Someone Saved My Life Tonight
| Someone Saved My Life Tonight | |
|---|---|
| Elton John | |
| publication | June 23, 1975 |
| length | 6:45 |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| text | Bernie Taupin |
| music | Elton John |
| album | Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy |
Someone Saved My Life Tonight is a song written by British singer and composer Elton John and the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin .
The album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was realized as a concept album and takes up in chronological order as well as with autobiographical intention John and Taupin's life in London from 1967 to 1970. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is the fifth of ten songs and the only single from it. The conceptual plot continues with the title (Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket .
background
Linda Woodrow and Elton John met on Christmas Eve 1967 in a cabaret club in Sheffield , England. John was playing as a pianist in the band of his friend Long John Baldry . A little later, Woodrow and John, together with Bernie Taupin, moved into an apartment on Furlong Road in London's East End (“When I think of those East End lights”).
Woodrow came from a well-to-do family. It slowly became clear to John that he didn't really fit into this world (“I'm strangled by your haunted social scene”). All the more so since he had the impression that his own friends were not welcome at Woodrow. The beginning of the wedding preparations (“Altar-bound, hypnotized”) made him think of breaking free from this relationship (“Sweet freedom whispered in my ear” - “The sweet freedom whispered in my ear "). But the deliberation was initially not followed by any action (“You almost had your hooks in me”).
One day in 1969 Taupin left his room and noticed a smell in the apartment. He thought that the gas stove in the kitchen must have been accidentally left on. When he entered the kitchen, he found John lying on the floor. He had laid his head on a pillow, the door of the stove was open and gas was pouring out, the kitchen window was wide open. In view of the bizarre situation, Taupin burst out laughing and thus ended this suicide attempt ("Someone saved my life tonight").
It was clear to both Taupin and Baldry that John was in an unhappy relationship. In many conversations, Baldry, who is mentioned in the song “Sugar Bear”, convinced John to part with Woodrow (“You're a butterfly and butterflies are free to fly” - “You are a butterfly and butterflies are to fly freely ”).
After a night of partying with Taupin and Baldry in the summer of 1970, John returned to the shared apartment and ended the relationship with Woodrow ("It's four o'clock in the morning"). Baldry also saved John's life and his further artistic career. Someone and Sugar Bear refer to him in Taupin's text .
The very next morning his stepfather and his mother picked him up and Taupin in a truck and took them home with them (“They're coming in the morning with truck to take me home” - “They're coming to take me with you in the morning a truck to bring home ”).
There are two different ways of interpreting the line of text "Clinging to your stocks and bonds, paying your HP demands forever". John feared that he would have to make lifelong installment payments for Woodrow's luxury life. However, it could also be interpreted as a metaphor for a married, homosexual man who is physically and mentally involved in a marriage of convenience and who has to pay for this convenience every day.
review
Jon Landau , editor of Rolling Stone magazine, calls this track the best on the album. "As long as Elton John is able to get tracks like Someone saved my life tonight on his albums , there is a chance that he will become more than just the great entertainer he already is and make a lasting contribution to rock music." .
B side
On the back of the single is the title House of Cards . This song was not part of the narrated story on Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy , nor was it released on the original album. Stylistically, the title corresponds to the previously released album Caribou in terms of melody and harmony .
occupation
- Elton John - vocals, piano, electric piano, synthesizer
- Davey Johnstone - guitar, backing vocals
- Dee Murray - bass guitar, backing vocals
- Nigel Olsson - drums, backing vocals
- Ray Cooper - tambourine, shaker, cymbal
production
- Gus Dudgeon - producer
Charts
| Year | single | Chart | position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" | USA Billboard Hot 100 | 4th |
| 1975 | "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" | UK single chart | 22nd |
Awards
| organization | status | date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA - USA | gold | September 10, 1975 |
Interpretations of other artists
Walter Jackson recorded a version for his 1976 album Feeling Good .
Singer Kanye West used the title in 2007 for his song Good Morning on the album Graduation .
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://eltonjohnallsongslist.blogspot.de/2007/11/story-behind-someone-saved-my-life.html
- ↑ http://www.onthisveryspot.com/spot/Furlong_Road
- ↑ https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.fan.elton-john/adAVSaHO0wU
- ↑ http://eltonjohnallsongslist.blogspot.de/2007/11/story-behind-someone-saved-my-life.html
- ↑ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2453
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Elton John / Discography # Chart placements
- ↑ http://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/
