[1] It opens unusually, in the middle of a crescendo, before ending with a snare drum-hit that segues into a slow-paced dramatic ballad that lasts for the rest of the song.
Upon introducing the song during his orchestral tour of Australia in 1986, John stated that "no one did arrangements like this in those days," claiming "that's why Buckmaster was so great."
[2] Elton John biographer David Buckley believes the song's guitar riff was influenced by that of Derek and the Dominos' "Layla".
[4] Phillip Norman traces some of the imagery in the song to stories and B-movies that Taupin was exposed to as a child.
During the 2022 leg of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, the song was brought back and played regularly at every show.