If you love Elton John (and Bernie Taupin), the performance honouring the pair with the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song for 2024 is a must. The gala aired on PBS earlier this week and featured a host of performances, including Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlisle, and Garth Brooks covering John/Taupin classics. Even Metallica weighed in for “Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding” (oddly, it worked!).

While all the performances were spot-on Elton’s fellow Brit Annie Lennox (of the Eurythmics) opened the proceedings with “Border Song,” one of the John and Taupin’s earliest hits. And short of Elton singing the song himself, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Lyrics

Holy Moses, I have been removed
I have seen the spectre, he has been here too
Distant cousin from down the line
Brand of people who ain’t my kind
Holy Moses, I have been removed

Holy Moses, I have been deceived
Now the wind has changed direction, and I’ll have to leave
Won’t you please excuse my frankness
But it’s not my cup of tea
Holy Moses, I have been deceived

I’m going back to the border where my affairs
My affairs ain’t abused
I can’t take any more bad water
Been poisoned from my head down to my shoes, oh
Holy Moses, I have been deceived

Holy Moses, let us live in peace
Let us strive to find a way to make all hatred cease
There’s a man over there, what’s his colour? I don’t care
He’s my brother, let us live in peace, oh
He’s my brother, let us live in peace, oh
He’s my brother, let us, let us live in peace