Daniel is travelin' tonight on a plane
I can see the red taillights headin' for Spain
Oh, and I can see Daniel wavin' goodbye
God, it looks like Daniel
Must be the clouds in my eyes

They say Spain is pretty, though I've never been
Well, Daniel says it's the best place he's ever seen
Oh, and he should know, he's been there enough
Lord, I miss Daniel
Oh, I miss him so much

Oh, Daniel, my brother, you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Your eyes have died, but you see more than I
Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky

Oh, Daniel, my brother, you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Your eyes have died, but you see more than I
Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky

Daniel is travelin' tonight on a plane
I can see the red taillights headin' for Spain
Oh, and I can see Daniel wavin' goodbye
God, it looks like Daniel
Must be the clouds in my eyes

Oh God, it looks like Daniel
Must be the clouds in my eyes

Overall Meaning

The song "Daniel" by Elton John is a melancholic ballad about a man named Daniel who is traveling by plane to Spain. The opening lines of the song convey the singer’s melancholic thoughts as he watches the red taillights of the airplane disappear. He also feels like he cannot properly see his brother waving goodbye due to the clouds in his eyes. The song evokes a sense of distance and separation, as the singer misses his brother and wonders what he is feeling as he travels.

Elton John describes the beauty of Spain through second-hand accounts from Daniel, who has previously been there. Despite never having been to Spain himself, the singer feels like he knows the country because of Daniel’s stories. The chorus of the song highlights the age gap between the two brothers, as the singer addresses Daniel as “my brother, you are older than me”. He wonders if his brother still feels the pain of old scars, although he is unable to see it because of the cloud in his eyes. He holds his older brother in high esteem and sees him as a star in the sky.

The song ends just as it begins, with Elton John watching the plane with Daniel flying away, suggesting that there are things that are out of our control and that we cannot help but ruminate and feel melancholic about them.

Line by Line Meaning

Daniel is travelin' tonight on a plane
Daniel is flying to Spain tonight.

I can see the red taillights headin' for Spain
The plane's red taillights can be seen going towards Spain.

Oh, and I can see Daniel wavin' goodbye
The singer can see Daniel waving goodbye as the plane takes off.

God, it looks like Daniel Must be the clouds in my eyes
The singer is unsure because the clouds are obstructing the view.

They say Spain is pretty, no, I've never been
The singer has never been to Spain but has heard that it's beautiful.

Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Daniel has been to Spain and thinks it's the best place he's ever been to.

Oh, and he should know, he's been there enough
Since Daniel has been to Spain many times, he would have a good idea of how it is.

Lord, I miss Daniel Oh, I miss him so much
The singer misses Daniel a lot.

Oh, Daniel, my brother, you are older than me Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal? Your eyes have died, but you see more than I Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky
The singer refers to Daniel as his brother and asks if he still feels the pain of past emotional wounds. Even though Daniel has lost the ability to see, he has gained insight that the singer doesn't possess. The singer sees Daniel as a shining star.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Vladimir Cort, Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it