Elton John followed Madman Across the Water with Honky Chateau just a year later, in 1972. That’s four albums in three years containing some of the most enduring pop songs of all time. Wow.
The obvious keepers on Honky Chateau are ‘Honky Cat,’ ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.’ The latter two songs would be at or near the top if I were to rank the 37 songs I ended up with on my Elton John playlist.
‘Susie (Dramas)’ is a great track that was completely new to me. It leads right into ‘Rocket Man’ and serves as an excellent rocking set-up to that emotional ballad.
John has a number of songs in this vein throughout his catalog but this one stood out to me enough to make the cut.
I got frostbitten in the winter
Ice skating on the river
With my pretty little black-eyed girl
She’d make your darn toes curl just to see her, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
I got a fringe front on my buggy
I got a frisky little colt in a hurry
And a pretty little black-eyed Suzie by by by my side
[Chorus]
Well, she sure knows how to use me
Pretty little black-eyed Suzie
Playing hooky with my heart all the time
Living with her funky family
In a derelict old alley
Down by the river where we share a little loving in the moonshine
[Verse 2]
I’m an old hayseed harp player
I’m the hit of the county fair
With my pretty little black-eyed girl
Living proof as she swirls, she’s a dancer, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
I got a fringe front on my buggy
I got a frisky little colt in a hurry
And a pretty little black-eyed Suzie by by by my side
[Chorus]
Well, she sure knows how to use me
Pretty little black-eyed Suzie
Playing hooky with my heart all the time
Living with her funky family
In a derelict old alley
Down by the river where we share a little loving in the moonshine
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Well, she sure knows how to use me
Pretty little black-eyed Suzie
Playing hooky with my heart all the time, oh
Living with her funky family
In a derelict old alley
Down by the river where we share a little loving in the moonshine
Well, she sure knows how to use me
Pretty little black-eyed Suzie
Playing hooky with my heart all the time
Living with her funky family
In a derelict old alley
Down by the river where we share a little loving in the moonshine
Meet Me In Montauk 
Honky Chateau is probably my favorite album from Elton, with “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters” being one of the most beautiful songs ever, period.