For decades I never could quite figure it all out, so I searched and found this:
Making sense, or nonsense, out of ‘Levon’
By Len Robbins
Published:
Tuesday, May 28, 2013 4:42 PM EDT
These songs we sing along to – what do they mean?
What exactly are we humming? And what point are the songwriters trying to make?
Usually, I have no idea. Heck, I thought Neil Diamond was singing about some guy named “Reverend Eugene,” – not “Forever in Blue Jeans.”
Curious – okay, bored – I decided to dig up the lyrics to a song which I have never understood and whose meaning always baffled me – Elton John’s “Levon.”
Below, in italics, are the lyrics to “Levon,” written by John and Bernie Taupin, for us to examine:
Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
‘Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town
Okay, so this Levon fellow was in a war. He names his son Jesus, and he sends him to a private school. That makes sense, although I wouldn’t name a child Jesus. That’s asking for trouble. Every time someone stubs their toe and yells “Jesus!,” this kid is going to be jumping out of his drawers. And he’s liable to get the big head, thinking all those hymns are about him.
Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days counting
In a garage by the motorway
Okay, so Levon is rich, and doesn’t have an accountant. Got it!
He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas Day
When the New York Times said God is dead
And the wars begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today
This is where the confusion sets in:
So, Levon is born on Christmas Day. And then the New York Times, on Christmas Day, said God is dead, which started wars? Actually, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said “God is dead,” – back in something like 1890 (I had to look it up). And it didn’t start any wars.
And who is Alvin Tostig? Levon’s father, I’m left to assume. So Jesus’ name is Jesus Tostig? Urgh.
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
Enough already. We’ll call him Levon.
Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly
Wait, I thought Levon was supposed to be rich? Selling cartoon balloons? I can understand being wealthy if you were a cartoon balloon manufacturer, but this Levon guy just sells them. Is there really that big a market for balloons shaped like Daffy Duck? And his kid blows the balloons up and lets them fly off. How is Levon making a profit?
And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies
So, apparently, Jesus doesn’t like Levon too much, seeing as how he wants to leave him behind to slowly die. But why does he want to fly a balloon to, of all places, Venus? From what I hear, it’s very cold there. I guess the songwriting decision came down to: What rhymes with Jesus? Panama City – nope. Vegas, nah. How bout Venus? There you go.
While the song doesn’t indicate if Levon is cruel or mean, it does give us one clue as to why Levon wouldn’t be held in such high regard by his son – he named him Jesus Tostig! If he would have named him Ted or Earl or Skip, the kid would probably would love his father and wouldn’t let all those balloons go flying off.
The point of the song? What does “Levon” tell us? Hmm, I’ve narrowed it down to two possible themes:
1. Don’t name you son Jesus Tostig - He’ll hate you.
2. Elton John and Bernie Taupin were on dope.
You make you own determination. I’m leaning heavily toward 2.
Making sense, or nonsense, out of ‘Levon’
By Len Robbins
Published:
Tuesday, May 28, 2013 4:42 PM EDT
These songs we sing along to – what do they mean?
What exactly are we humming? And what point are the songwriters trying to make?
Usually, I have no idea. Heck, I thought Neil Diamond was singing about some guy named “Reverend Eugene,” – not “Forever in Blue Jeans.”
Curious – okay, bored – I decided to dig up the lyrics to a song which I have never understood and whose meaning always baffled me – Elton John’s “Levon.”
Below, in italics, are the lyrics to “Levon,” written by John and Bernie Taupin, for us to examine:
Levon wears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus
‘Cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town
Okay, so this Levon fellow was in a war. He names his son Jesus, and he sends him to a private school. That makes sense, although I wouldn’t name a child Jesus. That’s asking for trouble. Every time someone stubs their toe and yells “Jesus!,” this kid is going to be jumping out of his drawers. And he’s liable to get the big head, thinking all those hymns are about him.
Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days counting
In a garage by the motorway
Okay, so Levon is rich, and doesn’t have an accountant. Got it!
He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas Day
When the New York Times said God is dead
And the wars begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today
This is where the confusion sets in:
So, Levon is born on Christmas Day. And then the New York Times, on Christmas Day, said God is dead, which started wars? Actually, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said “God is dead,” – back in something like 1890 (I had to look it up). And it didn’t start any wars.
And who is Alvin Tostig? Levon’s father, I’m left to assume. So Jesus’ name is Jesus Tostig? Urgh.
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
Enough already. We’ll call him Levon.
Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly
Wait, I thought Levon was supposed to be rich? Selling cartoon balloons? I can understand being wealthy if you were a cartoon balloon manufacturer, but this Levon guy just sells them. Is there really that big a market for balloons shaped like Daffy Duck? And his kid blows the balloons up and lets them fly off. How is Levon making a profit?
And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leaving Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies
So, apparently, Jesus doesn’t like Levon too much, seeing as how he wants to leave him behind to slowly die. But why does he want to fly a balloon to, of all places, Venus? From what I hear, it’s very cold there. I guess the songwriting decision came down to: What rhymes with Jesus? Panama City – nope. Vegas, nah. How bout Venus? There you go.
While the song doesn’t indicate if Levon is cruel or mean, it does give us one clue as to why Levon wouldn’t be held in such high regard by his son – he named him Jesus Tostig! If he would have named him Ted or Earl or Skip, the kid would probably would love his father and wouldn’t let all those balloons go flying off.
The point of the song? What does “Levon” tell us? Hmm, I’ve narrowed it down to two possible themes:
1. Don’t name you son Jesus Tostig - He’ll hate you.
2. Elton John and Bernie Taupin were on dope.
You make you own determination. I’m leaning heavily toward 2.
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