Peak
3
Weeks
21
Score
4,259
Chart Year
1980
///
This was one of the few Elton John hits that he didn't write with his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. The lyrics came from his friend, the songwriter Gary Osborne. In 1978, Elton wrote the songs for his album A Single Man with Osborne, while Bernie Taupin worked on the Alice Cooper album From The Inside. Elton's 21 At 33 album contained tracks from both Osborne and Taupin, and most of Elton's subsequent output would have words by Bernie. Looking back at his time away from Taupin, Elton said that while there was some friction between them, it was not a breakup, but more of a sabbatical, as Elton was in London and Bernie was in Los Angeles. He says their time apart was needed, and points out the while Elton did score a hit with "Little Jeannie," he never wrote a hit song for another artist. Taupin, on the other hand, wrote huge hits for Starship ("We Built This City") and Heart ("These Dreams). In this song, Elton has it bad for Little Jeannie and can't stand seeing her being mistreated by other guys. The song's lyricist Gary Osborne says that he did have someone in mind when he wrote the words, but he won't reveal her identity. Jeannie is not her real name. Running 5:15, this is fairly long for a pop hit. It's also unusual in that the title only shows up in the verses, not the chorus. The hook is, "And I want you to be my acrobat," a very memorable line. Bill Champlin, who joined the group Chicago the following year, sang backing vocals on this track along with Dee Murray. The instrumentation is: Richie Zito - guitar Reggie McBride - bass Nigel Olsson - drums Jerry Hey - flugelhorn Jim Horn - saxophone, piccolo flute Chuck Findley - trumpet, trombone This was Elton's fifth #1 single on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Oh, little Jeannie You got so much love, little Jeannie And you take it where it strikes And give it to the likes of me Oh, little Jeannie She got so much love, little Jeannie So I see you when I can You make me all a man can be And I want you to be my acrobat I want you to be my lover Oh, there were others who would treat you cruel And, oh Jeannie You were always someone's fool Little Jeannie You got so much time, little Jeannie Though you've grown beyond your years You still retain the fears of youth Oh, little Jeannie You got so much time, little Jeannie But you're burning it up so fast Searching for some lasting truth And I want you to be my acrobat I want you to be my lover Oh, there were others who would treat you cruel But, oh Jeannie I will always be your fool And I want you to be my acrobat I want you to be my lover Oh, there were others, and I've known quite a few But, oh Jeannie I'm still in love with you You stepped into my life from a bad dream Making the life that I had, seem Suddenly shiny and new Oh, Jeannie (oh, Jeannie) I'm so in love with you You stepped into my life from a bad dream Making the life that I had, seem Suddenly shiny and new Oh, Jeannie (oh, Jeannie) I'm so in love with you You stepped into my life from a bad dream Making the life that I had, seem Suddenly shiny and new Oh, Jeannie (oh, Jeannie) I'm so in love with you You stepped into my life from a bad dream (so in love) Making the life that I had, seem Suddenly shiny and new Oh, Jeannie (oh, Jeannie)
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 3, 1980 | 65 | 61 |
| 2 | May 10, 1980 | 38 | 88 |
| 3 | May 17, 1980 | 27 | 99 |
| 4 | May 24, 1980 | 20 | 106 |
| 5 | May 31, 1980 | 13 | 113 |
| 6 | Jun 7, 1980 | 10 | 116 |
| 7 | Jun 14, 1980 | 8 | 118 |
| 8 | Jun 21, 1980 | 7 | 119 |
| 9 | Jun 28, 1980 | 6 | 120 |
| 10 | Jul 5, 1980 | 5 | 121 |
| 11 | Jul 12, 1980 | 4 | 122 |
| 12 | Jul 19, 1980 | 3 | 123 |
| 13 | Jul 26, 1980 | 3 | 123 |
| 14 | Aug 2, 1980 | 3 | 123 |
| 15 | Aug 9, 1980 | 3 | 123 |
| 16 | Aug 16, 1980 | 8 | 118 |
| 17 | Aug 23, 1980 | 24 | 102 |
| 18 | Aug 30, 1980 | 38 | 88 |
| 19 | Sep 6, 1980 | 46 | 80 |
| 20 | Sep 13, 1980 | 67 | 59 |