BACKSTORY: The Song That Made Elton John Lose Favor with Women

Q: What was the song by Elton John that kind of made him lose favor with the women? It was sometime in the early 70's I remember.

A: It was ISLAND GIRL (#1, 1975), which was about a New York hooker and a man who wants to take her back to Jamaica. It can be argued whether or not the hooker is a transvestite, since Elton's lyrics refer to her/him as “a big girl / standin' 'bout six foot three.” ISLAND GIRL continues to upset a portion of our female population, who claim it's a slam against African-American women and women in general. It also brought to an end an incredible streak of 13 hits by Elton John, with all but one making the Top Ten; from there, the singles didn't come as fast and his Top Ten hits occurred much less. Good song, big seller, but I wonder if (in this day and age) he regrets the lyrics?