Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | Sara Bareilles Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

So what do you think you'll do then?I bet that'll shoot down your planeIt'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics to set you on your feet againMaybe you'll get a replacementThere's plenty like me to be foundMongrels who ain't got a pennySniffing for tidbits like you on the ground

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Sara Bareilles Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴When are you gonna come down?
When are you going to land?
I should have stayed on the farm
I should have listened to my old man
You know you can't hold me forever
I didn't sign up with you
I'm not a present for your friends to open
This boy's too young to be singing the blues
So goodbye yellow brick road where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

So what do you think you'll do then?
I bet that'll shoot down your plane
It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics to set you on your feet again
Maybe you'll get a replacement
There's plenty like me to be found
Mongrels who ain't got a penny
Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground

So goodbye yellow brick road where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

So goodbye yellow brick road where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh, I've finally decided my future lies
I've finally decided my future lies

I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road


Overall Meaning

In Sara Bareilles's cover of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," she sings with emotion about a need to leave something behind. The lyrics, originally written and performed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, explore someone who is searching for something more and longing to escape the current situation. The song begins with a question: "When are you gonna come down? When are you going to land?" suggesting that the person singing is waiting for something to change or for something to happen that will give them direction. The next line, "I should have stayed on the farm, I should have listened to my old man," indicates regret and a sense of not knowing what they want.


The lyrics then take a more definitive turn with the following lines: "You know you can't hold me forever, I didn't sign up with you, I'm not a present for your friends to open, This boy's too young to be singing the blues." Here, the person singing is asserting themselves, declaring that they will not be held back by anyone else and that they are too young to be brought down by the situations surrounding them. The chorus, "So goodbye yellow brick road where the dogs of society howl, You can't plant me in your penthouse, I'm going back to my plow," further emphasizes a need to escape from the current state, like Dorothy leaving Oz. The chorus ends with "I've finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road."


The second verse has a more confrontational tone, with lines like "So what do you think you'll do then? I bet that'll shoot down your plane, It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics to set you on your feet again." The person singing seems to be challenging someone or something else, suggesting that they are not afraid to stand up for themselves and that they will not be defeated by anyone else. The final chorus repeats the previous one, driving home the idea that the person singing is leaving their old life behind in search of something better.


Overall, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a song about finding direction and asserting oneself despite obstacles. It speaks to the human desire to go beyond what is expected of them and to seek out something more fulfilling.


Line by Line Meaning

When are you gonna come down?
When will you give up your high-flying lifestyle and come back down to reality?


When are you going to land?
When will you stop living in a fantasy world and deal with real life?


I should have stayed on the farm
I regret leaving the simple life I had on the farm


I should have listened to my old man
I wish I had taken my father's advice


You know you can't hold me forever
You can't control me and keep me from leaving forever


I didn't sign up with you
I never agreed to be a part of your plan


I'm not a present for your friends to open
I'm not a toy or a gift for your friends to enjoy


This boy's too young to be singing the blues
I'm too young to feel so disillusioned and jaded


So what do you think you'll do then?
What will you do next, now that things haven't gone according to plan?


I bet that'll shoot down your plane
I predict that your plans will fail


It'll take you a couple of vodka and tonics to set you on your feet again
It will take some time and alcohol to recover from your failure


Maybe you'll get a replacement
Maybe you'll find someone else to fill the void I left


There's plenty like me to be found
You can easily find someone else like me


Mongrels who ain't got a penny, Sniffing for tidbits like you on the ground
People who are desperate and penniless will do anything for your attention and approval


So goodbye yellow brick road where the dogs of society howl
Goodbye to the life that is full of the cruel and unhappy people


You can't plant me in your penthouse
You can't keep me confined to your luxurious lifestyle


I'm going back to my plough
I'm going back to my simple, hardworking life


Back to the howling old owl in the woods hunting the horny back toad
Back to the natural world and the simple pleasures it offers


Oh, I've finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road
I have made the decision to leave behind a life of luxury and seek something more fulfilling


I've finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road
I am determined to leave behind the shallow, unfulfilling life I once lived


I've finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road
I have realized that there is more to life than wealth and status


Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bernard J. P. Taupin, Elton John

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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