The Story Behind "Tiny Dancer"

"Tiny Dancer" was Bernie's love song to Maxine, "The ballerina", his wife. They married in 1971 and Elton was the best man.

But the song don't tell only his love for Maxine but her work with the band being "the seamstress",and enjoyed them like any other audience member "she sings the songs, the word she knows, the tune she hums".

For Elton, "Tiny dancer" became his first signifricant use of the falsetto voice, very popular in him.

Though being a minor hit, partly because of its six minute running time, the concert has become a concert standard.

The song became very popular in 2000, because Cameron Crowe added a beatiful scene with the song in his succesful "Almost Famous" film.



The song were covered by many artists like Lani Hall (1972), Benny and the jets (1975), Boko Suzuki (1998), Brian Withycombe (1998), Red Hot Chili Peppers (1998), David Osborne (2001), Ben Folds (2002), Ryan Adams (2002), Tim Mc Graw (2002), Bill Lefler (2003), Erin Alden (2003), Norah Jones (2003), Sharleen Spiteri (2003), Smokey Robinson (2005), Elton John & James Blunt (2007), and Howard Jones (2007).

Tiny Dancer's Lyrics:
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Bernie Taupin

"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't 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

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"