Elton John is often compared to the rock and roll equivalent of Mozart or Beethoven. John’s knowledge of complex harmony and his distinctive style of crafting melodies sounded closer to classical music half the time compared to The Beatles or The Rolling Stones records from a few years earlier. He may have been more known for getting wild and dressing like Liberace.
Despite this, John knew when a song had reached its sugarcoated limit. He thought “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” was a complete waste of time. It might have been blasphemy for anyone else to say that about a song like this. This is about the closest thing to perfection among all the singles John released in the 1970s. The song begins with a friendly piano intro that makes you feel at ease. The drama in the song is reminiscent of a theatrical production rather than a typical rock and roll song.
It’s not as though Elton John was incapable of producing these kinds of jaw-dropping performances. What’s stopping you from going full Broadway for a track if you’re comfortable making such a grandiose statement? He had already made Goodbye Yellow Brick Road with songs like “Funeral For a Friend.”
John thought that Bernie Taupin’s main melody was far too corny for him to sing. However, he had no issues with the song’s lyrics. There was no need to resurrect the same kind of tune on the charts because this was the kind of schlock meant for lounge singers.
According to “Sir Elton: The Definitive Biography,” producer Gus Dudgeon recalled how awful it was for him to attempt to sing the song. Even during recording, it posed significant challenges. “On some takes, he’d scream it, on others he’d mumble it, or he’d just stand there, staring at the control room.”
After a while, he abruptly removed his headphones and said, “All right, let’s hear what we got.” “That’s a load of crap,” exclaimed Elton after Gus played it for him. Engelbert Humperdinck can review it, and if he finds it objectionable, you can send it to Lulu for a demo.
It might not be too difficult to imagine John becoming upset in the studio if things don’t go his way. However, it’s hard to say if there’s a song that isn’t worthy of a tongue-lashing from him. “It’s not his most inventive song, and Taupin may have written better lyrics. But few songs have ever really captured the essence of an older person the way this one does.”
As he played the song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” later in life, John became a little sentimental. He started having voice issues after abusing cocaine for years, which resulted in surgery on his vocal cords. Hearing himself perform a song like “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” just before surgery was nearly unbearable for him to handle; he nearly passed out because he knew that every performance might be his last.
John’s bitterness towards the song subsided. He would go on to perform it live and include it in his repertoire until his farewell tour. Not bad for a song he would have happily thrown out into the street if he had the chance back in the day.
