Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"
Song by Elton John
from the album Honky Château
Released	1972 (1972)
Recorded	January 1972
Genre	Soft rock
Length	5:00
Label	Uni
Songwriter(s)	Elton John Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)	Gus Dudgeon

"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was released on the 1972 album Honky Château. The lyrics conveyed Taupin's take on New York City after hearing a gun go off near his hotel window during his first visit to the city.^[1] The song's lyrics were partly inspired by Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem," written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector, in which he sings "There is a rose in Spanish Harlem."^[2]^[3]

The song was also released as the B-side of the "Harmony" UK single in 1980.

Personnel

Elton John – vocals, acoustic piano
Davey Johnstone – electric, acoustic and slide guitars, mandolin
Dee Murray – bass guitar

Reception

Allmusic critic Stewart Mason retrospectively noted that the song is "less saccharine than many similar Elton John and Bernie Taupin ballads" and praised the "somewhat uncharacteristic emotional directness" of its lyrics.^[4]

Rolling Stone magazine's Jon Landau praised the song when it was released, writing:

"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" shows how much John can really do in the space of a single cut. Using minimal instrumentation and singing one of Taupin's most direct lyrics, John effortlessly reveals the myth beneath the myth of "... a rose in Spanish Harlem." He expresses his involvement with the city, his need for its people, and his final desire to be alone through one of his best tunes, simplest arrangements, and most natural vocal performances.^[5]

Performances

Elton John himself called the song "one of my all-time favourites"^[6] when introducing it at his 60th-birthday concert in New York's Madison Square Garden, as he performed it more than a hundred times in concert.^[7]

John also delivered a heartfelt rendition of this song at The Concert for New York City at Madison Square Garden on 20 October 2001. The concert was meant primarily as a tribute for family members and fellow workers of New York's Fire and Police and Emergency Medical Services departments, who had been participating in the ongoing recovery efforts at the demolished World Trade Center complex following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. John dedicated the song to the emergency workers and their families, as well as to New York City.

In popular culture

The song was used in the film Almost Famous, in a scene in New York City, highlighting the loneliness of Kate Hudson's character, who overdoses on Quaaludes and champagne.^[4]

Sequel

A more upbeat sequel to the song called "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" was recorded 16 years later for John's album Reg Strikes Back.

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[8]	Gold	500,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Lyrics for Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters by Elton John".
^ "Ben E. King – Spanish Harlem Lyrics". Metrolyrics.com. 26 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
^ "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters by Elton John Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
^ ^a ^b Mason, S. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
^ Landau, Jon (17 August 1972). "Honky Château". Rolling Stone.^{[dead link‍]}
^ Chinen, Nate (27 March 2007). "Elton John Celebrates 60, Lavishly, in His Garden". The New York Times.
^ "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters by Elton John Song Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "American single certifications – Elton John – Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 December 2024.

External links

Lyrics

v t e Elton John songs
Discography
1960s	"I've Been Loving You" (1968) "Skyline Pigeon" (1968) "Lady Samantha" (1969) "It's Me That You Need" (1969)
1970s	"Border Song" (1970) "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) "Your Song" (1970) "Come Down in Time" (1970) "Friends" (1971) "Levon" (1971) "Indian Sunset" (1971) "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Rocket Man" (1972) "Honky Cat" (1972) "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" (1972) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972) "Crocodile Rock" (1972) "Elderberry Wine" (1972) "Daniel" (1972) "Have Mercy on the Criminal" (1972) "Teacher I Need You" (1973) "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (1973) "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Step into Christmas" (1973) "Candle in the Wind" (1974) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Harmony" (1974) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974) "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975) "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975) "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" (1975) "Island Girl" (1975) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Pinball Wizard" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976) "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977) "Crazy Water" (1977) "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977) "Ego" (1978) "Part-Time Love" (1978) "Song for Guy" (1978) "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979) "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)
1980s	"Little Jeannie" (1980) "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980) "Dear God" (1980) "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981) "Nobody Wins" (1981) "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1981) "Blue Eyes" (1982) "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982) "Ball and Chain" (1982) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982) "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983) "I'm Still Standing" (1983) "Kiss the Bride" (1983) "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984) "Passengers" (1984) "Who Wears These Shoes? (1984) "Nikita" (1985) "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) "Wrap Her Up" (1985) "Heartache All Over the World" (1986) "Slow Rivers" (1986) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988) "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" (1988) "Town of Plenty" (1988) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988) "Through the Storm" (1989) "Healing Hands" (1989) "Sacrifice" (1989)
1990s	"Club at the End of the Street" (1990) "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991) "The One" (1992) "Runaway Train" (1992) "The Last Song" (1992) "Simple Life" (1993) "True Love" (1993) "Shakey Ground" (1994) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) "Circle of Life" (1994) "Believe" (1995) "Made in England" (1995) "When the Money's Gone" (1995) "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996) "Live Like Horses" (1996) "The Madness of King Scar" (1997) "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997) "Written in the Stars" (1999)
2000s	"Someday Out of the Blue" (2000) "I Want Love" (2001) "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) "Original Sin" (2002) "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) "Ghetto Gospel" (2005) "Electricity" (2005) "The Bridge" (2006) "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008) "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)
2010s	"All of the Lights" (2010) "Good Morning to the Night" (2012) "Sad" (2012) "Looking Up" (2015) "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" (2019)
2020s	"Ordinary Man" (2020) "Sine from Above" (2020) "The Pink Phantom" (2020) "It's a Sin" (2021) "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)" (2021) "Merry Christmas" (2021) "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" (2021) "Hold Me Closer" (2022)
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Category:Elton John

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