Elton John – Tiny Dancer

About The Song

“Tiny Dancer” is a song by English musician Elton John, released as a single from his fourth studio album, Madman Across the Water, on February 7, 1972, through Uni Records in the US and DJM Records in the UK, with “Razor Face” as the B-side. Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, it was produced by Gus Dudgeon. Recording took place in August 1971 at Trident Studios in London, with engineering by Robin Geoffrey Cable. The album, released on November 5, 1971, marked John’s shift toward a more orchestral sound, featuring a 30-piece string section arranged by Paul Buckmaster.

The single had modest chart performance initially. It peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 1, 1972, charting for eight weeks, and reached No. 35 on Canada’s RPM Top Singles. It did not chart in the UK upon release. After gaining popularity through its use in the 2000 film Almost Famous, it re-entered charts post-2010, hitting No. 49 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and No. 19 on the US Rock Digital Song Sales in 2019. Internationally, it reached No. 70 in Australia (ARIA) and No. 90 in the UK (OCC) in 2019. Certifications include 3× Platinum in the US (3,000,000 units), Platinum in the UK (600,000 units), and Gold in Australia (35,000 units). The Madman Across the Water album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 41 in the UK, earning 2× Platinum in the US (2,000,000 units).

The song’s creation began with Bernie Taupin’s lyrics, inspired by his first trip to California in 1970. In a 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Taupin said the song was a composite of women he met in Los Angeles, particularly Maxine Feibelman, his then-girlfriend and later wife, who worked as a seamstress for touring bands. Contrary to myth, it was not specifically about Feibelman, as Taupin clarified in a 2021 American Songwriter article. Elton John composed the melody in one session, aiming for a piano-driven ballad, as noted in the 2007 documentary Classic Albums: Elton John. The six-minute track was considered too long for radio, leading to its initial B-side status behind “Levon” in the US.

Production details include John’s lead vocals and piano, recorded using a Bechstein grand piano and a Neumann U87 microphone, with a single-take vocal, per Ken Scott in a 2014 Sound on Sound interview. The band featured Davey Johnstone on acoustic guitar, Caleb Quaye on electric guitar, Dee Murray on bass, Nigel Olsson on drums, and Roger Pope on additional percussion. Buckmaster’s string arrangement, recorded in one day, added a cinematic quality, as Gus Dudgeon noted in a 2016 uDiscovermusic article. A demo from 1970, released on the 2018 Jewel Box collection, featured only John’s piano and vocals. The song gained renewed fame after its prominent use in Almost Famous, where it underscored a pivotal scene. It was covered by Ben Folds in 2002 and featured in TV shows like Friends (1996) and The Office (2006). John performed it at his 1986 Live Aid set and included it in his 2019 Rocketman biopic soundtrack, per NME.

Video

Lyric

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she’s in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad

Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows, the tune she hums

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly

Hold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she’s in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly

Hold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today