Original Sin (Elton John song)

Last updated

"Original Sin"
OriginalSinEJ.jpg
Single by Elton John
from the album Songs from the West Coast
Released1 April 2002
Genre Rock / Pop
Length4:49
Label Rocket, Mercury, Universal
Songwriter(s) Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer(s) Patrick Leonard
Elton John singles chronology
"This Train Don't Stop There Anymore"
(2002)
"Original Sin"
(2002)
"Your Song"
(2002)
Music video
"Original Sin" on YouTube

"Original Sin" is a 2001 song performed by English musician Elton John from his 26th studio album, Songs from the West Coast . The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and is the final single of the album.

Contents

"Original Sin" is a slow song with a sweet and melancholy melody focused on Elton's piano playing and featuring Rusty Anderson on guitars and producer Patrick Leonard on keyboards. The orchestral arrangement is by Paul Buckmaster.

The song is believed to have been written about the failed marriage between John and his ex-wife Renate Blauel (The second song about their marriage after "Blue Avenue" on his 1989 album Sleeping with the Past ). The singer implies the relationship as an original sin because even though he loved his wife very much, he wasn't being true to himself and his attractions. [1] As John stated on his marriage to Blauel, "She was the classiest woman I’ve ever met, but it wasn’t meant to be. I was living a lie." [2]

Chart performance

Released in 2002 (on a promo-only basis in the United States), the single had limited commercial success; it reached #39 in the UK and #18 in the US adult contemporary music chart.

Performances

John performed "Original Sin" on various locations, [3] and he stated in a 2009 concert on Palais des Congrés, Paris, France with Ray Cooper that the song was the most requested song by his fans, asking him to perform it through letters. [4]

Music video

Directed by David LaChapelle, the music video stars Mandy Moore and Elizabeth Taylor. The storyline of the video talks about a lonely girl who daydreams about seeing Elton John in concert during the 1970's where she meets an array of celebrities from that era. [5]

Track listing

CD Single (UK, including the video for This Train Don't Stop There Anymore)
  1. "Original Sin" – 4:49
  2. "I'm Still Standing" (live) – 3:20
  3. "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (live) – 4:24
CD Single (UK, including the video for This Train Don't Stop There Anymore)
  1. "Original Sin" – 4:49
  2. "Original Sin" (live) – 4:54
  3. "All the Girls Love Alice" (live) – 4:55
Maxi single 12" (USA)
  1. "Original Sin" (Junior's Earth Mix) – 10:35
  2. "Original Sin" (Junior's Earthbeats) – 5:28
  3. "Original Sin" (Junior's Earthdub) – 6:45
  4. "Original Sin" (Junior's Earthstrumental) – 10:35

Awards

Grammy Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2003 "Original Sin" Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male [6] Nominated

Charts

Chart performance for "Original Sin"
Chart (2002)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [7] 54
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 39
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [9] 18

Related Research Articles

<i>Live & Loud</i> 1993 live album by Ozzy Osbourne

Live & Loud is a live album recorded by the former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, released on 28 June 1993. At the time, it was to be Osbourne's final album following Osbourne's final tour before retiring, aptly titled "No More Tours". The track "Black Sabbath" featured the original line-up of Black Sabbath, the members of which were invited to join Ozzy as guest stars for the Costa Mesa Reunion shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Russell</span> American singer-songwriter

Leon Russell was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa Sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candle in the Wind</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Song</span> 1970 single by Elton John

"Your Song" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single.

<i>Breaking Hearts</i> 1984 studio album by Elton John

Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by English musician Elton John. It features the quartet of John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. There were four top-40 singles from the album: "Sad Songs ", "Who Wears These Shoes", "In Neon", and the UK No. 5 hit "Passengers".

<i>Songs from the West Coast</i> 2001 studio album by Elton John

Songs from the West Coast is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.

<i>Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits</i> 2000 live album by Elton John

Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits is a live album released by English musician Elton John in 2000. The album was recorded on 20 and 21 October 2000 at Madison Square Garden. An extended version was also released as a DVD, entitled One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live at Madison Square Garden. While the album is called "One Night Only," it was in fact recorded over two nights. Due to technical issues on the first night, most of the recordings were drawn from the second show. In the US, it was certified gold in July 2001 by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elton John</span> British singer, composer and pianist (born 1947)

Sir Elton Hercules John is an English singer, pianist, and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit song of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 31 albums since 1969. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, John is acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, and his lasting impact on the music industry. John's music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting</span> 1973 single by Elton John

"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a song originally recorded by English musician Elton John. John composed it with his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. It was released on John's best-selling album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and as the first single. It has been covered by many artists and featured on motion picture, video game, and television soundtracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's a Sin</span> 1987 single by Pet Shop Boys

"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's second number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks atop the chart. Additionally, the single topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, while reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written by English musician Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album, Caribou (1974), and was released as a single that peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club at the End of the Street</span> 1990 single by Elton John

"Club at the End of the Street" is an upbeat pop rock song composed by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was included on John's album Sleeping with the Past in 1989 and released as its third single in 1990. The song describes a night on the town between two lovers at a disclosed nightclub. John stated in 2013 on Rolling Stone that this song was one of his favourites. He performed this song 3 times live during the One Night Only concerts in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikita (song)</span> Original song written and composed by Elton John (music) and Bernie Taupin (words)

"Nikita" is a love song by English musician Elton John from his 19th studio album, Ice on Fire (1985). It was released as the album's lead single on 4 October 1985, charting at number three on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number seven in the United States, and reaching the top 10 worldwide, topping the charts of eight countries. The song features George Michael on backing vocals and Nik Kershaw on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Train Don't Stop There Anymore</span> 2001 single by Elton John

"This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" is the final track on Elton John's 2001 album Songs from the West Coast. Written by John and Bernie Taupin, the song's lyrics details John's fame being over and his coming to terms with getting older but still keep touring and giving great performances around the world. It was released as the second single from the album and reached No. 24 in the UK Singles chart and was a Top 10 Adult Contemporary chart hit in the US. The song was less successful in the Netherlands, reaching only at No. 83.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Eyes (Elton John song)</span> 1982 single by Elton John

"Blue Eyes" is a song performed by English musician Elton John with music and lyrics written by John and Gary Osborne. It was released in 1982, as the UK lead single from John's sixteenth studio album, Jump Up! (1982). It was released as the album's second single in the US. It hit No. 8 in the UK; in the US, it spent three weeks at No. 10 on the Cash Box chart, went to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard AC chart. John performed this song often in his concerts until 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The One (Elton John song)</span> 1992 single by Elton John

"The One" is the title track and first single released from English musician Elton John's 1992 album of the same name. On bonus footage for the DVD release of his concert Live in Barcelona, John states that he felt an intense connection to Bernie Taupin's lyrics for the song, in light of his personal circumstances around the time of making the album, in particular the line "for each man in his time is Cain until he walks along the beach".

Dream Ticket is a four-disc DVD release of Elton John, compiling three concerts and an additional bonus disc of music videos. It was released in 2004.

Songs from the West Coast Tour was a concert tour by Elton John that took place between 2001 and 2002 to promote John's latest album at that time, Songs from the West Coast.

The 2004 Tour was a concert tour by Elton John that took place in 2004 covering three continents, fourteen countries and twenty-nine cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runaway Train (Elton John and Eric Clapton song)</span> 1992 single by Elton John and Eric Clapton

"Runaway Train" is a song by English musicians Elton John and Eric Clapton. A CD, cassette and 7-inch vinyl single from Elton John's album The One was released in July 1992 and was later accompanied by a music video shot the same year. It was also used in the Lethal Weapon 3 movie soundtrack.

References

  1. SongMeanings. "Elton John – Original Sin Lyrics". SongMeanings. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  2. "Rocketman: Elton John's Forgotten 1984 Wedding to Renate Blauel". Vanity Fair. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  3. "Original Sin by Elton John (Song Statistics) | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  4. "#13 – Original Sin – Elton John & Ray Cooper – Live in Paris 2009" . Retrieved 13 January 2022 via YouTube.
  5. "Elton John: Original Sin (Music Video 2002)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  6. "Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male". rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  7. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 146.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  9. "Elton John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 August 2022.