Elton John’s new collaborative album with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels?, ends with a moving ballad called “When This Old World Is Done with Me,” that features poignant lyrics by Elton’s longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. As previously reported, the recording sessions for the album were filmed for a short documentary premiered at the same time as the record’s release.
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A segment of the documentary focusing on the creation of “When This Old World Is Done with Me” was recently posted on John’s social media pages. The clip captures Elton’s emotional reaction to Taupin’s lyrics as he works on the music for the mortality-themed tune. It also features Elton, Brandi, and producer Andrew Watt reflecting on the session, as well as voice-over commentary from Taupin.
The scene begins with John sitting at the piano in the studio while conversing with Watt. The pop-rock legend tells the producer that although he’s exhausted, he wants to work on the music for what would become “When This Old World Is Done with Me.”
Carlile then brings Elton a sheet of Taupin’s lyrics, while commenting, “This is a beautiful lyric.”
In a voice-over, Watt then remarks, “I think this album was really a struggle for everyone, including Bernie. And I think maybe, in a down moment, these words kind of came to him.”
We then hear Taupin say, “It just fell onto the page.”
John’s Gets Emotional While Working on the Song
As John sings the words, including the line, “Release me like an ocean wave, return me to the tide,” he begins to cry.
Then, as Carlile and Watt comfort John, Elton comments in a voice-over, “I just lost it. At my age, you think about mortality and your children. … [The song is] about my death. It’s about saying goodbye.”
Taupin adds in a separate voice-over, “We realize the years are getting shorter, and your time is closing in.”
As the scene progresses, John, still emotional as he sits at the piano, declares, “This never happened to me my whole career.”
Elton also asks Carlile and Watt if the music he came up with was okay, with Brandi responding, emphatically, “Yeah! Yes, Elton!”
Watt and Carlile Laugh About John’s Sense of Humor
In an interview segment with John, Watt, and Carlile filmed after the session, the producer recalls a humorous moment when Elton asked him about the music he was writing for the tune, “Is it too Lion King?”
The trio then crack up, as Watt notes, “In his most vulnerable moment, he’s still the funniest motherf—er!” Adds Carlile, “He’s still taking the piss out of himself.”
On the Recording of the Track
When it came time to record “When This Old World Is Done with Me,” Watt insisted that John sing and play piano at the same time.
In studio footage, we see Andrew tell Elton, “This is such [an] introspective song. It’s gonna be just you and the piano. We’re not gonna layer a bunch of stuff on it.”
John was initially hesitant about recording the song the way Watt wanted him to, but he eventually agreed.
“I went in the next day, and, of course, as usual, he was absolutely right,” Elton says in an interview segment.
Reflecting on the Finished Song
As the clip winds down, we hear Taupin say, “Is it the last song we’ll ever write? Is that what it’s saying? No, not necessarily, but I think it’s a great summation for our career.”
Watt then comments, “That’s one of Bernie’s best lyrics.” Carlile adds, “One of his best ever.”
More About “When This Old World Is Done with Me”
The main part of “When This Old World Is Done with Me” features just John vocals and piano. The track ends with a musical interlude that also features Fitz and the Tantrums’ James King on sax and flute, and Ron Blake on trumpet and flugelhorn.
In April, Who Believes in Angels? became Elton’s 10th album to top the U.K. chart. It also debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200.
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