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In Susan Black's book
Elton John in His Own Words, Elton says of "Levon": "It"s about a guy who just gets bored doing the same thing. It's just somebody who gets bored with blowing up balloons and he just wants to get away from it but he can't because it's the family ritual." (thanks, Alexander - London, England)
The name "Levon" came from Levon Helm, the drummer and one of the lead singers of The Band. Elton and his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, were big fans of The Band.
This is a great example of Taupin's complex, often obscure writing style. He and John made a great team because Elton could interpret his lyrics very well, giving life to the characters in the songs.
Since this runs 5:37, Elton's record company wanted to cut this down for the single so that more US radio stations would play it. Elton refused, insisting it be released full-length.
The actual New York Times page 1 headline that included the phrase "God Is Dead" is dated March 24, 1968; the full headline read, "'God Is Dead' Doctrine Losing Ground to 'Theology of Hope'." The phrase also appeared in a major (page 3) article on January 7, 1970. Smaller pieces dated January and April 1966 that feature the phrase in their headings can also be found. None were on Christmas Day, but the January ones are close! (thanks, Tony - Westbury, NY)
The cover art for the album was hand-embroidered on a Levi's jacket. On the back, the track listing was hand-stitched. This kind of artwork has become scarce in the age of digital design.
Jon Bon Jovi covered this for the tribute album Two Rooms. Elton played piano on some of Bon Jovi's recordings. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)
Sir Elton and his partner David Furnish became parents to a son born on Christmas Day 2010 to a surrogate mother in California. They named him Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, which is why the baby boy ended up in this Songfact. It is assumed the name "Levon" was chosen because of the song's line, "He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day."
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I think Tiny Dancer is about riding in the tour bus day after day with nothing to do but JO (Tiny Dancer in my hand).
What most miss in the song "Levon" is what's not there, that being the times in which this song was penned, the late 60's. It was then many Vietnam-vets (Hence "Daniel") came home with heroin habits. Heroin dealers were known as "Balloons," and common street slang for heroin was "Sweet-Jesus." Additionally, "Cartoons," is most likely a reference of heroin's pseudo reality of have altered states of consciousness. Further, the 60's where embodied by several conscious efforts for social change one being the Jesus movement, and another a time of trinomial-marriage to peace, sex, and drugs.
So with this in mind, Alvin is Levon the drug dealer. Jesus is the habit. The 3 represent a unholy trinity. Additionally, Alvin Tostig is not a real person as he is the embodiment of a way of life, not to be confused with "The Way, the truth and the of life" the real Jesus movement.
Further, Levon's habit Jesus, was born on "a" or his Christmas day, not the traditional Dec 25th. Levon considers his bondage to dealing as a monarchal "Crown," and is something that cripples his normalcy as a king and creator of drug dealers. This is his "war/drug wound."
The business of selling and shooting up heron to new and old dealers and users, is done out of His garage. Which can be viewed as a physical garage for drug trafficking, and the garage/storage of the human mind. Additionally, all work is done near a motor way, get way. The motor way can be viewed as with all Taupin's lyrics, multiple ways. Motor sensory of the brain cortices (Heron's affect on neurotransmission-reception mimicking of the natural brain chemical serotonin), or a highway to escape police, and of course both.
As you can see, Taupin is a lyrical master at creating multiple associations with asymmetry subjects.
Also, Levon's habit'd desire is to escape by floating away from dealing, and live a life of drugs and sex, hence the Venus Mythological Roman Goddess reference which holds close to his futuristic Ideals for a life separated from his other personas.
Additionally to the 60's, "God is Dead" (Nietzsche), publicly declared by a common news paper sold globally, encapsulates the songs essence that neither Levon the drug dealer and Jesus his habit, are deemed correct; in essence inducing the beginning of the postmodern era which host the charm of relativistic ideals not theism. Atheism, counterintuitive to the American culture in the United States at that time, became prominent during the 60's with the induction of non absolutes, and social relativism as a collective whole for society and further inducing the birth of "pop-culture."
As stated earlier, Taupin is a master at weaving these lyrical fabrics in extremely creative prose's.
Rock on Taupin!
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly." It is also speaking to how the son wants nothing to do with the father and leaves him to die alone. "Pauper to a pawn" is merely pointing out that Levon was not born into wealth ... so you can envision the different out look on life between Levon and Jesus. There is also an underlying theme about Levon loving his wealth over God (Jesus is his name because Levon only likes it). The is made apparent by the use of being born on Christmas day and the infamous "God is Dead."
Anyone every wonder why they are CARTOON balloons? Here is a stretch ... cartoon balloons are made in comics when people speak. Maybe there is more meaning behind selling cartoon balloons representing something like speech or just words as if Levon is a politician and politics are the family business.
Could Alvin Tostig represent something other than an actual, real-life person? It leads me to believe that the name is not tied to any particular religion. Or, "Alvin Tostig has a son today" sounds like an announcement that would be made when an important person has a child ... important like a politician. This could be printed in the news paper.
I suppose everyone has their own view of the meaning of the lyrics. This could be why Elton John has never really said what the song is talking about. If he did say what it was, the song could loose meaning for those who thought it meant something else.
First:
"HE SHALL BELIEVE ON."
As Mike pointed out, Levon is just a play on words (I thought everyone knew this).
In reading all of these complicated interpretaions I am reminded of Occam's razor: "The simplest explanation is usually the correct one."
An understanding of most poetry requires a little bit of understanding of the era in which was written, and Bernie Taupan tried to give everyone a clue about this in the song itself. Levon was born ... "on a Christmas day, when the NY Times said God is dead ..." Someone else previously pointed out that the times printed this several times during the late 1960's, and the song itself was released in 1971.
During the late 60's many many Vietnam vets came home with a heroin habit. Heroin dealers were known as balloons, and common slang for heroin was sweet-Jesus. Then (like now) it was packaged and sold in balloons.
So, some vet (with a war-wound and a habit and no money) came home and started dealing. He had no money (was born a pauper to a pawn). His dad once had high hopes for him; that he would be a "good man," and likely religious ("He shall believe on."). He was not a good man because he made his money dealing heroin, AND he involved his son in his dealings. Counting money in a garage is merely a reference to being discreet -- not doing something out in the open.
Jesus blows up balloons all day means he involved his son in the trade.
Jesus wants to go to Venus, leaving Levon far behind, etc ... His son wants to get out of the drug dealing biz and FAR away from his dad. That is likely only meaning of this line. Taupin refers to Venus because it rhymes with Jesus and makes the point, but there is no other deep symbolic meaning here to Venus. If Levon's son's name had been Lars then he would have wanted to go to Mars.
It all fits.
Levon's father wants him to be a good man, and grow up in the traditions of the family. That may be where the religious references come from. Perhaps Levon disappointed his father by concentrating on money instead of God. Perhaps not.
The reference to a crown, and the obvious affluence of Levon make him seem proud of the success. His days of being a pauper are over. He does well for himself, and he is able to provide opportunities for Jesus, his son. It doesn't spell out exactly what his expectations are for his son, but he probably wants him to take over the business.
Jesus, on the other hand, is a dreamer. He is blowing up balloons all day, but where? Is he at home on the porch swing? Or is he working when he has to, and daydreaming the rest of the time? Whatever it is, Jesus is not impressed by Levon's hard work and dedication. His dream is to be far away, sailing like one of the balloons
I wondered about the reference to Venus. Maybe it just represents a place very far away. It could have a sexual reference. Maybe he wants to be with a woman. Maybe he wants to BE a woman. Who knows.
It's a very thought provoking song. When I listen to it I think of fathers and sons, and the different directions their expectations lead them.
-Jerry
Is it more how this song sounds that makes it good or do we really listen to it for the words?
I see it, too, as a story about the relationship between a boy and his father. The song compares the humble beginnings of Levon to that of Jesus and then equates the two figures in their adult life. It's as if society looks at a man who is so rich to be the holy savior for their generation. Hence why the death of God fell on the same day of his birth; people have found a new kind of hero to worship. To society (and to Levon himself) being a success is synonymous with being a good person. But we are soon reminded of the folly of this perspective when we learn that he has failed to win the respect of his own son. Despite his noble success story, war wounds, and ego, he is not genuinely loved for the person he is. His son wants nothing more than to leave his father and never return.