Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John (1973) 8/8/22

Elton John fans are -- at the very least -- aware that Bernie Taupin wrote many of Elton's "Great Songs." Some consider Bernie to be Elton's personal songwriter, crafting songs about Elton's life and career.

And they're not wrong. But not every song he wrote was about Elton--including one of his biggest hits: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." The title obviously comes from "The Wizard of Oz." In the film, Dorothy and her friends follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City hoping the Wizard will solve their problems...but after everything is said and done, they realize they had what they were looking for all along. In Dorothy's case, she discovers how much she cherishes her much simpler life back in Kansas. In Bernie's view, the lesson not only applies to Dorothy...but actress Judy Garland as well. It's fairly well known that the abuses Judy suffered off camera during filming were the genesis of her long, slow slide into addiction and an early death. The metaphor is certainly thought provoking. But on top of the actual "Wizard of Oz" metaphor, the lyrics apply to Bernie himself. While Elton's lifestyle was full of glitz and glamour, Bernie preferred to keep things simple. And although he became famous in his own right, Bernie wished there was some sort of middle ground between extravagance--and anonymity. When "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was released as a single (from the album of the same name) in1973, it reached the Top 10 in 9 countries. In the US, it peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 and #7 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. In Canada, it topped both matching charts. Many musicologists consider it Elton's best song, and with so many songs to choose from, that says a lot! "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John (and Bernie Taupin)" a "Great Song of 1973!"