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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

 
Lyrics: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
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Performed by: 101 Strings Orchestra; Elton John; Keane
Written by: Elton John; Bernie Taupin

Credits: John, Elton (Songwriter); Taupin, Bernie (Songwriter); DICK JAMES MUSIC LIMITED (Publisher)

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Wikipedia: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song)
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"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Single by Elton John
from the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
B-side "Screw You"
Released October 15, 1973
Format Vinyl record (7" & 12")
Recorded Chateau d'Hierouville
Genre Pop/rock
Length 3:14
Label MCA (US/Canada)
DJM Records
Writer(s) Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer Gus Dudgeon
Elton John singles chronology
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
(1973)		 "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
(1973)		 "Step into Christmas"
(1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road track listing
Side One
  1. "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"
  2. "Candle in the Wind"
  3. "Bennie and the Jets"
Side Two
  1. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
  2. "This Song Has No Title"
  3. "Grey Seal"
  4. "Jamaica Jerk-Off"
  5. "I've Seen That Movie Too"
Side Three
  1. "Sweet Painted Lady"
  2. "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1903-34)"
  3. "Dirty Little Girl"
  4. "All the Girls Love Alice"
Side Four
  1. "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n' Roll)"
  2. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
  3. "Roy Rogers"
  4. "Social Disease"
  5. "Harmony"

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad performed by musician Elton John. The song was written by Bernie Taupin and composed by John for his album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Its musical style and production is heavily influenced by 1970s soft rock. It was widely praised by critics, and some critics have named it John's best song.[1]

The song was released in 1973 as the album's second single, and entered the Top Ten in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It was one of John's biggest hits, and surpassed the previous single in sales and popularity quickly following its release.

The band Keane (with Faultline) covered the song for the Help: A Day in the Life compilation. There is also a Dream Theater version of this song, yet it has not been officially released.

The song is featured in Stephen King's novel Road Work, and was a personal favourite of late musician Elliott Smith. He once listened to the song for eighteen hours straight while doing mushrooms, and wrote the song "Waltz #1".[2]

Contents

Critical response

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" received a generally positive response from music critics. Allmusic wrote that the song is "a vocal triumph" and a "pinnacle of its style".[3] Janis Schacht of Circus describes it as "delicate and beautiful".[4] Ben and Jerry's later created the ice cream flavor Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road in honor of John's performance in Vermont.[5] In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #380 in the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

Chart performance

The single entered the U.S. charts at #62, the highest debut of that week. In seven weeks it rose to the #2 spot (December 8, 1973), where it stayed for three weeks. In the UK it peaked at #6. In Ireland it peaked at #4.

B-side

The song's flip side was a song called "Screw You", though the U.S. release re-titled the song "Young Man's Blues" so as not to offend conservative record buyers.

Charts

Chart (1973) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 7
UK Singles Chart 6
Irish Singles Chart 4

Notes

  1. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Allmusic. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
  2. ^ Wilde, Autumn de (2007). Elliott Smith. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. .
  3. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Allmusic. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
  4. ^ Schacht, Janis. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Circus Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
  5. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-07-15-elton-john-ice-cream_N.htm?csp=34

References

v • d • e
Elton John songs
1960s and 1970s
"Lady Samantha" (1969) · "It's Me That You Need" (1969) · "Border Song" (1970) · "Rock n' Roll Madonna" (1970) · "From Denver to L.A." (1970) · "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) · "Your Song" (1970) · "Levon" (1971) · "Tiny Dancer" (1972) · "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" (1972) · "Honky Cat" (1972) · "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972) · "Crocodile Rock" (1972) · "Daniel" (1972) · "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) · "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) · "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (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 Goaldigger's Song" (1977) · "Ego" (1978) · "Part-Time Love" (1978) · "Song for Guy" (1978) · "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) · "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)
1980s
1990s
2000s
"This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) · "Your Song" (2002) · "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (2002) · "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) · "The Bridge" (2006) · "Tinderbox" (2006) · "Rocket Man" (2007) · "Step into Christmas" (2007) · "Joseph, Better You Than Me" (2008)
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