Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song)

The song was released in 1973 as the album's second single and entered the Top Ten in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It was one of John's biggest hits, and surpassed the previous single, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", in sales and popularity quickly following its release. In the US, it was certified Gold on 4 January 1974 and Platinum on 13 September 1995 and 2x Platinum on 2 March 2020 by the RIAA.[2]

The Yellow Brick Road is an image taken from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the book, Dorothy and her three misfit friends are instructed to follow the yellow brick road in search of the Wizard of Oz, only to find that they had what they were looking for all along. The road leads to the Emerald City in the land of Oz, often referred to as a metaphor for the road that leads to life's fantasies or answers. The lyrics describe wanting to go back to a simpler existence after living what the narrator thought was a good life but realizing he has simply been treated like a pet by his rich socialite lover.

The Wizard of Oz was reportedly the first film that Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin had ever seen, and he used the imagery in the lyrics relating to his own life as his desire to "get back to [his] roots."

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" received generally positive response from music critics. Janis Schacht of Circus describes it as "delicate and beautiful".[3] Allmusic writes that the song is "a vocal triumph" and a "pinnacle of its style".[1] In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it No. 380 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[4]

In Canada, the single reached No. 1 on the RPM 100 national singles chart on 22 December 1973 and held the position for one week,[5] making it John's third No. 1 in the year 1973 in that country (following "Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel"). On the US Hot 100, it went to No. 2, behind both "Top of the World" by The Carpenters and "The Most Beautiful Girl" by Charlie Rich.[6] On the US Easy Listening chart, it rose to No. 7 and spent 18 weeks on the charts.[7] In Ireland, it reached No. 4; in the UK it peaked at No. 6.[8]

The song's flip side is a song called "Screw You", though the US release re-titled the song "Young Man's Blues" so as not to offend American record buyers.

John's One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live at Madison Square Garden had this song done as a duet with Billy Joel.

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is still regularly included in John's live performances, although he has transposed the key of the song down from F major to E-flat major since 1997, due to no longer being able to sing its high falsetto chorus.[9]

John named his farewell tour after the song, naming it Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.[10]

• Elton John – piano, vocals
• Davey Johnstone – Leslie electric guitar, backing vocals
• Dee Murray – bass, backing vocals
• Nigel Olsson – drums, backing vocals
• Del Newman – orchestral arrangement

The song is featured in Stephen King's 1981 novel Roadwork.

The song was performed by Camile Velasco on the third season of American Idol for the Elton John theme night; she was eliminated after her performance.

The band Keane (with Faultline) covered the song for the Help: A Day in the Life compilation around 2005.

Australian artist Sarah Blasko recorded an acoustic version of the song, which can be found on Triple J's 2006 Like a Version (vol. #2).

Rapper RZA stated that he listened to the song "at least ten times a day" while making the film The Man with the Iron Fists.[26]

On rapper Raekwon's 2009 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, RZA, a close friend of John's, sampled the song on the track "Kiss the Ring". John has allowed few other instances of sampling of his music.

On 13 November 2010, Matt Cardle sang "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" on Elton John night of Series 7 of The X Factor in the UK.

There is a Dream Theater version of this song, yet it has not been officially released.[27]

Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter released a cover version of the song.

Sara Bareilles often covers the song live and released a piano & solo voice, the down-tempo version on Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse as the concert-ending track.

The song was featured in David O. Russell's film American Hustle and the film's soundtrack. It also features in the 1990s British television series "Our Friends in the North" and Thomas Vinterberg's 2016 film "The Commune". Additionally, it is featured in Lars Von Trier's film "Breaking the Waves".

The song was used in a wordless montage sequence in the fifth season finale of The Americans.[28]

Progressive rock band Transatlantic covered this song on their 2014 album Kaleidoscope, on disc 2 of the special edition.

An instrumental version of the song as featured on an episode of Japanese variety show AKBingo!, during comments about "heart-warming" story from Ali Takajo's grandfather.

Country singer Hunter Hayes covered the song for the 40th Anniversary deluxe edition of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.[29]

In July 2008, Ben & Jerry's created a limited-batch ice cream flavor, Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road, in honor of an Elton John performance in Vermont. Sales proceeds were donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.[30]

The virtuoso guitarist Paul Gilbert's 2014 album Stone Pushing Uphill Man features an instrumental cover of the song.[31]

Rock band Queens of the Stone Age covered the song for the 2018 tribute album Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.[32]

The song was performed in the 2019 Elton John biopic Rocketman, where it's done as a duet between Taron Egerton, who plays John, and Jamie Bell, who plays Taupin. Specifically, it provides the dialogue as Taupin, at the end of his patience with his collaborator's out of control life, departs in anger to pursue his writing alone. Later, Elton sings the same song himself when he realizes he must change his overindulgent life before it kills him. However, the order of the lyrics in the verses are changed to help with the narrative of the scene.

Angelina Jordan, the 14-year-old singing prodigy, did a rendition of this song on America's Got Talent: The Champions finale.[33]