Bernie Taupin calls Elton John “a good psychiatrist”
Bernie Taupin, the lyricist behind the immensely popular music of Elton John, has described his songwriting partner as a “good psychiatrist” in a recent interview.
For over five decades, Elton and Taupin have combined their strengths to bring the world some of its most cherished music, from ‘Rocket Man’ to ‘Step into Christmas’.
Speaking to Goldmine for their recent Winter 2023 edition, Taupin explained that, in his learned sobriety, Elton has become “the ultimate psychiatrist” and the first person he goes to when he needs advice.
“If you need to get something off your trust, he’s the first person you need to go to to get some easy answers,” Taupin said. “He is a complete constant. You can always rely on him.”
Later, Taupin remembered that when he first moved to London in the 1960s, he “certainly leaned on” Elton. “I was a fish out of water floundering about in the big city,” he said.
“So he was definitely a crutch to lean on, and he did it magnificently and took care of me and made sure that I wasn’t abused by the cynical mindset of others that might have viewed me as being a little wet around the ears and green when l actually really wasn’t. I was far more Intelligent than they give me credit for,” Taupin added.
In September, Taupin had his memoir, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me, published. The book explored one of the 20th century’s most successful partnerships in depth never before reached
Just two months later, Elton and Taupin revealed that they had been working on a new album together during the latter’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Watch Elton John perform ‘Tiny Dancer’ during Bernie Taupin’s induction below.
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