Which songs did Elton John write the lyrics for?
Certain things shouldn’t be done alone, and, sometimes, songwriting is one of them. When writer’s block hits, it can be helpful to have another lyricist or instrumentalist around to bounce ideas off, a partner who is willing to shoot your ideas down, build them up, and generally steer you in the right direction. And, of course, songwriting partnerships have proven to be particularly effective in popular music.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney collaborated on their compositions in the early days of The Beatles, working together on some of the most beloved songs of all time until creative differences eventually pulled them apart. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards drove the success of The Rolling Stones, penning rock classics aplenty. And Elton John and Bernie Taupin collectively created a slew of keys-led pop hits.
But the partnership between John and Taupin worked a little differently. Rather than working together on both the lyrics and the instrumentation, John and Taupin had distinct roles. The sunglasses-loving star worked on the music, providing his talents behind the piano, while Taupin was the wordsmith, concocting tales of tiny dancers and rocket men.
While McCartney and Lennon tended to take up lead vocals on the songs they had driven in the writing room, delivering the lyrics they had written in the studio and on stage, John was always singing words that had actually been penned by Taupin. And throughout their entire career, the pair have never diverged from their roles.
So, which songs did Elton John write the lyrics for?
John has never written his own lyrics. From the defiant ‘I’m Still Standing’ to the iconic duet ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, the pop star has always trusted Taupin to create the accompanying words for his piano lines. And the lyricist has rarely failed him, penning hit after hit for decades now.
John’s involvement in Taupin’s realm has been limited, though he has sometimes suggested song topics or names. “I’ve suggested titles in the past,” he acknowledged during an interview with GQ, “And I wanted him to write a song about Matthew Shepard [a gay student beaten to death in a Wyoming bar in 1998], and he did it. But I never say, ‘I want you to do this and I want you to do that,’ because I’d be stepping on his toes.”
The parameters of John and Taupin’s songwriting partnership seem to have contributed to their long-lasting relationship and success. Rather than fighting for creative dominance and disagreeing with one another’s ideas, they have distinct positions in the songwriting process that seem to curb any chance of disagreement or upset.
“Most songwriting relationships are quite hands-on,” John acknowledged, “And people are fighting for egos and they fall apart – Bacharach and Hal David, Lennon and McCartney. We’ve always had the freedom to do other things in our relationship.” This freedom has produced some of the most iconic pop songs in history, and John seems more than happy with their agreement.
When prompted to speak about why he has never written lyrics, John admitted he doesn’t want to. “The only time I’ve ever written down anything that I’m really proud of was when I was in treatment and I had to write a farewell letter to cocaine,” he noted, “And people may see that as a sign of weakness, but if I really wrote what I felt my career would probably be over because I’d have a go at everybody…”
It makes sense that John isn’t too keen to step into Taupin’s role and start writing. Taupin’s lyrics and John’s instrumentation seem to be the perfect pairing for radio success and pop stardom, so why would they shake things up?
