| "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" | |
|---|---|
| Song byElton John | |
| from the albumHonky Château | |
| Released | 1972 (1972) |
| Recorded | January 1972 |
| Genre | Soft rock |
| Length | 5:00 |
| Label | Uni |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon |
"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" is a song written by English musicianElton John and songwriterBernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was released on the 1972 albumHonky 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 byBen E. King's "Spanish Harlem," written byJerry Leiber andPhil 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.
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'sJon 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]
Elton John himself called the song "one of my all-time favourites"[6] when introducing it at his 60th-birthday concert in New York'sMadison Square Garden, as he performed it more than a hundred times in concert.[7]
John also delivered a heartfelt rendition of this song atThe 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'sFire andPolice and Emergency Medical Services departments, who had been participating in the ongoing recovery efforts at the demolishedWorld Trade Center complex following the terrorist attacks of11 September 2001. John dedicated the song to the emergency workers and their families, as well as to New York City.
The song was used in the filmAlmost Famous, in a scene in New York City, highlighting the loneliness ofKate Hudson's character, who overdoses onQuaaludes and champagne.[4]
A more upbeat sequel to the song called "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" was recorded 16 years later for John's albumReg Strikes Back.
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[8] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
