A Word in Spanish
| "A Word in Spanish" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK CD single cover | ||||
| Single by Elton John | ||||
| from the album Reg Strikes Back | ||||
| B-side | "Heavy Traffic" | |||
| Released | 28 November 1988[1] | |||
| Length | 4:39 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Composer | Elton John | |||
| Lyricist | Bernie Taupin | |||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "A Word in Spanish" on YouTube | ||||
"A Word in Spanish" is a song by the English musician Elton John, released as the third single in most countries except in North America where it was the album's second single,[2] from his twenty-first studio album Reg Strikes Back (1988) on 26 November 1988.[1]
Background and release
"A Word in Spanish" alongside "The Camera Never Lies" were both recorded in early 1988 at James Newton Howard's home.[3] Its release date has been subject to debate, while Music Week claims its release date to be 28 November 1988,[1] Authors Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, Bernardin Claude and Tom Stanton claim its release date to be in September 1988.[4][5] although most authors agree its North American release date is sometime in November 1988.[6]
Critical reception
Cashbox's writers called it a "Spanish-guitar tinged ballad written with the kind of originality that John-Taupin haven't really touched since the seventies."[7] Vulture critic Shana Naomi Krochmal placed it number 165 in a ranking of every Elton John song in 2025, stating that "Bernie playing dumb about how Spanish works shouldn’t be this charming, but somehow Elton pulls it off."[8] Jim Beviglia writes that "it’s a lovely track, featuring Latin music accents to complement the song title", notes that "the best he can do is quote a word he doesn’t even understand based on the impact it made in a movie he saw."[9]
Music video
A music video for "A Word in Spanish" was released featuring choreography by Kenny Ortega.[10]
Personnel
According to authors Romuald Ollivier and Olivier Roubin:[10]
Musicians
- Elton John – vocals, synthesizers, organ
- Davey Johnstone – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- David Paton – bass
- Charlie Morgan – drums
- Fred Mandel – synthesizers
- Dee Murray – vocals
- Nigel Olsson – vocals
Technical
- Chris Thomas – producer
- Bill Price – engineer
- Michael Mason – engineer
- Paul Wertheimer – engineer
- Karl Lever – assistant sound engineer
- Tim Young – mastering
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (GfK)[11] | 43 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] | 27 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[13] | 91 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 19 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] | 4 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[16] | 42 |
References
- 1 2 3 "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 26 November 1988. p. 37. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ Rosenthal 2001, p. 310.
- ↑ Bernardin & Stanton 1996, p. 140-41.
- ↑ Bernardin & Stanton 1996, p. 197.
- ↑ Rosenthal 2001, p. 507.
- ↑ Strong 2004, p. 798.
- ↑ "Single Reviews: Feature Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. 17 September 1988. p. 12. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Shana Naomi, Krochmal (4 April 2025) [22 June 2023]. "All 388 Elton John Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Beviglia, Jim (27 January 2026). "4 Standout Elton John Singles From the 80s That Are Overlooked". American Songwriter. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 Ollivier & Roubin 2023, Album: Reg Strikes Back.
- ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Elton John – A Word in Spanish". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 8/1/1989 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Elton John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Elton John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Elton John Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
Bibliography
- Bernardin, Claude; Stanton, Tom (1996). Rocket Man: Elton John from A–Z. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-95698-1.
- Ollivier, Romuald; Roubin, Olivier (4 April 2023). Elton John All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7624-7949-8.
- Rosenthal, Elizabeth J. (2001). His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-8892-8.
- Strong, Martin (2004). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh and New York: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-615-2. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
