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Made in England (song)

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"Made in England"
Single by Elton John
from the album Made in England
B-side
Released8 May 1995 (1995-05-08)
GenrePop rock
Length
  • 4:46 (single version)
  • 5:08 (album version)
Label
Composer(s)Elton John
Lyricist(s)Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)
Elton John singles chronology
"Believe"
(1995) 		"Made in England"
(1995) 		"Blessed"
(1995)
Music video
"Made in England" on YouTube

"Made in England" is a song by English musician Elton John, released in May 1995 by Rocket and Mercury as the title track and second single from his twenty-fourth studio album of the same name (1995). It is an autobiographical telling of his growing up, parts of his life, and what life is like in England.[1] The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and number five on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, topping the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for one week. In the United States, the song peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The accompanying music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh.

Meaning

[edit]

The song is deliberately made to sound pro-English, but its underlying currents are actually very negative and scolding of some English stereotypes, cliches, and the shameless paparazzi that he had to deal with during his 40 years in England, notably his 1987 court battle with The Sun, which ran a series of false stories about his personal life.[2] The key line at the end wraps up John's sneaky meaning to the song: "But the joke's on you, you never read the song, they all think they know, but they all got it wrong."[2] In addition, the verses exclusively feature American cultural assets such as Cadillac, Little Richard, Georgia (Peach), (boy from) Tupelo, Rock and Roll, (Ford) Cortina or Yankee (summer), which further underlines the satirical context of the song.[2]

Critical reception

[edit]

Upon its release, the title track received general positive reviews from critics. J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun noted its "irrepressible uplift."[3] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel named it a highlight of the album, describing it as "a surprisingly catchy up-tempo pop/rock ditty."[4] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated that the second single from the album of same name "in so many ways is a much better single. Forget all these mushy ballads about divorce and middle-age he has been churning out recently, posterity will record that Elton John is the master of the out-and-out pop stormer – and this song, both a homage to this wonderful country and yet at the same time a protest against homophobia is possibly one of the best records he has made for several years."[5]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "In the past the inscription was found on the back of a Matchbox or a Dinky Toy. Elton puts it differently by singing he was made in England like the Cortina. Who cares, all these cars roll. But what's more, the song rocks too!" That aspect also instantly struck Norwegian Radio 102/Haugesund head of music Egil Houeland. He said, "After a whole string of ballads it's interesting to see Elton return with a solid uptempo rocker. He can still do it."[6] Paul Moody from NME felt the "decidedly frisky title track has the same self-righteous fizz of 'I'm Still Standing' right down to the immortal line, I got a bloody nose/For rock'n'roll."[7] A reviewer from People Magazine described it as "a prototypical Elton rocker that should echo nicely off the concrete walls in the stadiums he’ll play in this summer."[8]

Music video

[edit]

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director Howard Greenhalgh.[9] A "live" performance of the song was filmed in the Ballroom of the British Ambassador's residence in Paris for broadcast on the BBC's Top of the Pops. As Elton's schedule couldn't accommodate a trip to England at the time, the Embassy property was deemed the next best thing.[10]

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 8 May 1995
  • CD1
  • cassette
[29]
15 May 1995 CD2 [30]
Japan 10 June 1995 CD [31]
United States 20 June 1995 Contemporary hit radio
[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "'Made In England' – 25 Fun Facts for 25 Years". Elton John. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b c SongMeanings (4 June 2004). "Elton John – Made in England Lyrics". SongMeanings. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. ^ Considine, J.D. (12 May 1995). "Books & Music: Album Reviews". The Baltimore Sun. p. MW2. Retrieved 7 January 2023 – via Bangor Daily News.
  4. ^ Campbell, Chuck (31 March 1995). "Traci Lords' Passion Turns To Techno Music." Knoxville News Sentinel.
  5. ^ Masterton, James (14 May 1995). "Week Ending May 20th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 20 May 1995. p. 13. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  7. ^ Moody, Paul (25 March 1995). "Long Play". NME. p. 41. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Made in England". People. 24 April 1995. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Elton John – Made In England (Official Music Video)". 2 December 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Elton John – Made In England (TOTP 1995)". 3 May 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Elton John – Made in England". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7762." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2743." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 23. 10 June 1995. p. 19. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Elton John – Made in England" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 32. 12 August 1995. p. 17. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (10.6. '95 – 16.6. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 10 June 1995. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Elton John – Made in England". VG-lista. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  20. ^ "Elton John – Made in England". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  23. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  26. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  27. ^ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM. Retrieved 9 July 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  28. ^ "RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1995". RPM. Retrieved 9 July 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  29. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 6 May 1995. p. 59. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  30. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 13 May 1995. p. 39.
  31. ^ "メイド・イン・イングランド | エルトン・ジョン" [Made in England | Elton John] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  32. ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1099. 16 June 1995. p. 30. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
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