I know I just played this last year, and I do try not to redux a song for at least two years, but I have a reason for reduxing this one tonight!  On Friday night, Sir Elton John played at a concert in the White House hosted by President and First Lady Biden.  The concert, titled “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” was part of his farewell tour after a glittering 50-year career. It was also an event to honor “everyday history-makers in the audience,” according to the White House, among them teachers, military families and LGBTQ+ advocates.

Elton dedicated Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me to Ryan White and his mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, who attended the concert. Her son lost his life to AIDS-related complications after a blood transfusion and died in 1990, just a month before his high school graduation.

But the real surprise of the evening came at the end of the concert when President Biden awarded Elton John the National Humanities Medal for his work and activism with numerous charities and humanitarian causes, especially those tackling HIV/AIDS.  Said Elton, fighting back tears …

“I’m never flabbergasted, but I’m flabbergasted and humbled and honored by this incredible award from the United States of America. I will treasure this so much.”

And after seeing that … how could I not play some Elton?

This was one of the first songs Elton John wrote with Bernie Taupin. They met after a record company gave Elton some of Taupin’s lyrics to work with. Eventually, they both moved into John’s parents’ house, where they started working together.

The song was written in 1967, when Bernie Taupin was 17 and Elton was 20. Both Elton John and Bernie Taupin agree that this is one of their best efforts. Said Taupin:

“I think ‘Your Song’ is a gem. Our classic, I’m not sure. I’ll let others decide that. But it’s like an old friend, it means so many things on equally as many levels. It’s certainly proved its worth, and I’ve heard it sung a million times. It’s like a good dog, it’s always there.”

Elton performs this at all his concerts. He once said of this song: “I don’t think I’ve written a love song as good since.” He has called it “A perfect song,” and says that the older he gets, the more the lyrics resonate with him.

In 1998, Your Song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the song was placed at number 137 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, as well as in its 2010 list. The song is listed among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. A demo version was included in John’s 1990 box set album To Be Continued.

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Ellie Goulding, whose version reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in late 2010, and Lady Gaga. The song was also covered by Ewan McGregor in the 2001 musical film Moulin Rouge! and by Taron Egerton in the 2019 film Rocketman. The song was eventually certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.

Your Song hit #8 in the U.S., #3 in Canada, and #7 in the UK.

Your Song
Elton John

It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside
I’m not one of those who can easily hide
I don’t have much money, but, boy, if I did
I’d buy a big house where we both could live
If I was a sculptor, heh, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show
I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I can do
My gift is my song, and this one’s for you

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

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well, a few of the verses, well, they’ve got me quite cross
But the sun’s been quite kind while I wrote this song
It’s for people like you that keep it turned on
So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do
You see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue
Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen

So excuse me forgetting
But these things I do
You see I’ve forgotten
If they’re green or they’re blue
Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen

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

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