Elton John Breaks Down Over New Song About Mortality: “How Much Time Have I Got Left?”

With a career spanning several decades, Elton John solidified himself as a cultural icon when releasing over 30 studio albums that went on to sell over 300 million records worldwide. Showered in accolades, John nurtured what some would call the perfect working relationship with his writing partner Bernie Taupin. While still releasing music and sharing his love for rising artists like Chappell Roan, the icon admitted to breaking down when working on a new song about mortality. 

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Although John remains focused on his career, the singer turned 78 years old just a few days ago. Knowing that he can’t stop the aging process, John opened up about how his own mortality weighed heavy on him, especially when working on his new collaborative album with Brandi Carlile called Who Believes In Angels. 

Already offering snippets on the upcoming album, which will release on April 4th, John noted how the last song caught him by surprise. Speaking on the Smartless podcast, he admitted, “I wrote a song at the end of the album and I just got the lyrics, Bernie Taupin’s lyrics. I’m writing the verse, like, ‘Oh, this is really pretty.’ And then I get to the chorus and of course it’s about my death.”

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Elton John Not Afraid To Be Himself In Front Of The Cameras

While John didn’t shy away from the thought of his own passing, he continued, “When you get to my age, which is near 100, you think, ‘How much time have I got left?’. You’ve got children, you’ve got a wonderful husband, you just think about mortality. And so when I got to the chorus, I just broke down for 45 minutes – and it’s all on film.”

Not wanting to hide his feelings and emotions about death, John decided to capture it all on film. And for fans, they loved the rawness of the moment. “The growth is in the struggle – and Elton always pushes through no matter how hard it is, no matter how challenged he might be, he pushes through. Frustration and insecurity is incredibly human but the work is worth pushing through all that stuff. And it’s very inspiring to see Brandi pushing along with him through difficulty.” Another person added, “Gonna need a full documentary from this footage, stat.”

Coming to terms with his age, John continued to charge forward, hoping to make the most out of every moment left.

(Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for TIME)