# three questions about Benny and the Jets **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 13, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048 "2010-06-13T22:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/1 "2010-06-13T22:11:17Z")
1. What in the hell does the song mean? The lyrics make absolutely no sense to me. 2. Is it true that it was never recorded in a studio, and the version heard most on the radio was recorded at a concert? 3. What exactly is mo-hair? I know it’s a material of some type, but was it a synthetic fiber of the 70’s, or is it used today? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/2 "2010-06-13T22:18:48Z")
Mohair comes from an Angora goat. I think it was popular in the 70’s but it’s still used today. Do a Google image search for “mohair” and you’ll see plenty of examples or what it looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/3 "2010-06-13T22:42:58Z")
A rock band starts off singing - “You’re gonna hear electric music, solid walls of sound” then some teenybopper fans (Candy and Ronnie are being to talked to) are discussing Bennie - “She’s got electric boots and a mohair suit, you know I read it in a magazine.” ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/4 "2010-06-13T22:50:55Z")
Here is a link to [the lyrics to Bennie and the Jets](http://www.eltonography.com/songs/bennie_and_the_jets.html). I appreciate the attempt, **Dolores** , but that doesn’t help. Up until today, I didn’t realize that Bennie was a woman, but I assume she’s the lead singer of the Jets, correct? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/5 "2010-06-13T22:56:48Z")
Some of us were more intrigued when we thought she had electric boobs. The single was a studio recording, with pre-recorded crowd noises dubbed in. The lyrics are a pretty straightforward send-up of glam rock and music industry hype. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/6 "2010-06-13T22:59:17Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > The lyrics are a pretty straightforward send-up of glam rock and music industry hype. …and the generational conflict associated with rock in those days (see also _Wild in the Streets_, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” etc.). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/7 "2010-06-14T00:33:19Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. What exactly is mo-hair? I know it’s a material of some type, but was it a synthetic fiber of the 70’s, or is it used today? [![](https://thebsreport.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/moe.jpg) ](https://thebsreport.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/moe.jpg) Sorry. Just couldn’t resist. 😃 I said I was sorry. Just shoot me, already. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/8 "2010-06-14T00:42:06Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > …and the generational conflict associated with rock in those days (see also _Wild in the Streets_, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” etc.). hmm. Maybe I’ll looking too hard for something. What does “we’ll kill the fatted calf tonight.” refer to? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/9 "2010-06-14T00:49:31Z")
“Kill the fatted calf” is a metaphor for pull out all the stops and have a massive celebration, from the parable of the prodigal son. If you really wanted to stretch the metaphor you might say it identifies Bennie as a formerly rebellious figure who is being enthusiastically welcomed into the establishment; i.e., a sell-out. Actually, that’s not bad. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/10 "2010-06-14T01:39:52Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. Is it true that it was never recorded in a studio, and the version heard most on the radio was recorded at a concert? Actually the opposite is true. The version most heard on the radio is the studio version. It was just recoreded to sound like it was done live. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/11 "2010-06-14T01:49:59Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > [http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/moe.jpg](http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/moe.jpg) > > Sorry. Just couldn’t resist. 😃 > > I said I was sorry. Just shoot me, already. Can’t you be banned for doing that?! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/12 "2010-06-14T03:28:38Z")
For doing what? Or did I just get whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/13 "2010-06-14T03:34:45Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > Some of us were more intrigued when we thought she had electric boobs. And a mohawk too! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/14 "2010-06-14T09:55:50Z")
> [@abbeytxs](#): > > Can’t you be banned for doing that?! :dubious: I don’t know. I would, of course, leave it up to a moderator to let me know if I am stepping over any lines and I would humbly accept a warning without argument. I presume, however, that a little bit of humor is tolerated. Particularly since it’s in Cafe Society and the question was answered. But, again, I will leave it up to one of the Dope’s moderators to inform me if I have transgressed. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/15 "2010-06-14T11:28:53Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > For doing what? > > Or did I just get whooshed? WAG: For “wishing death” on a Doper. (Yourself.) Alternately, for posting a really really bad pun… ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/16 "2010-06-14T13:03:31Z")
I thought it was a about a gang, like the Jets and the Sharks in West Side Story. Ah well ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/17 "2010-06-14T13:28:08Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > WAG: For “wishing death” on a Doper. (Yourself.) > > Alternately, for posting a really really bad pun… It was for posting a really bad pun and I was kidding. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/18 "2010-06-14T13:45:58Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > …Up until today, I didn’t realize that Bennie was a woman Part of that could be it was spelled “Benny” on many albums. I recall on my album (and a quick Google search of old vinyl albums verifies this) that it was spelled Benny on the record and Bennie on the record jacket. On singles you can also see it spelled both ways, depending on the issue. Thought Elton John’s site cofirms it’s “Bennie” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/19 "2010-06-14T13:54:25Z")
> [@abbeytxs](#): > > It was for posting a really bad pun and I was kidding. 😃 Oh, phew. I was staring at that photo trying to figure out if that bottle Moe was holding had poison in it or something. The “dubious” smilie threw me off. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048/20 "2010-06-14T14:11:49Z")
I love threads like this when they discuss a song I’ve known most of my life and have never had a problem understanding! I’m always amazed at how other people hear the same things I do and get confused by a poetic turn of phrase or an awkward wording to make the rhythm and rhyme fit. Or how people search for deeper meaning when it’s just something simple they’ve never come across before. A message board I used to frequent for one of my favorite folk singers spent THREE DAYS discussing the significance of his use of the word Fist instead of Hand and what cosmic references could be gleaned from that usage…and all the time I’m screaming (in my head, because I couldn’t post to the thread) "It’s because “fist” rhymes better with “this”!!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-questions-about-benny-and-the-jets/543048.md?page=2)