Where To Now St. Peter?

[BiteUrLip]

Music: Elton John

Lyrics: Bernie Taupin

Piano: Elton John

Lead and acoustic guitars: Caleb Quaye

Drums: Roger Pope

Bass guitar: Dave Glover

Backing vocals: Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson

I took myself a blue canoe

And I floated like a leaf

Dazzling, dancing half enchanted

In my Merlin sleep


Crazy was the feeling

Restless were my eyes

Insane they took the paddles

My arms they paralysed


chorus:


So where to now St. Peter

If it's true I'm in your hands

I may not be a Christian

But I've done all one man can

I understand I'm on the road

Where all that was is gone

So where to now St. Peter

Show me which road I'm on

Which road I'm on


It took a sweet young foreign gun

This lazy life is short

Something for nothing always ending

With a bad report


Dirty was the daybreak

Sudden was the change

In such a silent place as this

Beyond the rifle range


(repeat chorus)


I took myself a blue canoe

[BiteUrLip]

This is the other song on TC that ends too soon - the other is "Come Down In Time". It took years for me to like this song like most on Tumbleweed, but I'm happy I do now.

4½ stars.

[dougs]

"Where To Now St. Peter?" from TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION.

"Where To Now St. Peter?" sounds as good today as it ever did.  It has stood the test of time quite well.  The song features that truly beautifully elastic voice of Elton's.  He sings with such ease and expression.  The song also features Nigel & Dee on backing vocals.  Despite being EJ's touring band at the time, they tended to only play on one song per studio album in those early days.  The backing vocals were an added bonus since they didn't "play" on the song.  The production from Gus is superb;  just listen to those backing vocals eerily slide from one speaker to the other.  "Where To Now St. Peter?" also features some wah-wah guitar from Caleb.  Wah-wah had become the grand new sound in every guitarist's repertoire by the early 70s.  Cool sound.

Elton has played "Where To Now St. Peter?" solo and with his various bands over the years.  "Where To Now St. Peter?" was played live in 1971, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1993-94, and finally at his 60th Birthday & 60th Madison Square Gardens concerts (plus a couple of others) in 2007.  The song sounds brilliant whether it is done somberly as it was in 1977 and 1979 or when it is rocked out as it was in 1982 or when it is performed in a lower register with full wah-wah in effect as it was in 2007.  Good to see it get included on the DEEP CUTS CD1 disc on the JEWEL BOX release.

Classic early Elton.

Rating: 5 to 5 1/2 stars

 

[newloneranger]

Probably the second or third best song from this album depending on my mood. Classic Elton.

5 stars

[Commodore Orpington]

One of the best.

[rocketman]

5 stars...on an album with no singles but chock full of classics, this one fits the mood and the mold of classic Elton John. I believe Heart covered it, and during the MSG Birthday Concert, Elton dedicated the song to Ann and Nancy Wilson.

[dougs]

rocketman:

Yeah, Ann Wilson of the band Heart did release "Where To Now St. Peter?" on her 2007 solo album called HOPE & GLORY.  Elton guested on the song.

Doug

[Commodore Orpington]

There's a good version with EJ and Flatt and Scrggs or somebody?