"Restless" is a song by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

with lyrics by

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...

. It was the opening track off his 1984 album, ''

Breaking Hearts ''Breaking Hearts'' is the eighteenth studio album by English musician Elton John. It features the quartet of John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. There were four top-40 singles from the album: "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (US #5/ ...

''.

Musical structure

The song is basically a rock and roll song. A steady 4/4 beat drives the song, accompanied by guitar solo and bass that follows the piano pattern. The studio version features a heavy load of synthesizers, giving the song a more 'updated' feel than the original demo, which was more piano-driven. The song is more than five minutes long, which got panned by critics as it is very similar throughout the whole song.

Lyrical meaning

The song is almost political. At the time of its release, it was the height of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, and the lyrics describe that the people are "''Searching for something that just ain't there''". There are also mentions of that the "Walls have ears" and "Big Brother's watching". This links to the novel, ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', in which both lines actually exist, curiously in the same year as the song was released. It could also be a pun on the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, which at the time had surveillance similar to that of the novel. Taupin also writes that they're "''Breaking down doors in foreign countries''", which was the fall of communism. It had begun to take place shortly after the song's release.

Performances

The song was performed for the first time in the spring of 1984. It was a live staple up and until 1986. On stage, John would often introduce the song as a "rock and roll number", and the live versions are much faster and piano-based than the studio version. One of the live versions (recorded at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...

in 30 June 1984) were eventually released as the B-side to "

Wrap Her Up "Wrap Her Up" is a song by English musician Elton John, released as the second single from his 1985 album, ''Ice on Fire''. George Michael provides backing vocals on the song. The single had limited success worldwide. It reached number 12 in ...

", and now appears as one of the bonus tracks on his next album, 1985's ''

Ice on Fire ''Ice on Fire'' is the nineteenth studio album by English musician Elton John. Recorded at Sol Studios and released in November 1985, it was his first album since ''Blue Moves'' produced by his original long-time producer, Gus Dudgeon. David ...

''. The song appeared in the episode "

To Hull and Back "To Hull and Back" is the fourth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom, ''Only Fools and Horses'', first screened on 25 December 1985. It was the first feature-length edition of the show and also the first special not to feature or mention ...

" of ''

Only Fools and Horses ''Only Fools and Horses....'' is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until t ...

'' in a scene set in the Nag's Head at the beginning. The song starts playing while Uncle Albert is talking to his female friend and can still be heard when Boycie and Dell are in the back room.

Personnel

* Elton John – vocals, acoustic piano, synthesizers *

Davey Johnstone David William Logan Johnstone (born 6 May 1951) is a British rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band. Career Johnstone's first work was with Noel Murphy in 1 ...

– guitars, backing vocals *

Dee Murray Dee Murray (born David Murray Oates; 3 April 1946 – 15 January 1992) was an English bass guitarist. He was best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band. Biography Murray was born in Gillingham ...

– bass, backing vocals *

Nigel Olsson Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer and singer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John. A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of the Elton J ...

– drums, backing vocals

References

{{Authority control 1984 songs Elton John songs Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin Songs with music by Elton John Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)