"Original Sin"
Single by Elton John
from the album Songs from the West Coast
Released1 April 2002
GenreRock / Pop
Length4:49
LabelRocket, 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.

"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

Year Nominee / work Award Result
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

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.
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