Joseph, Better You than Me

2008 single by The Killers featuring Elton John and Neil Tennant

"Joseph, Better You Than Me"

Single by The Killers featuring Elton John and Neil Tennant

Released

December 16, 2008 (2008-12-16)^[1]

Genre

Indie rock,^[2] Christmas

Length

4:53

Label

Island

Songwriter(s)

Brandon Flowers, Elton John, Neil Tennant

Producer(s)

Stuart Price, The Killers

The Killers singles chronology

"Spaceman"
(2008)

"Joseph, Better You Than Me"
(2008)

"The World We Live In"
(2009)

Elton John singles chronology

"Calling It Christmas"
(2006)

"Joseph, Better You than Me"
(2008)

"Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)"
(2009)

"Joseph, Better You Than Me" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers featuring English musicians Elton John and Neil Tennant. The song was released on December 16, 2008 (2008-12-16), as a download-only single.^[1] All proceeds from the song benefit the Product Red campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver. The music video features footage from The Living Christ series.

The song continued the tradition of The Killers releasing a digital download Christmas single that started with "A Great Big Sled" in 2006 and continued with "Don't Shoot Me Santa" in 2007. Lead singer Brandon Flowers said it was great to work with two "real professionals" and "would love to work with them again".^[3]

The song speaks of Saint Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. Flowers, John, and Tennant take turns in describing the difficulties that he must have felt being a father to Jesus. They also sing of the public attention Joseph would have received.

Track listing

"Joseph, Better You Than Me" - 4:53

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Canadian Hot 100	43
UK Singles Chart	88
Austria Singles Top 75	64^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "newburycomics.com - The Killers with Elton John & Neil Tennant : Joseph, Better You Than Me". Newbury Comics. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
^ "Killers Single-Latest". Clash. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
^ Beattie, Siobhanne. "Christmas With The Killers". Gutter Magazine. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
^ "Joseph, Better You Than Me by the Killers featuring Elton John and Neil Tennant - Music Charts". αCharts.

The Killers

Dell Neal
Matt Norcross
Brian Havens

Studio albums

Hot Fuss
Sam's Town
Day & Age
Battle Born
Wonderful Wonderful
Imploding the Mirage
Pressure Machine

Compilation albums

Sawdust
Direct Hits
Don't Waste Your Wishes
Rebel Diamonds

Live albums

Live from the Royal Albert Hall

Extended plays

(Red) Christmas EP

Singles

"Mr. Brightside"
"Somebody Told Me"
"All These Things That I've Done"
"Smile Like You Mean It"
"When You Were Young"
"Bones"
"Read My Mind"
"For Reasons Unknown"
"Shadowplay"
"Tranquilize"
"Human"
"Spaceman"
"The World We Live In"
"A Dustland Fairytale"
"Runaways"
"Miss Atomic Bomb"
"Here with Me"
"Shot at the Night"
"Just Another Girl"
"The Man"
"Run for Cover"
"Rut"
"Caution"
"My Own Soul's Warning"
"Dustland"

Other songs

Christmas songs

Concert tours

Category

v t e Elton John songs
Discography
1960s	"I've Been Loving You" (1968) "Skyline Pigeon" (1968) "Lady Samantha" (1969) "It's Me That You Need" (1969)
1970s	"Border Song" (1970) "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) "Your Song" (1970) "Come Down in Time" (1970) "Friends" (1971) "Levon" (1971) "Indian Sunset" (1971) "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Rocket Man" (1972) "Honky Cat" (1972) "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" (1972) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972) "Crocodile Rock" (1972) "Elderberry Wine" (1972) "Daniel" (1972) "Have Mercy on the Criminal" (1972) "Teacher I Need You" (1973) "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (1973) "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Step into Christmas" (1973) "Candle in the Wind" (1974) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Harmony" (1974) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974) "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975) "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975) "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" (1975) "Island Girl" (1975) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Pinball Wizard" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976) "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977) "Crazy Water" (1977) "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977) "Ego" (1978) "Part-Time Love" (1978) "Song for Guy" (1978) "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979) "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)
1980s	"Little Jeannie" (1980) "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980) "Dear God" (1980) "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981) "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1981) "Blue Eyes" (1982) "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982) "Ball and Chain" (1982) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982) "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983) "I'm Still Standing" (1983) "Kiss the Bride" (1983) "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984) "Passengers" (1984) "Nikita" (1985) "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) "Wrap Her Up" (1985) "Heartache All Over the World" (1986) "Slow Rivers" (1986) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988) "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" (1988) "Town of Plenty" (1988) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988) "Healing Hands" (1989) "Sacrifice" (1989)
1990s	"Club at the End of the Street" (1990) "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991) "The One" (1992) "Runaway Train" (1992) "The Last Song" (1992) "Simple Life" (1993) "True Love" (1993) "Shakey Ground" (1994) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) "Circle of Life" (1994) "Believe" (1995) "Made in England" (1995) "When the Money's Gone" (1995) "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996) "Live Like Horses" (1996) "The Madness of King Scar" (1997) "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997) "Written in the Stars" (1999)
2000s	"Someday Out of the Blue" (2000) "I Want Love" (2001) "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) "Original Sin" (2002) "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) "Ghetto Gospel" (2005) "Electricity" (2005) "The Bridge" (2006) "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008) "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)
2010s	"All of the Lights" (2010) "Good Morning to the Night" (2012) "Sad" (2012) "Looking Up" (2015) "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" (2019)
2020s	"Ordinary Man" (2020) "Sine from Above" (2020) "The Pink Phantom" (2020) "It's a Sin" (2021) "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)" (2021) "Merry Christmas" (2021) "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" (2021) "Hold Me Closer" (2022)
Related	Albums discography Videography
Category:Elton John