Music has the power to change lives. One person who does is Elton John, and he claims that one duet from the 1980s saved his. When one thinks of life-altering music, they might think of grand orchestra pieces, sentimental ballads, or just a piece of music that is cinematic and larger-than-life. But the song that changed John’s life was Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel’s 1986 duet, “Don’t Give Up”.
For roughly 20 years, Elton John abused both alcohol and drugs. (Though during the 20th century, more musicians did than did not.) Regardless, in 1990, John kicked the habit by checking himself into a hospital in Chicago. He has been sober ever since, and the Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel track was one of the many motivations that helped him want to get sober in the first place.
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How Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel Helped Elton John Turn Over a New Leaf
Released in 1986, Bush and Gabriel’s duet “Don’t Give Up” was a popular song, but nothing to write home about. Fundamentally, it was great. But commercially, it had a mediocre chart run, as it only peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, in the canon of both Kate Bush and the greater 1980s, it isn’t that significant a song. However, several factors define a song’s significance to a person, and it’s rarely the same for each individual. And it seems “Don’t Give Up” said all the right things to Elton John at exactly the right time.
Regarding how the song changed his life, John said in the documentary, The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill, “That record helped me get sober. So, she played a big part in my rebirth. That record helped me so much. I never told her that, but it did,” he added.
The particular lyrics that struck John: “Rest your head / You worry too much. It’s going to be all right / When times get rough / You can fall back on us / Don’t give up.” Again, when it comes to life-changing music, one might imagine The Beatles’ “In My Life” or Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Still, the meanings of music are unique to the individual, and it seems this Bush/Gabriel song carries a magnitude that only Elton John and Elton John alone can fully understand.
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