Tiny Dancer
Bernie Taupin/Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour nine cM
cnd I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much
I miss my blue jean baby
It's lonely out in Lc, lady
On such a timeless flight
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you
Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today
cnd you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
cnd I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
The song "Tiny Dancer" by Bernie Taupin and Elton John is a beautiful and poignant tribute to a special person. Taupin pulls out all the stops to paint a vivid picture of the blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band, whom he has seen dancing in the sand. There's a sense of wistfulness and nostalgia that pervades the lyrics, as one can sense Taupin's deep admiration and respect for this tiny dancer.
In the first verse, Taupin creates a striking image of the woman who will one day become a tiny dancer in his hand. Her pirate smile and pretty eyes draw people to her, and her love for the music and those who make it will make her an ideal mate for a music man. There's a deep sense of admiration here for someone who is perhaps not famous, but who is deeply connected to the world of music.
The song then moves on to describe some of the people that the tiny dancer encounters, giving us glimpses into her life. Throughout the song, there is a sense of longing, of wanting to be close to this special person. Taupin's lyrics reveal his deep emotional bond with her, as he sings in the chorus, "Hold me closer tiny dancer, count the headlights on the highway, lay me down in sheets of linen, you had a busy day today." The song is a tribute to the power of music to bring us together, to connect us across the distance and time, and to help us remember those who have touched our lives in profound ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
A woman who wears blue jeans, lives in Los Angeles, and is responsible for sewing clothes for the band.
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
She has pretty eyes and a mischievous smile, and she'll likely marry a musician.
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
The woman is a ballerina and someone has seen her dancing in the sand.
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
The singer has an emotional connection with the ballerina and feels like he holds her in his hand at all times.
Jesus freaks out in the street
Religious fanatics act out in public.
Handing tickets out for God
An aggressive attempt to spread religious beliefs and gain followers by handing out tickets to religious events.
Turning back she just laughs
The ballerina sees the commotion but finds it all rather amusing.
The boulevard is not that bad
The ballerina doesn't find the chaos on the street to be all that terrible.
Piano man he makes his stand
A man stands strong on his talent for playing the piano.
In the auditorium
The setting for the piano man's performance.
Looking on she sings the songs
The ballerina is watching and singing along to the piano man's songs.
The words she knows, the tune she hums
She knows the lyrics and melody of the piano man's songs and hums along to them.
But oh how it feels so real
The emotions the singer feels towards the ballerina are intense and genuine.
Lying here with no one near
The singer is alone but deeply connected to the ballerina in his thoughts.
Only you and you can hear me
The singer is speaking to the ballerina and it's just the two of them in his mind.
When I say softly, slowly
The singer is speaking in a hushed tone and slowly conveying his thoughts and feelings.
Hold me closer tiny dancer
The singer desires physical closeness with the ballerina.
Count the headlights on the highway
A way to pass the time while driving and getting lost in thought.
Lay me down in sheets of linen
The singer wants to be comfortable and rest in soft linens.
You had a busy day today
The singer is acknowledging that the ballerina likely had a busy day.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Meanstreet
The look on her face while hearing her song for the first time. INCREDIBLE!
Long Lasting Songs by Eli Orr
Indeed. Great momements
Aubin de MONTFALCON
Precious, ultra precious video, that MUST be kept eternally. Here we truly see Elton and Bernie's work at the core !
Long Lasting Songs by Eli Orr
Indeed! 😍 I was looking for this for years! 💓
rxcatsone
Thrilled to find this video! I have a personal connection to Maxine Feibelman. She was the niece of my biological grandmother. My mom was adopted as a baby and was just able to find out who her birth parents were a couple of years ago (at 80 years old!). Maxine was kind enough to send me photos of my grandmother as well as her personal childhood remembrances of her when visiting family in Vicksburg, MS. At the time of our initial communication, I had no idea "who" she was. She signed her name as Maxine Taupin.
Long Lasting Songs by Eli Orr
That is fantastic to know ! I was searching such material for years.
Eric Widder
God damn how special it feels just to watch an old video of that. Imagine hearing it on the radio for the first time, imagine seeing live for the first time, imagine being the tiny dancer that inspired him to write it, imagine being Sir Elton John.... imagine being that piano.
Long Lasting Songs by Eli Orr
I was very happy as I look for that several weeks !
geena_g33
Lol but you forgot Bernie!!! Hes an amazing lyricist
RevaniteN7
Nothing hits quite like that chorus. The chills!