Song · Elton John
“Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” by Elton John
From the album Honky Château (1972)
“Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” by Elton John appears on 21 radio countdowns from 9 stations between 2002 and 2026. It was first released in 1972 on the album Honky Château. Its best result is #185 on the WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #688 indie & aaa song of all time.
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"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" is the quiet, unsettled heart of Honky Château, Elton John's 1972 album, a hushed piano ballad about New York City seen through a newcomer's eyes. Bernie Taupin wrote the words after his first visit to the city, when a gunshot rang out near his hotel window, and he borrowed a little of the spirit of Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem" for them.
Elton's piano and voice carry it, Davey Johnstone's mandolin glinting around the edges and Dee Murray's bass keeping it grounded. Gus Dudgeon produced and Ken Scott engineered, and the song floats rather than struts, wistful and wary, a love letter written with one eye on the street. It resurfaced in 1980 as the B-side of the UK "Harmony" single.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
Also listed as: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters; Mona Lisas and Madhatters; Mona Lisa & Mad Hatters.
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