High-Flying Bird

On Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player. A musical bow to Van Morrison.
The best song on the album was never a single. "High Flying Bird," with its anthemic melody, was Bernie's favorite and, unlike "Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel," has not been overexposed on radio and stage. It's "a cross between Crosby, Stills & Nash and Irma Franklin," Elton said. Bernie's lover, his "high-flying bird" who "has flown from out of my arms" mistakes affection for control: "She thought I meant her harm / She thought I was the archer. Continuing in the avian mode, Elton also recorded a beautiful, and superior, version of one of his earliest songs, "Skyline Pigeon," that can be found as a bonus track on the CD reissue. (Buckley)
== Lyrics: ==
You wore a little cross of gold around your neck
I saw it as you flew between my reason
Like a raven in the night time when you left
I wear a chain upon my wrist that bears no name
You touched it and you wore it
And you kept it in your pillow all the same
My high-flying bird has flown from out my arms
I thought myself her keeper
She thought I meant her harm
She thought I was the archer
A weather man of words
But I could never shoot down
My high-flying bird
The white walls of your dressing room are stained in scarlet red
You bled upon the cold stone like a young man
In the foreign field of death
Wouldn't it be wonderful is all I heard you say
You never closed your eyes at night and learned to love daylight
Instead you moved away
== Musicians: ==
*	Music: Elton John	
*	Lyrics: Bernie Taupin	
*	Piano: Elton John	
*	Vocals: Elton John	
*	Bass: Dee Murray	
*	Drums: Nigel Olsson	
*	Leslie Guitar: Davey Johnstone	
*	Acoustic Guitar: Davey Johnstone	
*	Backing Vocals: Davey Johnstone	
*	Backing Vocals: Dee Murray	
*	Backing Vocals: Nigel Olsson
Category:Elton John
Category:Bernie Taupin
Category:Dee Murray
Category:Nigel Olsson
Category:Davey Johnstone