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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Elton wrote this as a homage to "Glam Rock," a style defined by outrageous costumes that was popular in the early '70s, especially in the UK. Artists like David Bowie and Gary Glitter got into the act, but for Elton, it was an extension of his personality - he really was gay and liked to wear feminine clothes on stage. He became known for his wild appearance and collection of gaudy sunglasses.

"Bennie" is a female character. Elton has described her as a "sci-fi Rock Goddess."

Elton did not think this would be a hit. He was shocked when it went to #1 in America. John claims he rarely knows which of his songs will be hits.

This was also a hit on the US R&B charts, known at the time as the "Black" charts. Elton was especially proud of this, as he was influenced by many black musicians.

Elton performed this on Soul Train, becoming one of the few white performers ever to play the show (David Bowie is another).

The falsetto vocal is Elton trying to sound like Frankie Valli. He was a fan of Frankie Valli And The 4 Seasons growing up, and went to at least one of their concerts when he was young.

Elton's producer Gus Dudgeon wanted a live feel on this recording, so he mixed in crowd noise from a show Elton played in 1972 at Royal Festival Hall. He also included a series of whistles from a live concert in Vancouver B.C., and added hand claps and various shouts. (thanks, graham - White Rock, BC)

This was recorded in Jamaica. Elton went to the island with a bunch of lyrics that his writing partner Bernie Taupin had given him, and wrote a bunch of songs that became the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

This wasn't released as a single in the UK, where it was released as the B-side of "Candle In The Wind." In the US, "Candle In The Wind" was not released as a single because MCA records thought this was better. Elton protested, but came around when black radio stations started playing it and it became a hit.

In 1999, Mary J. Blige reworked this into a song called "Deep Inside." Elton played piano on the track.

This was featured in the movie My Girl 2. Its played when Vada and Nick are exploring Los Angeles. (thanks, Melissa - Newcastle, Australia)

On Elton John's "Red Piano" tour (2007-2009), he would open with this song. He had old neon casino signs that spelled out ELTON. During the opening da da dada da notes, the lights would go on with each note. (thanks, Breanna - Henderson, NV)

Comments:

I heard this song on the Hippo today and it took me right back to 1973. It captures the glam rock vibe and the excitement that I felt as a 13 year old kid listening to rock on an AM radio. Back then I was too innocent to know about anything gay or bi or w/e, I just knew that the British glam rockers were outlandish, played great rock and girls loved them. Songs like this made me want to be a rock star, lol!
- Jim, Monterey, CA

I wonder if the lyrics "faithless" and "blinded" in the second verse are reference to the group Blind Faith? Anyways, love this song, it always makes me think of my childhood, spinning Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on my old record player.
- Wayne, Crockett, TX

5Cats in Manitoba, don't forget that it was, in fact, Benny and the Jets. The owner of the Jets was Ben Hatskin. The guys at CKY used to play up that connection every time they played the song.
- Erik, Newcastle, CA

Elton did an "in the mood" version in 1984 at Wembley. The video is posted on youtube and is about 10 minutes long. Elton in the video itself, to me, looks like he's on some type of drug LOL
- Brock, Jackson, MI

also, Elton never liked this song, producers had to beg him to start playing it live. The third time when the man said "Bennie and the Jets is #1 in Motown, are you SURE you don't want to keep this song?" Elton nonchalantly agreed!
- Brock, Jackson, MI

Bennie and the Jets has been a favorite of mine since it's (US) release in 1973 (the year that I happened to graduate from high school and joun the Navy. The way that Sir Elton John played the piano solo during the break, and his "hammering" of the piano keys and the repeat "Frankie Valli" sound of, "Bennie... Bennie... Bennie... Bennie... Bennie and the Jets... (whistle from the audience) and repeating until the final fading momnents of the number were so hot! It made us kids want to go out and race our cars on 53rd street at the edge of town (in Corvallis Oregon.) Those were the days, kids! THOSe were the days! THAT, my friends, is rock and roll!
- Jon, Vancouver,

There was a group called "Bennie and the Jets" that played in the Detroit area for years. They were actually formed before the song was released. When the song came out, Elton tried to sue them for copyright enfringment. However, they were able to document that they had come up with the name prior to the song. It is believed that Elton, who had played Detroit in the early 70's, might have heard the name of the band and registered in in his subconscious memory.
- Bob, Southfield, MI

Of course there is a such thing as a mo-hair suit. It is made from alpaca the wool that comes from a llama.
- Reginald Lewis, Vallej, Aruba

Is there such thing a a mo-hair suit? Stupid question but I'm curious.
- Julia, Dallas, TX

It was legendary disc jockey Donnie Simpson then at WJLB Detroit for flipping Candle in the wind over and playing Bennie an the Jets on the "Soul" station. John presented him personally with a gold record in Detroit. Simpson would later go on to program WKYS FM in Detroit and host Video Soul on Black Entertainment Television. Donnie is still doing morning drive at WPGC FM in the nations capitol.
- Dave, Baltimore, MD

It was legendary disc jockey Donnie Simpson then at WJLB Detroit for flipping Candle in the wind over and playing Bennie an the Jets on the "Soul" station. John presented him personally with a gold record in Detroit. Simpson would later go on to program WKYS FM in Washington, DC and host Video Soul on Black Entertainment Television. Donnie is still doing morning drive at WPGC FM in the nations capitol.
- Dave, Baltimore, MD

Back in the old days, when Winnipeg still had and NHL hockey team, their mascot was named "Bennie" and (of course) they played this song frequently at the old (now torn down) Winnipeg Arena. ...Memories!!
- 5Cats, Winnipeg, MB

For the record the track that was added included a whistle from the the 1971 live concert in Vancouver B.C. Sorry Elton, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
- graham, White Rock, BC

For the cassette release of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, this track swapped places with The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34).
- Colin, London, United Kingdom

Gus Dudgeon deliberately dubbed in the audience clapping on the off-beat. For some unknown reason, English rock audiences always clap on the off-beat, rather than on the beat.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

reminds me of Vinny Testaverde and when he used to play for the Jets they would call it "Vinny and the Jets".
- Brian, New York, NY

The 80s pop band, The Jets, took their name from this song.
- Rob, Portland, OR

I had always thought the audience sounds were real and wanted to know where the concert was located. Finally I learn here they were faked....amazing! Well that's an answer itself.
- Heather, Los Angeles, CA

how can anyone call this song boring?
- BEth, pittsburgh, PA

As someone mentioned,the song charted well on Black radio and its one of the few pop-rock songs that black listeners are just as familiar with as white fans. Alone Again Naturally,for some reason,is also a song most Black audiences related to quite well.
- Doug, Oakland, CA

oh my, Bennie and the jets just has to be the kewlest song ever ....ok, i did this karaoke thing once..third bar that night...so could not even hold a beer bottle..and i did this live..with elton..and the band....ok, so big surprise, no band..me, myself, and I...they still give me pathetic looks at that place ...ok, so i am no singer.
- BEth, pittsburgh, PA

I Remember hearing on Detroit rock radio in the 70's that Paul McCartney was planning on suing Elton John, claiming that the song was stolen from him, no one else however seems to remember that happening.
- dave, warren, MI

This is one of a number of stuttering hits, along with Dayid Bowie's "Changes", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" (actually written as a throwaway for Randy Bachman's stuttering brother); The Knack's "My Sharona" and Guns 'N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle".
- Kent, Toronto, Canada

Thank you Brian in ND...your answer is the reason I came to this song on Songfacts. I was going to ask if anyone knew of a studio recorded version of this song. Now I know. Very cool.
- Mary, Phoenix, AZ

That's "mom." Sorry.
- David, Youngstown, OH

Elton's piano was "phased" in the bridge: it was recorded on two tracks that deliberately weren't exactly in sync. This gave it a slight reverb sound as part of the faux "live" performance.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

This is a classic misheard lyrics song. Unless I have the lyrics in front of me, I can't make out the first part of the song. The "electric boots" line has been misheard so many ways. My favorite is "She's got electric boobs. Her mon has two."
- David, Youngstown, OH

I love how Elton John holds the "s" sound when he says Bennie and the Jets
- Paul, Cincinnati, OH

In actual fact, the applause was taken from a Jimmi Hendrix performance at the Isle of Wight music festival. Gus added on the claps from a previous Elton concert and the whistles were fake. Elton did not want to put it out as a single, but a man by the name of Pat Pipalo convinced him he could make it as an R&B artist as well as a pop artist. Fair enough the song went #1 on the US charts and #1 R&B. Its a fantastic track which really showed off Eltons vocal range and the talent of Gus Dudgeon as one of the greatest music producers.
- Scott, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

I never thought of Elton John as glam rock before...
- Ashley Jade, Cleveland, GA

I absolutely love this song, it's odd but I like it! I was reading an iterview of Elton John the other day and he was asked if he was gay back then and he said "MAYBE, deep down I was, but I fought it!!" now you people say he was gay because of what he wore, all people in the 70's wore odd clothing that didn't make them gay! But I won't fight about what I think, but if anyone has anything they would like to say to me personally about music and so on, well he's one of my e-mail addresses ilovefratrock@yahoo.ca
- Amy, Grimshaw, Canada

Elton and Bernie wrote this song...not as a parody...but as a homage. -David Bowie was never gay _The "Goodbye Yellowbrick Road" album was NEVER recorded in Jamaica, despite the effort to do so. -The background noise was sampled from both an Elton concert...and a Jimi Hendrix album -It had nothing to do with Phil Specter _In point of fact, Elton was the FIRST white performer on Soul Train -Elton was copying NO-ONE on the vocal track. He was pretending to be the female performer that the song was written about.
- David, San Francisco, CA

When Airtran put Elton on their airplanes to help promote that their planes carry XM radio, their billboard ads included the phrase "Bennie And Our Jets"
- Patrick, Conyers, GA

The best version of this song is the one Elton sings on the Muppet Show. He's playing the piano surrounded by assorted foam rubber creatures. On the falsetto chorus, Elton sings "Bennie" and the Muppets shout "BENNIE!" with no regard for the key or tune. Elton can barely get through the rest because he's about to crack up. What a great song, or as Kermit would say, "YEEEAAAHHH!"
- Jude, Thomasville, GA

"Bennie" also has a shout-out to Phil Spector: "You gotta hear electric music, solid walls of sound". "Wall Of Sound" was Spector's production style in the 1960's.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

I have never understood what anyone could like about this song. It's just a horrible boring effort by a truly great artist.
- don, Dallas, TX

For an answer to the first songfact, David Bowie was in fact a bysexual and also wore the clothes because it was what he liked to wear. I don't know about ther other guy. I think this song really in all truth has no distinct meaning. Some songs don't, so they post al this crap that doesn't help you out with the meaning at all
- Andrew, Arlington, MA

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was a group of tracks that had already been released...with the exception of "bennie & the jets" and just a couple other songs... the jamaica recording sessions did not go well after they started and elton went to france to finish the post work on the album....
- Rick, Montgomery, AL

This is one of 3 songs that I predicted would become a big hit when I first heard it i.e. before the song was played on the radio. "Welcome Back Kotter" and Queen's "You're My Best Friend" were the other two.
- Randy, Sunnyvale, CA

The Applause... Audience sounds were FAKE... They were going for a live sound and Faked it... The song was recorded in a studio... Aerosmith did the same thing on Get your Wings with Train Kept a Rollin'...
- Brian, Grand Forks, ND

song was used in the movie, Aloha Bobby and Rose
- deno, hamilton, New Zealand

This sounded really neat on headphones when I first heard it after the release of the album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".
- Charles, Charlotte, NC