Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets

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Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets

Elton John's Bennie and the Jets

Glam Rock Music

The song was written by Elton John and lyricist, poet and singer Bernie Taupin. It was first released on Elton John’s 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.  It was also released as a single in 1974, backed with “Harmony.” It has become one of Elton John’s most popular songs. He did not think it would be a hit. However, CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, began playing it. It then went to #1 in Detroit, and other radio stations picked it up. “Bennie and the Jets” went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Cash Box Top 11, and #1 in Canada. It was #5 in Australia , #13 in New Zealand, and #18 in Ireland.

The song is somewhat of a satire on the state of the music industry in the 1970s — greedy, glitzy, outrageously outfitted, and machine-like.  Elton John describes “Bennie” as a “sci-fi rock goddess.” Taupin says that it was to be futuristic, with Bennie and the Jets as a prototypical female rock ‘n’ roll band of automatons. Taupin says he was influenced by comic books, movies, and German photographer Helmut Newton. Elton chose to stutter “B-B-B-Bennie” to make her seem robotic. The falsetto vocal is Elton sounding a bit like Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons, of whom Elton was a fan.

Elton performed “Bennie and the Jets” on Soul Train. He explained on the program that he was a big fan, and that he and his band would watch the show when on tour.

On the track are Elton John (piano, Farfisa organ, vocals), Davey Johnstone (acoustic and electric guitars), Dee Murray (bass), and Nigel Olsson (drums).

Here are the lyrics to “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John:

Hey kids, shake it loose together
The spotlight’s hitting something
That’s been known to change the weather
We’ll kill the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
You’re gonna hear electric music
Solid walls of sound

Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
OOh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Hey kids, plug into the faithless
Maybe they’re blinded
But Bennie makes them ageless
We shall survive, let us take ourselves along
Where we fight our parents out in the streets
To find who’s right and who’s wrong

Oh Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Oh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine, oh
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Oh Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Oh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine, oh

B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Jets, Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie
Bennie, Bennie and the Jets

For More 70s Tunes

The System has daily featured music from all sorts of genres of 1970s music. You’re welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections in The System. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed “Bennie and The Jets” by Elton John.

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