The Surprising Truth About What Elton John Really Thinks About His Best Songs

Highlights

• Elton John found it easy to write the melody for "Rocket Man".
• Elton John doesn't enjoy performing one of his best songs.
• Elton John knew "Your Song" would be a hit.

Whether discussing his own songs or tunes that are popular today, Elton John doesn't hold back from sharing his opinions. Since he has been part of the music industry for decades, he definitely knows what he's talking about. John is just as likely to praise other artists as he is to offer up some critiques. Fans can always count on the talented singer and songwriter to be honest, like when Elton John criticized American Idol.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin have had an incredible working relationship for a long time now, with Taupin penning the words and John coming up with melodies. Since he has released so many albums over the years, it's always interesting to hear what John has to say about the songs that people love.

6 Elton John Had An Easy Time Writing The "Rocket Man" Melody

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According to American Songwriter, Elton John talked about "Rocket Man" and shared that he had an easy time coming up with the melody. Bernie Taupin shared that he loved the Ray Bradbury short story "The Rocket Man" which was published as part of a book of short stories called "The Illustrated Man." In the story, being an astronaut is a much more common career than it is now. John said, “‘Rocket Man’ was our first-ever number one record I think – and it was on the Honky Chateau record. It was a pretty easy song to write a melody to because it’s a song about space so it’s quite a spacious song.”

5 Elton John Doesn't Enjoy Performing "Crocodile Rock"

When Elton John's song "Crocodile Rock" came out in 1972, it did well immediately. It's a light-hearted tune about dancing and having fun, with lyrics like "Crocodile Rocking is something shocking/When your feet just can't keep still/I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will."

According to Smooth Radio, Elton John doesn't like performing "Crocodile Rock." He said, "There are certain songs that you think, 'Ugh, I gotta f***in' sing that one again!'"

He added, "Probably 'Crocodile Rock!' But the audience love it and, y'know, it's a guilty pleasure, as they say." According to Entertainment.ie, he said on the podcast Deeney Talks that he would add it to his set list at concerts because he knew that his fanbase enjoyed it, but he definitely didn't. John said, "The last time I have to sing Crocodile Rock I will probably throw a party. It was written as a kind of a joke, like a pastiche."

4 Elton John Could Tell "Your Song" Would Be A Hit

When people think about Elton John's best songs, the 1970 hit "Your Song" is definitely at the top of the list. It's one of the songs that made him famous. The lyrics of the chorus are as positive and lovely today as they ever were:

"And you can tell everybody/This is your song/It may be quite simple, but/Now that it's done/I hope you don't mind/I hope you don't mind that I put down in words/How wonderful life is while you're in the world."

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Sometimes, an artist isn't sure that what they are working on is going to be a success. However, it sounds like Elton John was confident about "Your Song."

In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, John shared that he loved the words that Bernie Taupin had penned, and he could tell that this song would work out. He said, “I remember writing it at my parents' apartment in North London and Bernie giving me the lyrics. [I sat] down at the piano and looked at it, going, ‘Oh, my God, this is such a great lyric, I can't f*ck this one up’. It came out in about 20 minutes, and when I was done, I called him in and we both knew.”

3 Elton John Loved The Lion King Song "The Circle Of Life"

When a musician is approached to contribute a song to a movie, they might not always be on board right away. Some might worry about how the tune will be received by the public. Others might feel that the songwriting process is too different from what they're used to.

In the '90s, Tim Rice asked Elton John if he wanted to sing a song for The Lion King, and John was happy to do so. According to Good Morning America, Elton still looks back fondly on the song.

He said, "It was one of the greatest things to happen in my life in 1993 when Sir Tim Rice rang me up and said, 'Disney don't think you want to do this, will you do "The Lion King?"' and I went, 'Are you kidding me?'"

John continued "It changed my whole life" and also shared how much he loves the Broadway musical. He said, "Because it's such a magical show, brilliantly put on the stage by Julie Taymor. Everytime you go and see it, you just get goosebumps. It's extraordinary and I'm so proud to be a part of it."

2 Elton John Wanted To Collaborate On "Hold Me Closer" To Help Britney Spears

In 2021, Elton John put the album "The Lockdown Sessions" out into the world. Fans were thrilled to hear "Hold Me Closer," his collaboration with Britney Spears. The tune is a modern take on John's songs "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," "The One," and "Tiny Dancer."

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While it makes sense that John would want to release a new version of "Tiny Dancer" since that is one of his most well-known songs, it's interesting to hear the reason why he knew he should work with Spears. In September 2022, John talked about "Tiny Dancer" in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

He shared that his husband David Furnish felt that Spears would feel great if she and John worked together. John said, "Recording with Britney was David’s idea: 'She’s had such a horrible time, it would be good news if we could get a hit for her.' Give her a bit of confidence back, because she’s had such a battering."

1 Elton John Wondered If Britney Spears Would Be "Nervous" To Record "Hold Me Closer"

Fans of both Elton John and Britney Spears eagerly anticipated their "Hold Me Closer" recording. In 2022, John was interviewed by Billboard and shared that he wondered how Spears would feel when it was time to get into the studio and work on the track.

He explained that he had full confidence in her singing talent, but thought that she might have some apprehension as it had been several years since she had released an album. John said, "What I was worried about is if she would be so nervous because she hadn’t done it for a while, but she came through it with flying colors.”

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