Last Year’s New Year’s Resolution.  Pass or Fail.  I’ll let you decide.

Backstory:  I determined after about a decade+ of the same new year’s resolution (not putting myself in a situation I was not strong enough to resist).  I was going to stop doing resolutions.  Goals are important.  Yes.  But tying them to a day on the calendar I think can sometimes be more stressful than good.  Anyway… I had a well meaning (I think) person ask me about my new year’s resolutions.  I told her I didn’t have any.  She looked at me like I had three heads.  “Bbbbut you have to have new year’s resolutions.”

Um.  No.  I don’t.

But the conversation continued until I said fine….my new year’s resolution is to learn the actual lyrics to Bennie and the Jets by Elton John.

I believe there was eye rolling involved by one or both parties…but it was a year ago so I can’t be completely sure.

So did I in fact learn the lyrics to Bennie and the Jets?  Well….let me type them out and see how I do.  This is without listening to the song in a few weeks.  And without it on now.  Just memory.

Hey kids, shake it loose and listen.  The spotlight’s hitting something that’s been known to change the weather.  We’ll kill the spotted calf tonight so stick around.  You’re gonna hear electric walls of souuuuund.

Oh Candy and Ronnie have you seen them yet?  Ooh but their so spaced out.  Bbbbennie and the Jets.  Oh their weird and their wonderful.  Oh Bennie she’s really keen.  She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit.  You know I read it in a magazine, oh ohhh.  Bbbbennie and the Jets

Hey kids….. something something something…

hmmm.  There’s another part here la la la la la 

We’ll fight our parents out in the streets to see who’s right and who’s wrong.

Oh Candy and Ronnie have you seen them yet?  Oh but their so spaced out.  Bbbbennie and the Jets.  Oh their weird and their wonderful.  Oh Bennie she’s really keen.  She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit.  You know I read it in a magazine, oh ohhh.  Bbbbennie and the Jets

Okay… I’d give myself a C+ if these lyrics are correct because I can only remember the first and last lines of the 2nd verse.

Now I’m gonna listen to it and see if I can get them all….hold briefly.  Or maybe you listen too. (The video is classic 70’s Elton…my personal favorite Elton).

Ok…so I missed a few words. electric music solid walls of sound. In my first attempt.  Fatted calf.  Not spotted.

Chorus.  Yes. Yes.  Pretty Solid.

2nd verse with the music…not perfect but close.  This is what I sang… Hey kids welcome to the faithless uh uh blinded  but Bennie makes them ageless.  We shall survive let us bring ourselves along.  We’ll fight our parents out in the streets to see who’s right and who’s wrong.

Full Lyrics to Bennie and the Jets by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Hey kids, shake it loose together
The spotlight’s hitting something
That’s been known to change the weather
We’ll kill the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
You’re gonna hear electric music
Solid walls of sound

Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Uh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Hey kids, plug into the faithless
Maybe they’re blinded
But Bennie makes them ageless
We shall survive, let us take ourselves along
Where we fight our parents out in the streets
To find who’s right and who’s wrong

Oh Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Oh but they’re so spaced out, Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine, oh
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Oh Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Oh but they’re so spaced out, Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine, oh
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Jets, Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie
Bennie, Bennie and the Jets

So I did pretty well, not perfectly…but pretty well.  I listened to three times in a row and got it about 99% right, so I am checking the box to 2016 New Year’s Resolution Complete.  If you’re looking for a new year’s resolution or need one to get someone off your back.  Give this one a try.  It was a fun one for me over the year.  I tried to get other people to learn them with me.  My 12, now 13, year old nephew.  My roommate.  You know.  Share the fun.

Point to Ponder While You Wander… Don’t let people pressure you about your goals.  You determine where you’re headed. So you should set your own goals that lead you in the direction YOU want to go.  Don’t be pressured into being or doing something that just isn’t you.  You be you.

Also…not all goals have to be life or death serious, people.  Jesus came to give us abundant lives…that includes joy and laughter.  And this NY’s Resolution thing has been really funny to me all year long.

PS…Do you sing “Hold me closer Tony Danza” instead of “Hold me closer Tiny Dancer” too?  Or is that just me? Ha ha