While Taupin was still a boy, his father decided to try his hand at independent farming, and the family relocated again, this time to a run-down property called Maltkiln Farm in the north-Lincolnshire village of Owmby-by-Spital. Here a third brother, Kit, was born 11 years junior to Bernie. The family attended Holy Rood Catholic Church in the town of Market Rasen, where Bernie and Tony served as altar boys. Bernie attended school at Market Rasen Secondary Modern. Unlike his older brother, he was not a diligent student, although he showed an early flair for writing. At 15 he dropped out of school. He spent his teenage years hanging out with his friends, hitchhiking the country roads to attend youth club dances in the surrounding villages, playing snooker in the Aston Arms Pub in Market Rasen, and drinking ale well before his eighteenth birthday. He had worked at several part-time, dead-end jobs when, at the age of 17, he answered an advertisement that led to his collaboration with Elton John.
In 1967, he answered an advertisement for a lyric writer placed in the New Musical Express by Liberty records A&R man Ray Williams. Thus began the famous and well-loved songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The pair have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date, though John worked with other lyricists between 1977 and 1983. Taupin's lyrics include such memorable tunes as "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer", "Candle in the Wind", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and 1970's "Your Song", their first hit.
In 1971, Taupin recorded a spoken-word album entitled Taupin, in which he recites some of his early poems against a background of impromptu, sitar-heavy music created by some members of Elton's band, including Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye. Side One is entitled "Child" and contains poems about his early childhood in southern Lincolnshire. The first poem, "The Greatest Discovery," which looks at his own birth through the eyes of his older brother, was also set to music by Elton John and included on the Elton John (album). There are poems about Taupin's first two childhood homes, Flatters and Rowston Manor, and others about his relationship with his brother and grandfather. Side Two includes a variety of poems of varying obscurity, from a marionette telling her own story to a rat catcher who falls victim to his prey. While the lyrics to Side One provide interesting insights into Taupin's childhood, the album makes for a tedious listening experience, and Taupin stated in interviews that he wasn't pleased with the results.
In 1980, Taupin recorded his first album as a singer, He Who Rides the Tiger. Although he demonstrated a more-than-adequate vocal ability, the album failed to make a dent in the charts. Taupin later suggested in interviews that he didn't have the creative control he would have liked over the album.
In 1987, he recorded another album entitled Tribe. The songs were co-written with Martin Page. "Citizen Jane" and "Friend of the Flag" were released as singles. Videos of both singles featured Taupin and then-wife Toni Russo, and the "Citizen Jane" video also included Toni's sister, actress Rene Russo. Once again, neither the album nor the singles made much of a dent in the charts.
In 1996, Taupin pulled together a band called Farm Dogs, whose two albums were conscious (and successful) throwbacks to the grittier, earthier sound of Tumbleweed Connection. While Taupin wrote the lyrics, the music was a collaborative effort among the band members. Their first album, 1996's Last Stand in Open Country, received critical praise but little airplay. As mentioned above, the title track was later recorded by Willie Nelson and Kid Rock for Nelson's 2002 album The Great Divide.
In 1998, Farm Dogs released its second and final album, Immigrant Sons. Again a respectable effort, the album went nowhere despite a tour of small clubs across America.
Hold Back the Night
Bernie Taupin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk for miles and I work hard
Eyes like a flashlight
Skimming through the alleys and the back yard
E man
I make mistakes and I lose my nerve
They try to convince me
This shield I wear will protect and serve
Wide awake each evening
I read the writing on the wall
You can't bribe the stars
You can't buy the moon
You can't hold back the night
Can't hold back the night
When the night begins to fall
When the night begins to fall
Now I live alone
And I take a drink and I lose my faith
She couldn't take
Those sleepless nights praying I was safe
I walk a mean street
Uneasy in this uniform I wear
Sometimes I wonder
Who's right, who's wrong, do I even care
Wide awake each evening
I read the writing on the wall
You can't bribe the stars
You can't buy the moon
You can't hold back the night
Can't hold back the night
When the night begins to fall
When the night begins to fall
What are heroes made of
When a shadow falls across the badge
I feel the fear inside me
And holding back the night
Holding back the night
Is the only chance I have
I'm not a brave man
I make mistakes and I lose my nerve
They try to convince me
This shield I wear will protect and serve
Wide awake each evening
I read the writing on the wall
You can't bribe the stars
You can't buy the moon
You can't hold back the night
Can't hold back the night
When the night begins to fall
When the night begins to fall
The song "Hold Back the Night" by Bernie Taupin tells the story of a police officer on his night shift, walking through the alleys with a flashlight, feeling uneasy in his uniform. He makes mistakes and loses his nerve, but he is convinced by others that his badge will protect and serve him. He lives alone and often drinks to cope with the stress, but he still feels the fear inside him when a shadow falls across his badge. He knows he's not a brave man, but holding back the night is the only chance he has.
The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of the struggles police officers face on the job. The officer's isolation and unease in his uniform are particularly resonant, as are his references to the writing on the wall and the fear he feels when his authority is challenged. Taupin's lyrics also reflect the larger societal issues surrounding law enforcement, capturing not just the personal struggles of a single officer but the fears and anxieties of the communities they serve.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk a night beat
I patrol a dangerous area during the night
I walk for miles and I work hard
I cover a lot of ground and put in a lot of effort
Eyes like a flashlight
I am vigilant and observant
Skimming through the alleys and the back yard
I search for signs of trouble in hidden areas
E man
I am a law enforcement officer
I make mistakes and I lose my nerve
I am human and prone to errors and fear
They try to convince me
Others try to persuade me
This shield I wear will protect and serve
My badge represents the duty to protect and serve the community
Wide awake each evening
I am never relaxed, always alert
I read the writing on the wall
I interpret the signs of danger
You can't bribe the stars
You cannot corrupt the universe
You can't buy the moon
You cannot own the night sky
You can't hold back the night
You cannot stop the inevitable darkness from descending
Can't hold back the night
Nobody can resist the power of darkness
When the night begins to fall
When the sky turns dark
Now I live alone
I am isolated and lonely
And I take a drink and I lose my faith
I resort to alcohol to numb my pain and doubts
She couldn't take
My partner could not cope with the stress and worry
Those sleepless nights praying I was safe
She was constantly anxious about my safety
I walk a mean street
I operate in a hostile environment
Uneasy in this uniform I wear
I am uncomfortable with the authority and scrutiny that come with my job
Sometimes I wonder
I question the purpose and morality of my work
Who's right, who's wrong, do I even care
I am unsure about the justice and ethics of law enforcement
What are heroes made of
I wonder what it takes to be a hero
When a shadow falls across the badge
When my integrity and integrity of my colleagues are challenged
I feel the fear inside me
I am afraid of the consequences of my actions and inactions
And holding back the night
By doing my job to the best of my ability
Is the only chance I have
I hope to prevent or mitigate the harm and chaos caused by darkness
I'm not a brave man
I do not consider myself a hero or a martyr
Wide awake each evening
I am always on guard, never at ease
I read the writing on the wall
I sense the impending danger and violence
Contributed by Aaliyah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Wilson
I just heard ten top twenty singles.vocals are a bit like don johnson.
colleen clark
Bernie .. my pops and I are HUGE FANS OF YOU!! Can we get a pic with you ?