Artists don’t always judge their own work fairly. For example, Elton John struggled to see the worth in “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, even as he was recording it. Little did he know, the song would turn into one of his bona fide anthems. It’s a ballad that unapologetically wears its heart out on its sleeve, and “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” represents one of the finest moments of one of rock’s great songwriting partnerships. And it all stemmed from lyricist Bernie Taupin’s desire to do something grand.
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“Sun” Spots
Read some reviews of Elton John’s 1974 album Caribou, and you’ll likely believe that the album was an absolute bomb. Even John’s producer, Gus Dudgeon, later criticized the finished product, even though it proved to be another huge chart smash for John.
John and his band had precious little time to record the album, which could account for some of the later frustration. Since they were preparing to quickly head out on tour, they spent less than two weeks in the studio. Yet any album containing “The B*tch Is Back” and “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” can’t be all bad.
In terms of the latter song, John struggled with the vocals. He also hedged on whether the arrangement skewed too much towards easy listening. While laying down his vocal part, he promised to give the song away to any crooner who’d want it.
Bernie Taupin was thinking along the lines of songs like the sweeping Righteous Brothers ballads of the 60s when he wrote the lyrics. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” turned out to be doubly beneficial to John. Not only did it go to no. 2 in 1974, but it also topped the charts 17 years later when John joined George Michael on a live version.
Exploring the Lyrics of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
As was often his style, Bernie Taupin didn’t leave us an easy interpretation when it came to these lyrics. On the one hand, the song refers to the struggles within a single relationship. But the narrator also addresses his spiritual plight, one that’s highlighted by the gospel feel of the music.
The narrator begins by laying down the law: “I can’t light no more of your darkness.”
He’s drawing the line at the amount he can give to this person, and he stands: “Frozen here on the ladder of my life.”
Figuratively paralyzed, he worries that it’s “too late to save myself from falling.” Meanwhile, his companion has turned their back on him. They’ve “closed the door and left me blinded by the light.” But by the second verse, he’s reaching out again.
“But see me once and see the way I feel.”
And he knows he needs succor: “But these cuts I have, oh, they need love to help them heal.”
The chorus stands as one of the most powerful in the John catalog. When the narrator does some self-examination, he comes up wanting: “Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see.”
He admits he’s ready to sacrifice anything for this other person: “I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free,” John wails.
As worried as John may have been about the vocals, he sings with potent emotion. Bernie Taupin wanted big, and his songwriting partner delivered on “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”. It’s a good thing they didn’t give the song away, after all.
Photo by Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music/Getty Images
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