Elton John embodies numerous qualities. A flashy, sunglass-wearing pop sensation. A formidable vocalist and a pro at the keyboard. a committed supporter of LGBTQ+ rights who has continuously used his position to combat AIDS and HIV. a gifted composer who has directed some of the greatest musicals in history.
A president of football. A spaceman. Nonetheless, he is not a lyricist, if there is one thing.
Though he rarely authored the lyrics to go with the hits, John has written and performed on some of the most recognizable songs in musical history.
He typically looked to his songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin’s brilliance for inspiration when composing lyrics. Together, the two created classics like “Rocket Man” and “I’m Still Standing” in addition to heartbreaking songs like “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.”
Together, John’s musical talents and Taupin’s poetic gifts created a force so potent that they never felt the need to trade places. In an interview with Billboard, John talked about this and admitted that, despite the advice of many, he has never been particularly drawn to the idea of composing lyrics.
People tell you to write lyrics, and I reply I’m delighted not to because I appreciate the process of creating your own interpretation of what someone else’s words are saying. The fact that this enthusiasm has been constant for 38 years is very remarkable.
John clarified that since they started writing together when they were living with John’s parents in Middlesex, their creative dynamic has hardly altered. He remembered, “I would be writing in the living room and he would be in the bedroom. Once I finished the song, I would bring him out and play it for him to see how he responded.”
The pop sensation said that the “excitement and pleasure on [Taupin’s] face is something that hasn’t really changed.” Although John and Taupin’s writing space has probably improved from the couches in John’s childhood home, their method remains the same. And why ought it to? It’s a tried-and-true formula that has produced a ton of timeless songs.
The creative synergy between the two was evident from the beginning. Their ability to precisely match instrumentation and words was demonstrated by the timeless tracks “Your Song” and “Tiny Dancer,” which they composed by trading music and lyric ideas between the living room and the bedroom.
Taupin and John’s creative chemistry was only enhanced as they gained more recognition and got more comfortable with one other’s abilities. John’s repertoire would be flooded with timeless hits thanks to their collaboration on the upbeat duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” the melancholic “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word,” and the legendary “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.”
John didn’t need to attempt lyrical because he and Taupin collaborated so well, producing success after hit as a single creative unit.
The reason for their partnership’s success was the early procedure they had established and their willingness to play to each other’s and their own strengths.
It’s still a well-oiled hit-making machine decades later. An actual instance of “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.”
