“I’m just a country kid who got lucky. I got the best friend the world had to offer and a world that offered us everything.” — from Bernie Taupin’s memoir Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me
Elton John has often said that without songwriter Bernie Taupin there would be no Elton John. Taupin has enjoyed one of the most successful and enduring songwriting careers in modern music, primarily through his legendary partnership with Elton that began almost 60 years ago.
The two first became connected in 1967 after answering the same advertisement placed by Liberty Records, which was searching for new songwriting talent. Although Elton and Taupin initially worked together by mail — with Taupin sending lyrics for Elton to set to music — their creative chemistry was immediate and extraordinary.
“We got better and became more confident,” Bernie told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2023. “There was never a time that we didn’t think that we were going to make it. We got a lot of rejection, but we worked our butts off, stuck in there, and ultimately it paid off.”
Together they created some of the most celebrated songs in rock and pop history. Their catalogue includes classics such as Your Song, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Candle in the Wind. Their success extended far beyond the 1970s, with the pair continuing to write together for decades, earning awards, critical acclaim and a place among music’s greatest songwriting teams.
Taupin has often spoken proudly of some of his more personal and poetic lyrics. Among the songs he has singled out for praise are Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, admired for its vivid portrayal of New York City, and American Triangle for its social message and lyrical depth.
Bernie’s lyrics often came from his own life and experiences but Someone Saved My Life Tonight is an exception, reflecting a deeply emotional period in Elton’s life. Their breakthrough hit Your Song has also attracted praise over the decades, as it established the John/Taupin partnership. Bernie was just 17 when he wrote the rather mature lyric, saying later that it came from “a place of teenage virginal naivety”.
Beyond Elton John, Taupin has written or co-written songs for many other artists, including Alice Cooper (How You Gonna See Me Now and others), Heart (These Dreams), Rod Stewart (I Guess I’ll Always Love You and others) and Starship (We Built This City).
Taupin’s ability to combine storytelling, imagery and emotion has made him one of popular music’s most respected lyricists.
Elton John hits on Bang a Gong, written by Bernie and Elton:
Bennie and the Jets
The Bitch is Back
Candle in the Wind
Crocodile Rock
Daniel
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Philadelphia Freedom
Pinball Wizard
Rocket Man
Runaway Train (with Eric Clapton)
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Step Into Christmas
Tiny Dancer
Your Song
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