Added: 4 years ago
From: 007koko007
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  • One of Taupin and Elton's masterpieces. The writing and singing emphasis is stunning. My fav Elton song of all time.

  • I was born in the mid-70’s and when I first heard Elton’s music it was mixed in with the very bubble-gummy 80’s music that was all the rave at the time. Elton sounded dated to me and I just didn’t appreciate it as a kid. It’s amazing now in my mid-30’s, just in awe of what is truly such beautiful, timeless music. Artists like this only come around every hundred years. Nothing today comes close.

  • @jdand751 Yep me born in the mid 70's too. Timeless, gorgeous and beautiful music to sing to.

  • Wonderful !!!

  • PERFECTION!!!!

  • I just heard this song on American Idol. Hes so grouchy now that you forget how great he was....

  • His music has endured and will endure forever.

  • Man oh man, Elton was good. Fantastic live player.

  • this song came on the radio today and literally changed my life forever

  • Thank you so much for posting this, really, really amazing.

  • how is it possible to make this beautiful music?

  • Just beautiful He sings and plays BETTER than the album version. How many artists can claim that? This was truly his golden period. From the Empty Sky to Captain Fantastic, just about everything was so strong.

  • such an underrated song.

  • one of my all time favorite songs of all time...i'm 20 and thank god for my mother's elton john obsession that led me to be blessed with good music and not the shit of today <3

  • I like his glasses,

  • ...and it's in 240p.

  • I was born in the mid 90's and still think this song is awesome ;)

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  • I never understood why this song isn't on his Greatest Hits album. It's always been my favorite.

  • I'd say 1969-1975 was Elton's golden age. A couple of catchy tunes after that, but very sparse. But in that golden age, I know every song and love them even more.

  • What a shirt..

  • such a dreamers way pf seeing nyc before u ger here and see what a shithole it is it's just a dream for dreamers

  • the taupin/elton stretch in the early 70's was awesome. so many great songs.

  • As good as anything I have ever heard. Such an amazing song performer! Sir Elton John!

  • youtube.com/watch?v=E5eC6RstHo­I

  • i love dee murray on every single song. r.i.p.

  • I ocaisonally sing this song, as well as skyline pidgeon, I have taught my older and younger children this music, and I still can remember how long it took me to do this lick, it wasnt easy, wow he is good and was for a kid back in those days, I thank the lord that I had the chance to be in the world and the generation to know this stuff, not everyone has, we all take it for granted, but we are blessed,

  • I think this song is about how despite the fact that all your fantasies and visions of a place (new york in this case) can be wrong, the world is still a magical place to be in its own way.

  • seriously how can anyone hit the dislike button

  • He really was one of the greatest singers of all time. The tone. The range. The expression. He is the reason I became a musician.

  • Does anyone have the tone and pitch control that he does?

  • Musical genius of our time.

  • if brothers or sisters brought you here, with that ninnyhammering pompous phrase brought to you but the sub-generation of being clueless, go buy the whole entire album, and then sit back by yourself with a nice rum and coke or something and take it all in, not some song you've never heard of from a show no one watches

  • I also would pay a million dollars for a piano if it sounded like that when I played it.

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  • -tear :''-i

  • 18 people have no soul...

  • whoa, my heart is singing! (:

  • Most songs are true to my heart.I saw him in '85f_ _kin great!

  • Because she is the only one who knows how a raven is like a writting desk,

  • Not sure what Brothers and Sisters is, but I found this song years ago with Almost Famous, one of the best movies ever, with one of the best recording artists ever.

  • @BanzaiM50 when does this play in Almost Famous. I don't remember hearing this but I do remember hearing Tiny Dancer in the scene when they were all singing to it on the tourbus after the band had just had a hugher fight.

  • @vidlvr99 I want to say while in a Taxi Cab scene, but I may be wrong, I need to go back and watch it. Its not in for long, but I remember hearing it and thinking "Elton John that I have never heard, whats this now?" and downloading it, became one of my favorites. I need to watch it again, I'll see if I can find out where its at.

  • @BanzaiM50 that's actually one of my favorite movies lol, I need to revisit it on netflix since I haven't seen it in ages. Anyway I actually first heard the song on 2007 movie called The Music Within. Ironically the movie wasn't about music but it was set in the 70s so there's a lot of music from that era in it.(America's Tin Man is on there too)Anyway I heard the song in the background but all I could remember was the lyric sons of doctors sons of lawyers.(I'll continue in my next post)

  • @BanzaiM50 Anyway since I didn't use computers much then, I never thought to just google it or something. Sometime later I bought 2 of his earlier albums and was praying for it to be on one of them;luckily 4 me it turned out to be on the Honky Chateau album(and I discovered that the lyric was sons of bankers, not doctors).now it gets heavy rotation in my phone. I also wikipediad the song and it does mention Almost Famous, in a scene when Penny was in NYC.

  • Nothing like early Elton John. The early 70's were a great time for music - the singer/songwriters can't be touched. Their music was melodic and meaningful.

  • Listen and appreciate the genius that is Elton. I had the privilege to grow up in the 70's and enjoy the best of the best!

  • Search for talent brought me here. Pure, god-given talent!

  • Incredible, just fucking unbelieable, even back then, he was so good, if most of you have grown up through the 60;s and 70's Bullshit, you will know that this is pure and good music that cant ever be copied or changed, he was, and is still, a genious..

  • @leafsfourever well he would be a real genius if he wrote his lyrics, but still Elton is amazing

  • @leafsfourever Whats mind bending is the fact that He was'nt EVER planning to sing any of the songs he had written,in a interview he once stated "I did'nt really think I could actually sing all that well,nevermind think millions of others would like it " I dont believe in coincidence,everything happened in his life to make sure he was heard regaurdless whether he wanted to or not,it was predetermined fate making sure all the ducks were in a row.

  • @leafsfourever

    Absolutely.  The best

  • I always tried to grasp the true meaning of this song. Was this based on actual experiences in Elton John's life?

  • @MrCowboyJesus base on Bernie's life he wrote most of the lyrics

  • Love love love Elton John!! He is a musical genius!!

  • My soul brought me here!

  • This song took on so much meaning for me when I moved from SmallTown USA to New York City. Almost from the day, I met people who I thanked the Lord for because some in obvious ways and others in subtle ways saved my life. So God bless you Abby, Dr. Rube, Dan, Joe, Marcus, Vickie-Lee, and so many others...

  • i'm straight ( not that it should matter ), but this guy is one of the very few who can bring a tear to my jaded eyes.

  • Famous "trantrums"? Meaning tantrums? I've never heard of any.

  • @theluckyfr0g He's had many feuds with other celebs and his husband even put out a TV special in the nineties about his high maintenance behavior. I was surprised, to say the least :)

  • Thanks . I was searchin' for a 70's version of this song for a long time

  • EVERYTHING Elton touched between 1969-73 he sprinkled with life and joy and froze in time, - present and future human generations should be thankful!

  • @Nuetful that is the best synopsis of Elton John's music I ever heard!

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  • One of the best songs ever!

  • there must be a more beautiful song out there...i just haven't heard it yet

  • I fell in love with Elton John's music in the 5th grade. He got me into music in general and led me down a path of beauty I never expected. Listening to him as an adult, that path is no longer one of beauty; it one of the gods.

  • So wonderful to see vintage pieces like this. I was hooked by '73. NYC - best concert crowd in the world!

  • f I Knew the Tune I Might Join In ,........... I Grown My Own, My Seeds Shall Be Sewn in New York Citayyyyyyy! I bet its some sweet Diesel. Ain't that write Elton. I do thank the Lord for the people I have found.  Spanish Harlem.. It is pretty. A pretty Word

  • I just briefly read a few other comments. It's good to know I don't obsess about outrageous talent like Elton John and Bernie Taupin by myself. I feel better knowing I'm in the good company of so many other people of our generation(s). Grateful we were able to witness this... (Sting, Elton/Bernie, D. Matthews, Dylan, Taylor... wow)

  • "In New York Citaaayyy"

  • he is a genius, and I think one of the best ever, but let's give Mr Taupin his due as lyricist.....as "solo" artist, I would put him near top along with Bob Dylan and James Taylor...presley was great performer with unbelievable pipes, but he didn't write nor play music.

  • How can a human being write and sing a song so divine as this?

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  • definitely love, thanx to brothers and sisters ^-^

  • I can't get this song out of my head, nor do I want it ever to leave.

  • that's some kind of talent man,  sweet

  • What a voice. This live version sounds as good in terms of his vocals as the album version. No such thing as autotune back then, either.

  • fantastic song, timeless

  • this song was on the movie "Almost Famous". I first heard it there.

  • you know a song is legendary when you get lost in it.......one of the longest 4:33 of my life....

  • And I know the rose trees never grow in NY city.

  • Thank you for the lyrics Mr. Berny Taupin.

  • I loved this sond the first time I heard it; it's one of my favorite songs of all time.

    I thank the Lord for the people I have found...

  • mmmm Simply awesome! Was looking for this for a long time !

  • I don't know what I would do with no Elton John.

  • Musical bliss

  • This song is so beautiful! And he was so cute! <3

  • thank you "life on mars" for introducing me to this song

  • This is complex and a masterpiece!

  • Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters has been overlooked on all of Elton John's Greatest Hits compilations. I can't believe that. The 1970-2002 collection I thought for sure would finally include it but it didn't. This is actually one of his songs that deserves a bit more credit. One of his most beautiful and definitely one of his best. Thanks Elton and Thank You Bernie. Masterpiece.

  • Thank you Sir Elton and Bernie Taupin for the beautiful soundtrack of my life. Timeless treasures, what an amazing gift to so many.

  • I also came here after watching brothers and sisters

  • Music like this is gone for ever. Record companies simply won't allow such open mindedness!

  • @morrismagic08 You can thank MTV and people like Simon Cowl for ruining music.

  • 18 people know not if it's dark outside or light.

  • hi, blessings to all, Andy

  • A cry against industrialization and the emptiness of fame, really.. ; )

  • I've thanked the Lord for people like you, Reggie...for all the great music over all these years, that I've enjoyed over and over...a mere thanks isn't enough

  • Sorry golfsmoore, there is no short-list of Elton's best...quite a long list actually..which one's the best? Depends on what kind of mood you're in..

  • I saw him in San Francisco in 73. Best concert I have ever been to. Period.

  • i guess there's a more beautiful song out there...i just haven't heard it

  • on the short-list of one of EJ's best ... thx for posting.

  • This is one of my favorite songs! It is so underrated. Anyway, if you like Elton, you might want to check a kind Elton-esque song I wrote on my channel called "The Stage". I'm more of a guitarist than a keyboardist, but it was fun and I hope some of you can check it out!

  • Love this song!

    It's one of my favorite.

    Thank you so much!

  • Bob Dylan is a soulful song writter but nothing compares with the variety and lyricism of Elton John and Bernie Taupin...

    Even if his flamboyant lifestyle and famous trantrums put off many over the years, Elton John has been genuine to the world, both human and a great talent. No pretension.

  • @musictomyears8 Amen.

  • @musictomyears8 Absolute truth!!!!!

  • @musictomyears8 ... damn right. no way to *not* acknowledge their genius. love bernie's show on xm...

  • @musictomyears8 , I like Elton's music--the lyrics, the expression, the instruments. I'm not sure we can compare him to Dylan or vice versa. Dylan was never 'pop' in the same way, and he was the heart of a different era. I think we can say that Elton is a better singer, but more people have covered Dylan's songs.

    They're both supreme musicians.

  • @musictomyears8 yeah yeah let's make em compete.

    I'm sure elton would beat dylan in a boxing ring as well.

  • That song is nothing short of amazing. Wow.

  • i thank the lord for the people i have found :)

    such a beautiful masterpiece!

  • i think i saw someone on here say that this was Bob Dylan's song...um no. ALL Bernie Taupin and Elton John.

  • 17 people know not if it's dark outside or light.

  • @iw32 This is my absolute favorite of his. I think his soul as a singer really comes through and breaks free from some of his more commercial work. I don't care if most of his work was a collaborative effort. Elton is pure magic. A true genius of our time.

  • @sdalt001 I agree.This song may not be as well known as Elton's biggest hits but it is one of his most personal and moving songs.I think Elton was at his best during the early 1970s but he's always maintained his creativity and originality throughout his career.

  • why do people even come to these videos....just to talk shit i mean seriously they were probably abused as a child and cant help the way they are

  • LOL, Me too.. Love this song and just heard it on Brothers and Sisters... Going to post it on FB.

  • @JimKDaly hahah I did the same thing! Never heard it before, thank god I did. It's so beautiful :D

  • Brothers and Sisters brought me here!

  • @mariahjeanclark mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooo

  • @mariahjeanclark

    ME TOO!!!

    

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  • @mariahjeanclark

    Me too!

  • @mariahjeanclark Same here! Beautiful song..

  • @mariahjeanclark yeah it's true.

    elton was quite the composer of religious hymns disguised as pop songs.

    Halleluyah!

  • @billyboy7465 yup its called an anthem and he is good at it for sure, I love it!

  • @billyboy7465 You are SOO right BB. This is pure Anglican gospel music. C of E. McCartney's 'Let it Be", Winwoods ' Living In A State of Grace' and Billy Preston's 'Thats The Way God Planned It'.

  • Goosebumps!

  • This song will never get old. <3

  • One word: incredible.

  • @moose0drool If you had read back through the comments there was quite a bit of discussion about it. And i am quite entitled to say what i want about anything i want, that bizarrely enough is what opinion is. If you don't agree that is your prerogative

  • @skellionz pretty darn eloquent 

  • Awesome, and it is too bad artists are not smart enough to write real lyrics anymore:(

  • Bob Dylan should have stuck to writing music for someone who could do it justice, I'm sorry but the guy couldnt sing. And for anyone to try to justify this by saying it's emotion or character are just plain stupid.

  • @skellionz I don't know what this has to do with Elton John.... but who are you to say Dylan shouldn't have performed his own music? If you don't like him, listen to one of the 100s of covers people have done of his music. Covers that wouldn't exist if he hadn't written and sung them.

  • Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. SONS of bankers, SONS of lawyers. It took me years to realize what this song was about. Thank you, Sir Elton.

  • omg this is MY song..!! whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaa man!!!!

  • great song.... Indigo Girls have a cool cover! Don't know about including Don McLean in the same sentence as Bob Dylan however... (McLean is good, but Dylan is like Jordan... you just can't draw comparisons)

  • There's no doubt that Elton John is the greatest musical genius, outside of classical music, in history. But it is the combination of Bernie Taupin's lyrics and Elton's music that makes a magical combination.

    I've always liked this song, and when they put it in the movie "Almost Famous" I remembered how perfectly the song fit the times, and how authentically "American" the song sounds. That's another perplexing facet of Elton's music: he excels at capturing the spirit of Americana.

  • There's no doubt that Elton John is the greatest musical genius, outside of classical music, in history. But it is the combination of Bernie Taupin's lyrics and Elton's music that makes a magical combination.

    I've always liked this song, and when they put it in the movie "Almost Famous" I remembered how perfectly the song fit the times, and how authentically "American" the song sounds. That's another perplexing facet of Elton's music: he excels at capturing the spirit of Americana.

  • What is this song about? I wanna know people's take on it :) What is it about?

  • What a true song to all the overpaid, underworked, and un-caring executives in NYC and every major city in the USA. They will and cannot ever see what Humanity is really about....like caring for your brother/sister in times of need. Go, Sir Ellton.

  • @Letsgojettin um I don't think you understand this song at all. Agree with the sentiment but the song isn't really about that at all.

  • @ncjuppiter YEAH, WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? haha

    probably didn't take the time to listen, other than "NYC"

    just taking advantage of a popular/timeless song to change the meaning and complain more about the fat ass u.s.

  • Pure genius.

  • F@cking Awesome

  • 16 people know not if that said thumbs down or like. ;)

  • @ampedup455 I see what you did there :)

  • @SethHesio Haha, I try. :)

  • Eminem's lyrics are top shelf.

  • seriously think the Dylan hate is totally misplaced, but Mona Lisas is far and away the hidden gem of the Elton/Taupin catalog.

  • people are just saying that because they never really listened to his music, but knew him because he is a household name, now they see him perform and sadly his voice has suffered the time gone by, and they dont even listen to the lyrics or understand what it meant at the time he wrote it, they just criticize

  • @riquelmeruta11 Bob Dylan's singing voice was always gritty and 'bleh'. To be honest, his music stripped of all the lyrics wasn't that special either. But if one is going to judge an American folk music legend by the way his voice sounds, or the musical complexity of his works, he's clearly missed the point. What matters is lyrics Dylan wrote, pure poetry and profound messages for his generation.

    Anyway, I'm off topic here, this song is one of my personal favorite John/Taupin creations.

  • dylan is not overrated, knocking on heavens door, blowing in the wind. nuff said

  • @riquelmeruta11 Agreed. Dylan will never be overrated. Frankly, Buckets Of Rain is the greatest song ever.

  • I thank the Lord there are ppl out there like YOU!

    

  • LOVE.....

  • fuck bob dylan

  • @mikkalthered If you fucked Bob Dylan that would be the best thing to ever happen to you.

  • most beautiful song i've heard in a while

  • 15 people dont know what good music is!

  • @MeatloafTribute1 Make that 16!

  • @MoveOnDotOrgg you mean like you?

  • @GeneralFrenzy: truth hurts, Dylan is a joke - always has been except everyone was on drugs back then and didn't notice, lol. ps - the comments you post are so thoughtful and meaningful, lol.

  • @GeneralFrenzy touchette!

  • @MoveOnDotOrgg Wtf is Bob Dylan? Most overrated 60s/70s artist.

  • @hotfudgemoney at least he's rated. 

  • @MoveOnDotOrgg really??

  • elton is just as good live.

    beautiful song

  • truly beautiful!

  • Great music is great music. No other factors come into play.

  • lol, internet...

    love the song, wish i could sing like that.

  • I love Elton John... So much <3

  • The fact that any of you are phased by EJ being gay, even if you like him, shows how homophobic you are. None of these people who dislike EJ for his sexual orientation would even be commenting if you EJ lovers would stop playing into their trap. Try to be smart like EJ's music. 

  • This was the first album i ever bought, his music was just so different than the rest of radio, so imaginative. Kudos to my parents, who in the 70's midwest let their son listen to a "flamboyant" man sing rock and roll. And in these days we just have Justin Beiber....sigh.....

  • Sounds just like the studio cut...