Daniel
Ryan Adams/Elton John Lyrics

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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, no, I've never been
Well Daniel says it's the best place that 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 opening lines of Ryan Adams/Elton John’s song Daniel paint a vivid picture of a man travelling by plane to Spain. The singer, the singer’s brother, Daniel is leaving and the singer can see his plane’s tail lights as it heads towards Spain. There is a sense that the singer is not quite sure about the specifics of his brother’s trip, as they have never been to Spain themselves, relying instead on Daniel’s opinion that it is the best place he has ever seen.

Through the lyrics, the singer expresses their longing for their brother, who is travelling far away, away from the familiar surroundings and the singer's presence. They question whether Daniel is still feeling the pain of the scars he bears, alluding to emotional or physical trauma that he has endured. The singer acknowledges that although Daniel’s eyes may be "dead," he still sees more than they ever could, describing him as a "star in the face of the sky."

It is unclear why Daniel is leaving and whether he will return but the lyrics create a poignant sense of loss and longing that anyone who has bid farewell to a loved one will recognize. The final line, “God, it looks like Daniel/Must be the clouds in my eyes” encapsulates this feeling perfectly, as the singer tries to come to terms with their own sense of sadness and emptiness.

Line by Line Meaning

Daniel is travelin' tonight on a plane
Daniel is leaving on a plane tonight for his travels

I can see the red taillights headin' for Spain
I can see the plane's red taillights leaving for Spain

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

God, it looks like Daniel Must be the clouds in my eyes
I can't make out Daniel clearly because of the clouds in my eyes

They say Spain is pretty, no, I've never been
I've never been to Spain, but they say it's beautiful

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

Oh, and he should know, he's been there enough
Daniel has been to Spain multiple times

Lord, I miss Daniel Oh, I miss him so much
I miss Daniel and wish he was here with me

Oh, Daniel, my brother, you are older than me Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Daniel is older than me, I wonder if he still feels the pain of his past scars

Your eyes have died, but you see more than I Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky
Although Daniel's eyes may appear lifeless, he has experienced and seen more than I have, and he is a shining star in the sky

Oh God, it looks like Daniel Must be the clouds in my eyes
I still can't make out Daniel clearly because of the clouds in my eyes

Oh, Daniel, my brother, you are older than me Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Daniel is older than me, I wonder if he still feels the pain of his past scars

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
Daniel is leaving on a plane tonight for his travels, I can see his taillights heading towards Spain, and I can see him waving goodbye. However, the clouds in my eyes make it hard to see him clearly.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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