Bernie Taupin has said Elton John’s 1971 classic “Tiny Dancer” was not written about one specific woman, despite his former wife Maxine Feibelmann believing she was its subject. The song instead drew on Taupin’s impressions of several women he met after arriving in California, adding context to one of Elton John’s most recognisable and frequently interpreted songs.

Feibelmann, a seamstress who occasionally patched John’s clothes, linked herself to the lyric “Seamstress for the band” and said Taupin often shared new lyrics with her. Taupin later explained that the song captured the free-spirited, stylish women he encountered in Los Angeles in 1970; their small, graceful appearance informed the imagery, though he described “tiny” as poetic licence.