Clip: Season 2024 Episode 1 | 5m 50s | Video has closed captioning.
Jacob Lusk of the band Gabriels performs "Bennie and the Jets" at the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song concert honoring Elton John and Bernie Taupin at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., March 30, 2024.
Aired: 03/18/24
♪ (piano plays) ♪ LUSK: Good evening saints and friends, we are gathered here tonight in the good ole church of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
We gather tonight to celebrate, to consecrate, and to elucidate their incredible contributions to our heritage.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin... two masters of the popular music genre who have meant so much to our musical world and to our lives.
All right now, let's get into one of their greatest collaborations, from the book of the Jets... Let's get to know a hero of biblical proportions.
And his name is Bennie!
♪ (Scatting).
♪ ♪ Hey kids, shake ♪ it loose together.
♪ ♪ The spotlight's ♪ hitting something.
♪ ♪ That's been known to ♪ change the weather.
♪ ♪ (Scatting).
♪ ♪ We'll kill the ♪ fatted calf tonight.
♪ ♪ So, so, so, stick around.
♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
♪ ♪ You're gonna ♪ hear electric music, ♪ ♪ Solid walls of sound.
♪ ♪ Say Candy and Ronnie, ♪ have you seen them yet?
♪ ♪ Oh, but they're ♪ so spaced out.
♪ ♪ B-B-B-B-B- ♪ Bennie and the Jets.
♪ ♪ Oh, but they're weird ♪ and they're wonderful.
♪ ♪ Oh, Bennie, ♪ she's really keen.
♪ ♪ She's got electric boots, ♪ a mohair suit.
♪ ♪ You know I read it ♪ in a magazine, oh!
♪ ♪ B-B-B-B-B- ♪ Bennie and the Jets.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey kids, plug ♪ into the faithless.
♪ ♪ Maybe they're blinded, ♪ ♪ But Bennie ♪ makes them ageless.
♪ ♪ We shall survive, let ♪ us take ourselves along.
♪ ♪ Where we fight our ♪ parents out in the streets.
♪ ♪ To find who's right ♪ and who's wrong.
♪ ♪ Say Candy and Ronnie, ♪ have you seen them yet?
♪ ♪ Oh, but they're ♪ so spaced out.
♪ ♪ B-B-B-B-B- ♪ Bennie and the Jets.
♪ ♪ Oh, but they're weird ♪ and they're wonderful.
♪ ♪ Oh, Bennie, ♪ she's really keen.
♪ ♪ She's got electric boots, ♪ a mohair suit.
♪ ♪ You know I read it ♪ in a magazine, oh!
♪ ♪ B-B-B-B-B- ♪ Bennie and the Jets.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Say Candy and Ronnie, ♪ have you seen them yet?
♪ ♪ Oh, but they're ♪ so spaced out.
♪ ♪ B-B-B-B-B- ♪ Bennie and the Jets.
♪ ♪ Oh, but they're weird ♪ and they're wonderful.
♪ ♪ Oh, Bennie, ♪ she's really keen.
♪ ♪ She's got electric boots, ♪ a mohair suit.
♪ ♪ You know I read it ♪ in a magazine, oh!
♪ ♪ B-B-B-B-B- ♪ Bennie and the Jets.
♪ ♪ Bennie, Bennie ♪ and the Jets, yes!
♪ ♪ Come on, y'all.
♪ ♪ Help me out!
♪ ♪ I said, Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, ♪ Bennie, Bennie, Bennie.
♪ ♪ (Bennie and the Jets) ♪ ♪ Hey!
♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie and the Jets!
♪ ♪ Oh, Bennie, (Bennie) ♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, ♪ Bennie, Bennie and the Jets!
♪ ♪ I said Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie, (Bennie).
♪ ♪ Bennie and the Jets!
♪ ♪ Ah, yeah, yeah, ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah.
♪ ♪ Oh!
♪ (song ends) (audience applause).
Love you, Elton.
Love you.
(audience applause).
2024 GERSHWIN PRIZE
Elton John and Bernie Taupin, one of the great songwriting duos of all time, are the 2024 recipients of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. John and Taupin were honored with a tribute concert in Washington, D.C., that is now streaming on PBS stations nationwide.
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