Border Song

"Border Song"
Artwork for Italian vinyl single
Single by Elton John
from the album Elton John
B-side	"Bad Side of the Moon"
Released	20 March 1970
Recorded	January 1970
Studio	Trident Studios (London, England)
Length	3:22
Label	Uni (US) DJM Records (UK)
Songwriter(s)	Elton John Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)	Gus Dudgeon
singles chronology
"It's Me That You Need" (1969) "Border Song" (1970) "Rock n' Roll Madonna" (1970)

"Border Song" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin and John. The song initially appeared on the 1970 album Elton John, and was released in the spring of 1970 as the LP's first single. After failing to chart in the UK, it was released in North America a few months later. It met with more success there, especially in Canada, where it peaked at No. 34. The appearance of "Border Song" on the Canadian charts was John's first chart appearance in any country.

"Border Song" was also John's first song to chart in the United States, peaking at No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 69 in the Cash Box Top 100 in October 1970. A cover by soul icon Aretha Franklin (with "Holy Moses" following the title in parentheses to reflect the repeated phrase in the song) fared better reaching No. 37 in the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 23 in the Cash Box Top 100 in December 1970. It was included as the closing track of Aretha's 1972 Young, Gifted and Black album as well.

In the Netherlands it peaked at No. 29 in the Dutch Top 40 in January 1971.

Music and lyrics

The song's melody is similar to that of a spiritual. A choir sings during an instrumental break led by John's piano.

John has said that the song is about the alienation Taupin felt in and about London at the time ("Brand of people who ain't my kind"), and his desire to visit home as often as he could. John himself wrote and added the last verse, which departs from the theme of alienation and speaks against bigotry: "Holy Moses, let us live in peace/let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease/there's a man over there. What's his colour I don't care/he's my brother let us live in peace."

Format and track list

• 1970 US/Canadian 7" single

1. "Border Song" 3:22
2. "Bad Side of the Moon" 3:15

Personnel

• Elton John – piano, lead vocals
• Madeline Bell – backing vocals
• Tony Burrows – backing vocals
• Roger Cook – backing vocals
• Brian Dee – organ
• Lesley Duncan – backing vocals
• Kay Garner – backing vocals
• Colin Green – guitar
• Tony Hazzard – backing vocals
• Clive Hicks – guitar
• Barry Morgan – drums
• Dave Richmond – bass
• Choir led by Barbara Moore
• Arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster

Cover versions

File:Border Song (Holy Moses) by Aretha Franklin US vinyl Side-A.png

US vinyl release of Aretha Franklin's recording

• Aretha Franklin's album 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black concludes with her solo cover of this song. Cash Box said of this version that Franklin "brings the song to a boil in an almost-spiritual arrangement of the Elton John hit."
• Elton John and Aretha Franklin performed the song together on Franklin's 1993 Duets special.
• In 1996, Sophie B. Hawkins recorded the song for the soundtrack of the movie The Associate.
• Willie Nelson covered the song on the 2018 John-Taupin tribute album Restoration.
• Italian singer Mia Martini recorded in 1972 this song in Italian, with the title as "Io straniera".

"Bad Side of the Moon"

"Border Song"'s B-side, "Bad Side of the Moon", was subsequently covered by April Wine, whose version is on their album On Record and was released as their second single from that album, and by Toe Fat, whose version appears on their self-titled debut album and was also released as a single. The song became a big hit in Canada, reaching No. 16 there. April Wine's version remains a staple of classic rock radio in North America.