daniel" was covered on the 2005 album The Brave and the Bold
by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
& Tortoise
.
The American alternative rock
band Fuel
covered the song on their album Something Like Human
. American Idol
contestant Thia Megia
sang the song during Elton John week in Season 10. A studio version was released the next day on iTunes.
Tim Mcgraw has covered 'Daniel' acoustically both pre concert and in 'one off specials'
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. It appeared on the 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John. It was released by DJM Records....
. It was written by John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
. In the United States the song reached #2 on the pop charts and #1 on the adult contemporary charts for two weeks in the spring of 1973.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A. In Canada, it became his second #1 single, following "Crocodile Rock
Crocodile Rock
"Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios, Château d'Hérouville in France. It was released on 27 October 1972 in the UK and 20 November 1972 in the US, as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don't Shoot...
" earlier in the year, holding the position for two weeks in the RPM 100
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national singles chart. In the UK it made the top 5.
The song
Bernie Taupin wrote "Daniel" while inspired by the events of the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The lyrics (including a verse in the original draft that was cut from the final version) describe a fictional veteran who was blinded as a result of the war ("your eyes have died"/"but you see more than I") and travels to Spain to escape those around him back home ("do you still feel the pain"/"of the scars that won't heal?"), including his brother, from whose point of view the story is told.
"'Daniel' had been the most misinterpreted song that we'd ever written," explained Bernie, in the Two Rooms tribute project
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
. "The story was about a guy that went back to a small town in Texas, returning from the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. They'd lauded him when he came home and treated him like a hero. But, he just wanted to go home, go back to the farm, and try to get back to the life that he'd led before. I wanted to write something that was sympathetic to the people that came home."
Chart performance
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM 100 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... National Top Singles Chart |
1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
14 |
| GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... Dutch Charts Singles Top 100 |
15 |
| German Singles Chart | 27 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
2 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
Covers
"Daniel" was covered on the 1991 album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie TaupinTwo Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a 1991 tribute album consisting of interpretations of sixteen songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The title refers to the song on Elton John's album 21 at 33, "Two Rooms at the End of the World", to the duo's unusual...
by Wilson Phillips
Wilson Phillips
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Other charted songs:-Awards and nominations:...
. It reached number seven on the US Adult Contemporary chart as an album cut.
"Daniel" was covered on the 2005 album The Brave and the Bold
The Brave and the Bold (album)
The Brave and the Bold by Tortoise and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy was released in 2006 on Overcoat Recordings. It is an album of cover songs. The album's name is the same as the DC Comics series in which different superheroes were teamed up for each issue....
by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
& Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
.
The American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Fuel
Fuel (band)
Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...
covered the song on their album Something Like Human
Something Like Human
Early promotional press editions of the album included the songs "Sister Mary Innocent" and the Scallions penned "Bruises", which ultimately were left off the final sequence of the album which was released to stores. Neither of these recordings have been released publicly by the band...
. American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
contestant Thia Megia
Thia Megia
Thia Megia is an American singer from Mountain House, San Joaquin County, California. Megia finished in the top 11 of the tenth season of American Idol...
sang the song during Elton John week in Season 10. A studio version was released the next day on iTunes.
Tim Mcgraw has covered 'Daniel' acoustically both pre concert and in 'one off specials'
See also
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1973 (Canada)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1973 (U.S.)