Burn Down the Mission

"Burn Down the Mission" is musically driven by the story told by Bernie Taupin's lyrics, as is common in John/Taupin collaborations.

The lyrics themselves, while telling a simple story, are vague enough to be open to interpretation. Ostensibly the story is that of a poor community oppressed by a rich and powerful force, and the narrator, driven by some sort of revelation, has decided to take direct action to remedy the situation. However, his attempt fails and he is "taken away", presumably to meet his fate, and justifies his actions as an attempt to defend his family.

The music reflects this narrative structure by starting with a slow piano introduction and the telling of the hero's situation and his progress towards direct action; the middle section, which is faster, jazzier and brings in full instrumentation, can be read as an interpretation of the actual struggle in which the hero engages. Finally, the struggle has ended and the music returns to its initial understated form, reflecting the eventual defeat of the hero. The song ends with a restatement of the middle section while it fades out.

In the premiere episode of Elvis Costello's show Spectacle on Sundance channel, John cited Laura Nyro as an influence on, among other, unusual structure and rhythm changes of this song in particular.[1]

This is one of the most musically complicated works of John's career. The key changes four times before returning to the original opening chord sequence at the half-way mark. It has always been quite a fan favorite, and John has frequently performed it live over the last 40 years:[2]

• John's first live album, the WABC radio broadcast 11-17-70, concludes with a version (running 18:10), interpolating Elvis Presley's "My Baby Left Me" and the Beatles' "Get Back"
• The song was a regular feature of the 1974 US and UK tours, with a version from the Royal Performance in London, included in the album Here and There
• Elton's longest and most complex standalone jam of "Burn Down the Mission" (lasting 10:17) was in the Christmas Eve 1974 performance broadcast live on the BBC from Hammersmith Odeon in London, much bootlegged as Ol' Pink Eyes Is Back and Just Like Strange Rain (listen here at timecode 9:43).
• A more conventional rendition was recorded in December 1986 and released on Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

• In 1991, the song was covered by Phil Collins for the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.
• In 2002, the song was recorded by Toto for their album Through the Looking Glass.

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics