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| "Passengers" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byElton John | ||||
| from the albumBreaking Hearts | ||||
| B-side | "Lonely Boy" | |||
| Released | 3 August 1984[1] | |||
| Recorded | December 1983 | |||
| Genre | worldbeat | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Rocket (UK) | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Passengers" onYouTube | ||||
Passengers is a 1984 song recorded by British musicianElton John from his 1984 albumBreaking Hearts, released as its second single. The song reached number five on theUK singles chart and reached the top ten in Australia, but was not released as a single in the US.
The song was included on the 1986 Amnesty International compilation 'Conspiracy Of Hope'[2] and Elton John's 1990 greatest hits compilationThe Very Best of Elton John, but has not been included on any compilation since.
"Passengers" was composed by John,Bernie Taupin andDavey Johnstone. The music for the song was largely based on a South African folk tune called 'Isonto Lezayoni', which was recorded in 1963 by Phineas Mkhize. The whistle riff and chorus melody are borrowed from this piece, and Mkhize is given a songwriting credit for the song on this basis. It has been suggested that Taupin's lyric has an anti-apartheid message behind it.[3][4]
John performed the song live during his 1985 tour of the UK, with a slightly re-arranged version of the track, making use of the brass section he used for the tour. The song has seemingly been discarded by John, having not been played live since then, as of 2019.[5]
The music video, directed by Simon Milne, was filmed inSt. Tropez, France. The video featured a cameo appearance byBernie Taupin. As was the case for many of the songs in this time period, John appears without his trademark glasses, and does not play piano.
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 9 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 9 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 38 |
| Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)[9] | 27 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 5 |
| Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[11] | 10 |
| Chart (1984) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 97 |
