ELTON JOHN – Original Sin

“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.”

Oh, it’s carnival night And they’re stringing the lights around you Hanging paper angels Painting little devils on the roof Oh the furnace wind Is a flickering of wings about your face In a cloud of incense Yea, it smells like Heaven in this place I can’t eat, can’t sleep Still I hunger for you when you look at me That face, those eyes All the sinful pleasures deep inside Tell me how, you know now, the ways and means of getting in Underneath my skin, Oh you were always my original sin And tell me why, I shudder inside, every time we begin This dangerous game Oh you were always my original sin A dream will fly The moment that you open up your eyes A dream is just a riddle Ghosts from every corner of your life Up in the balcony All the Romeo’s are bleeding for your hand Blowing theater kisses Reciting lines they don’t understand