In this song, the writer (Bernie Taupin) is describing the dancer’s eyes and smile. “The song was written by Taupin to capture the spirit of California in 1970s”*. Writer says that her eyes are pretty and she has a pirate smile. By saying pirate smile, he could have meant a one-sided, soft smile. This line paints a picture in your mind of a girl with an innocent and shy smile. He says “Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand”, he likes the way she dances and there is a picture of a girl dancing in the sand in my mind after reading this line. In the lines: “Jesus freaks out in the street Handing tickets out for God” we can imagine religious people in the streets. In the third and fourth stanzas he is telling a story and describing how he feels. For example; in the fourth stanza, “But oh how it feels so real” he is describing his feelings and you can understand how excited he is. In this line: “When I say softly slowly, hold me closer tiny dancer”, he is describing his voice and you can imagine someone whispering in your ear and feeling the warm breath of his. He used some of imagery words like: “Looking, hums, feels, hear, softly, slowly…”He used a lot of imagery. He speaks to many of our senses. After you read the poem you can see the pretty eyes and the pirate smile of the dancer, you can hear her singing songs and humming, you can feel the soft and slow whisper on your ear. The “tiny dancer” itself is imagery. He paints the dancer in our minds with words. The description of the boulevard and religious people on the streets helps him to paint a picture of 1970s California with the words.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Dancer
Tiny Dancer
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
Jesus freaks out in the street Handing tickets out for God Turning back she just laughs The boulevard is not that bad
Piano man he makes his stand In the auditorium Looking on she sings the songs The words she knows the tune she hums
But oh how it feels so real Lying here with no one near Only you and you can hear me When I say softly slowly
Hold me closer tiny dancer Count the headlights on the highway Lay me down in sheets of linen you had a busy day today
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand