"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Single by Elton John
from the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Released	1973
Format	vinyl record (7" & 12")
Recorded	Chateau d'Hierouville
Genre	Pop/rock
Length	3:14
Label	MCA
Writer(s)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)	Gus Dudgeon
Chart positions
#2 (USA) #6 (UK)
Elton John singles chronology
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (1973) "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (1973)	"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973)	"Candle in the Wind" (1973) "Bennie and the Jets" (1973)

"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 '70s soft rock. It was widely praised by critics, and many have cited it as Elton John's best song. In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less*) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-side, often accompanied by several B-sides, usually remixes or other songs. ... Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE[1] (born March 25, 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the eighth album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... For Popular music (music that is popular, rather than of a specific genre or style), see Popular music. ... Rock and roll (also spelled rock n roll, especially in its first decade), is a genre of music that emerged as a defined musical style in the Southern United States in the 1950s, and quickly spread to the rest of the country, and the world (rhythm sample). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Music Corporation of America, commonly known as MCA, is a United States based corporation in the music business. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE[1] (born March 25, 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Bernie Taupin (born May 22, 1950) is an English lyricist famous for his collaboration with Elton John. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gus Dudgeon (1942 - 2002) was a British record producer, and the inventor of audio sampling as a musical device. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE[1] (born March 25, 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Candle in the Wind is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A ballad is a story in a song, usually a narrative song or poem. ... Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE[1] (born March 25, 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Bernie Taupin (born May 22, 1950) is an English lyricist famous for his collaboration with Elton John. ... Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the eighth album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... Soft rock, also referred to as lite rock, easy rock, and formally mellow rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work. ...

The song was released in 1973 (see 1973 in music) as the album's second single, and entered the Top Ten in both the U.K and the U.S. It was one of John's biggest hits, and surpassed the previous single in sales and popularity quickly following its release. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... See also: 1972 in music, other events of 1973, 1974 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Events January-February January 9 - Mick Jaggers request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug bust, putting an abrupt end to The...

Song meaning

The song tells the story of a young hopeful's disenchantment with a promised "Emerald City"--a land of opportunity, a town where troubles wash away. Instead, the youth is exploited for his talents and decides to abandon this place of vanquished dreams by taking the "yellow brick road" back home, where his future really lies. The song finds him telling off the person's who triggered this profound disappointment: "You know you can't hold me forever./I didn't sign up with you./ I'm not a present for your friends to open./this boy's too young to be singing the blues." The fictional city of Oz as portrayed in the 1939 movie The Emerald City is the fictional capital of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baums Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. ... The road of yellow brick is an element in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. ...

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" contains numerous references to Taupin's and John's early life. Taupin certainly had more than his share of disappointments prior to meeting Elton. During their earliest days together, he and Elton were unhappily trying to be Engelbert Humperdinck-style commercial songwriters. The song is also a thinly veiled reference to Judy Garland. Engelbert Humperdinck (September 1, 1854 – September 27, 1921) was a German composer, best known for his opera, Hänsel und Gretel (1893). ... Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969), born Frances Ethel Gumm, was an American film actress considered by many to be one of the greatest singing stars of Hollywoods Golden Era of musical film. ...

Critical response

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" received a generally positive response from music critics. All Music Guide wrote that the song is "a vocal triumph" and a "pinnacle of its style".^[1] Janis Schacht of Circus decribes it as "delicate and beautiful". ^[2] Rolling Stone comments that the song "harnesse(s) the fantastical imagery of glam to a Gershwin-sweet melody". ^[3] The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... This article is about the music magazine. ...

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 U.K. it peaked at #6. December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Format and tracklist

The song's flip side was a song called "Young Man's Blues," which was retitled from "Screw You" to not offend conservative record buyers.

Charts

Notes

The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // History John Lennon - RS 1 (November 9, 1967)How I Won the War Film Still Founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner (who is still editor and publisher) and music critic Ralph J. Gleason, Rolling Stone was initially identified with and reported on the hippie counterculture of the... This article is about the music magazine. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" lyrics