Peering out of tiny eyes
The grubby hands that gripped the rail
Wiped the window clean of frost
As the morning air laid on the latch

A whistle awakened someone there
Next door to the nursery just down the hall
A strange new sound you never heard before
A strange new sound that makes boys explore

Tread neat so small those little feet
Amid the morning his small heart beats
So much excitement yesterday
That must be rewarded must be displayed

Large hands lift him through the air
Excited eyes contain him there
The eyes of those he loves and knows
But what's this extra bed just here

His puzzled head tipped to one side
Amazement swims in those bright green eyes
Glancing down upon this thing
That make strange sounds, strange sounds that sing

In those silent happy seconds
That surround the sound of this event
A parent smile is made in moments
They have made for you a friend

And all you ever learned from them
Until you grew much older
Did not compare with when they said
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother

Overall Meaning

Elton John's "The Greatest Discovery" is a song about the arrival of a baby brother, as seen through the eyes of a young child. The song paints a vivid picture of a small child waking up early in the morning and peering out of their bedroom window while wiping away the frost that has covered the window. The child is awakened by a strange new sound coming from the next door nursery, which emits a sound so unusual that the child is drawn towards it. The child is filled with excitement at the prospect of the unknown sound and heads towards the nursery, with heart beating fast and small feet treading carefully.

Once the child arrives at the nursery, they are lifted up in the air by large hands, and their curious eyes look around the room to take in all the new sights and sounds. The child is introduced to their new baby brother, who makes strange sounds that sing. In this moment, the child's world is changed forever as a new friend is made. The significance of the moment is not lost on the child's parents, who smile and cherish the moment, knowing that they have just made their child a new friend for life.

The song is a beautiful tribute to the wonder and innocence of childhood, capturing the sense of excitement and awe that a child can feel at the smallest of things. Through the lyrics, Elton John celebrates the arrival of a new sibling, transforming what can be a difficult and emotional time for children into a moment of joy and wonder.

Line by Line Meaning

Peering out of tiny eyes
Looking out of small eyes

The grubby hands that gripped the rail
The dirty hands that grabbed the railing

Wiped the window clean of frost
Cleaned the frost off the window

As the morning air laid on the latch
The morning air was gently resting on the door latch

A whistle awakened someone there
A whistle woke someone up

Next door to the nursery just down the hall
The room next to the nursery and farther down the hall

A strange new sound you never heard before
A new sound you've never heard before

A strange new sound that makes boys explore
A new sound that makes young boys curious and explorative

Tread neat so small those little feet
The tiny feet carefully take small steps

Amid the morning his small heart beats
His heart is racing in excitement during the morning

So much excitement yesterday
There was so much excitement the day before

That must be rewarded must be displayed
It must be rewarded and shown

Large hands lift him through the air
Big hands lift him up into the air

Excited eyes contain him there
His eyes are filled with excitement and wonder

The eyes of those he loves and knows
The eyes of those who love and know him

But what's this extra bed just here
But what is this extra bed right here

His puzzled head tipped to one side
His confused head tilts to one side

Amazement swims in those bright green eyes
Amazement fills his bright green eyes

Glancing down upon this thing
Looking down at this object

That make strange sounds, strange sounds that sing
That makes strange singing sounds

In those silent happy seconds
In those joyous and calm moments

That surround the sound of this event
That happen during the event making the sound

A parent smile is made in moments
The parents smile at that moment

They have made for you a friend
They've brought you a new friend

And all you ever learned from them
And everything you learned from them

Until you grew much older
Until you became much older

Did not compare with when they said
It didn't compare to when they said

This is your brand new brother
This is your new younger brother

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Peter Harthen

on Sacrifice

not like todays crap

Peter Harthen

on Sacrifice

Even at 56 years old, this music still sounds so good to me, how music should sound.....

just now