Bernie Taupin is the keen songwriting voice behind most of Elton John’s biggest hits. His knack for crafting poignant, visual, and timeless lyrics is bar none. He has many great lyrical turns to his name, but find our four favorites, below.
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[RELATED: What Do the Lyrics of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John Mean?]
1. For heavy eyes could hardly hold us / Aching legs that often told us / It’s all worth it / We all fall in love sometimes (“We All Fall in Love Sometimes“)
“Every lyric on Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was about Bernie and me, about our experiences of being able to make songs and make it big,” John once said of the accompanying album to “We All Fall in Love Sometimes.” That being said, we can interpret the lines above to be about John and Taupin weathering the trials of non-stop touring for the sake of realizing their dream. Taupin writes deeply visceral lyrics. When hearing these lines, the listener can almost feel the pressure they both had on their shoulders.
2. I can’t light no more of your darkness / All my pictures seem to fade to black and white / I’m growin’ tired, and time stands still before me / Frozen here on the ladder of my life (“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me“)
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” features some of Taupin’s most affecting lyrics. The opening lines above are sweeping and cinematic, pulling the curtain open on this blockbuster of a song. I can’t light no more of your darkness is one of the most unique ways any songwriter has ever said, ‘You’re bumming me out.” That’s the magic of Taupin’s lyrics—they are sentiments everyone can relate to, but said in a way that proves he’s one of the greatest modern poets.
3. Hold me closer, tiny dancer / Count the headlights on the highway / Lay me down in sheets of linen / You had a busy day today (“Tiny Dancer”)
Everyone knows the lyrics to “Tiny Dancer” like the back of their hand. It’s a timeless track with an equally as universal message. The chorus above scratches an itch that few rock songs do. It erupts into a rousing uptempo melody, which stands in contrast to the relatively slow verses—but that’s John’s doing. On Taupin’s side of things, we’re gifted deeply visual lyrics. Images of car headlights and soft sheets come flooding into the mind of the listener. Few songwriters are able to be as transportive.
4. You know you can’t hold me forever / I didn’t sign up with you / I’m not a present for your friends to open / This boy’s too young to be singing the blues (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”)
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” sees John regretting his fame. Though it seemed to be only a momentary regret, the emotions are palpable. Taupin elucidates that message concisely with the lines above. They both didn’t sign up for the negative effects that come along with fame. They’re both too young to be feeling spiteful and bitter.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
