46 years ago, Elton John released Madman Across the Water whose opening track, "Tiny Dancer" would go on to enrich karaoke bars, Kate Hudson movies, and everyone's parents.
Monday, Rocketman fans new and old finally received an official video for "Tiny Dancer" by Max Weiland featuring Off-Ramp's benevolent muse: the city of Los Angeles. This video is one of three creative reimaginings of Elton's three greatest hits, which premiered at Cannes last week. Videos for both "Bennie and the Jets" and "Rocketman" are also available.
But filming "Tiny Dancer" throughout LA makes a lot of sense when you think about the inspiration for the song's lyrics. Elton's long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin originally wrote the song for his then-girlfriend, turned- first wife Maxine Feibelman the actual "seamstress for the band" after a trip to California with her in 1970.
I guess I was trying to capture the spirit of that time, encapsulated by the women we met, especially at the clothes stores and restaurants and bars all up and down the Sunset Strip. They were these free spirits, sexy, all hip-huggers and lacy blouses, very ethereal the way they moved.
The video follows 12 different people in Los Angeles from behind the wheels of their cars or skateboards. We see a young woman riding along Palm Tree-lined streets, while a girl in a Volvo drives past with an urn strapped into the passenger seat, she passes a gas station with a dancing Marilyn Monroe impersonator, then flashes to a man buying alcohol at the Circus Liquor, as a woman clutches a 10-year sobriety token outside, then we see young girls in colorful quinceañera gowns riding in a limo by Mariachi Plaza.
Each of these vignettes helps weave together a story about the people of Los Angeles, both happy and sad, dancing or struggling, that the melody and lyrics of "Tiny Dancer" lend themselves to. It is a journey song and this video complements the narrative perfectly, even 46 years later.
Oh and Marilyn Manson kisses a snake in it. So there's that too.
Watch the video, and let us know what you think.