Your Song

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"Your Song"
"Your Song" cover
Single by Elton John
from the album Elton John
Released 1970
Format vinyl record (7")
Recorded Trident Studios
Genre Rock, piano rock
Length 4:04
Label Uni, DJM
Writer(s) John/Taupin
Producer(s) Gus Dudgeon
Chart positions
Elton John singles chronology
"Border Song"
(1970)		 "Take Me to the Pilot/Your Song"
(1970)		 "Friends"
(1970)

"Your Song" is a ballad composed & performed by musician Elton John. The song's lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin. It appeared on his self-titled second album in 1970.

It was released in the US in October 1970 as the B-side to "Take Me to the Pilot".[1] Both received airplay, but "Your Song" was preferred by disc jockeys and replaced "Take Me to the Pilot" as the A-side, eventually making both the UK and U.S. Top Tens.

Contents

[edit] Composition and inspiration

"Your Song" is an extremely soft blend of several different styles: country, soul, folk, and jazz, with the R&B hook of the chorus: "I hope you don't mind / I hope you don't mind / That I put down in the words / How wonderful life is while you're in the world." The instrumental focus is on John's Leon Russell-influenced piano work, with acoustic guitar, Paul Buckmaster's string accompaniment, and a shuffling rhythm section.

The lyrics express the romantic thoughts of an innocent. Taupin offers a straightforward love-song lyric at the beginning: "It's a little bit funny this feeling inside / I'm not one of those who can easily hide / I don't have much money but boy if I did / I'd buy a big house where we both could live." At times the self-deprecating narrator stumbles to get out his feelings, which despite being a melodramatic device, is "effective and sweet", according to All Music Guide[1] : "So excuse me forgetting but these things I do / You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue / Anyway the thing is what I really mean / Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen / And you can tell everybody this is your song / It may be quite simple but now that it's done."

The song was part of a growing stockpile of songs John and Taupin wrote in the middle to latter part of 1969 while living together. John pinpoints his composition of the music to Monday, October 27. Supposedly, it only took him 10 minutes. Taupin had penned the lyrics earlier that day over breakfast.

[edit] Critical response

"Your Song" was praised by critics upon release, and in subsequent years. All Music Guide wrote that the song "is a near-perfect song".[2] John Lennon is quoted as saying the song is "the first new thing that's happened since we (The Beatles) happened".[3] Rolling Stone commented that the song is a "pretty McCartneyesque ballad".[4] In 2004 Rolling Stone included the song in their 2004 list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #136.

[edit] Trivia

- Your Song was performed by Ewan McGregor in the 2001 hit movie Moulin Rouge!

[edit] Chart performance and impact

The song was John's first pop hit. It rose to the #8 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK it peaked at #7. It was rerecorded by John as a duet with opera singer Alessandro Safina for the first Sport Relief charity telethon in 2002, and reached #4 in the UK.

The song heralded the era of singer/songwriters when it became a hit in 1970. Artists like James Taylor and John Denver would soon achieve fame with similar heartfelt songs featuring a prominent vocal and a soft piano or guitar.


The song itself has become a staple. Artists who have covered the song include:

John cites the song as one of his favorites, and plays it at all of his concerts. In an interview he commented that "[he doesn't] think [he has] written a love song as good since".

[edit] Format and tracklist

  • 1970 US 7" single
  1. . "Take Me to the Pilot" 3:43
  2. . "Your Song" 3:57
  • 1971 UK 7" single
  1. "Your Song"
  2. "Into The Old Man's Shoes"
1987 UK 7 Single
1987 UK 7 Single
  • 1978 UK 7" single
  1. "Your Song"
  2. "Border Song"
  • 1985 UK 7" single
  1. "Cry To Heaven"
  2. "Candy By The Pound"
  3. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On/I Saw Her Standing There/Twist And Shout [live]"
  4. "Your Song [live]"
  • 1987 UK 7" single
  1. "Your Song [live]"
  2. "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me [live]"
  • 1992 US 7" single
  1. "Your Song"
  2. "Border Song"
  • 1999 US CD single
  1. "Recover Your Soul [live]" 4:40
  2. "Your Song [live]" 4:08
2002 UK 12 Single
2002 UK 12 Single
  • 2000 US 12 single
  1. "We Belond [Pat Benatar] [remix]" 10:39
  2. "Your Song [Junior's Vasquez Mix]" 10:00
  • 2002 US CD single
  1. "Your Song" 4:19
  2. "Your Song [instrumental]"
  3. "Your Song [video]"
  • 2002 US 12 single
  1. "Your Song [Junior's Earth Anthem]" 10:31
  2. "Your Song [Almighty Mix]" 7:21
  3. "Your Song [Pretty In Pink Mix]" 6:29

[edit] Charts

Chart (1973) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 8
UK Singles Chart 7
Chart (2002) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 4

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Janovitz, Bill. "Your Song". All Music Guide. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
  2. ^ Janovitz, Bill. "Your Song". All Music Guide. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
  3. ^ Lennon, John. "Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
  4. ^ Rolling Stone. "Elton John". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved July 16, 2006.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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