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.
Your Song
Bernie Taupin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
And you can tell everybody that this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that its 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
"Your Song" by Bernie Taupin is a beautiful love song that expresses the singer's inner feelings towards his loved one. The song opens with the singer expressing his admiration for his love interest and shares that he cannot hold this feeling inside, and he is not one to keep his emotions hidden. He expresses a desire for financial stability and wishes to buy a big house where they can both live. Bernie Taupin gives a nod to his creative side, mentioning sculpting and making potions in a traveling show, but recognizes that his gift is in songwriting. The singer offers his song as a gift to his loved one, acknowledging that it may not be much but it is the best he can do.
The chorus encourages the loved one to share the song with everybody and confirms that this is their song. It may not be complex, but its simplicity captures the essence of his love for the loved one. He hopes that they do not mind him expressing his love and feelings through words and that they understand how wonderful life is while they are in the world. The song ends with the singer expressing his regret for forgetting the small details and acknowledging that the loved one's eyes are the sweetest he has ever seen.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside
The singer is experiencing a strange and unfamiliar sensation.
I'm not one of those who can easily hide, I
The singer is not skilled at concealing his emotions.
Don't have much money but boy if I did
The singer is expressing a desire for wealth.
I'd buy a big house where we both could live
The artist envisions a future with a significant other in a luxurious mansion.
If I was a sculptor, heh, but then again, no
The artist considers a different career path but decides against it.
Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show, I
The singer continues to reflect on other occupations he could have pursued.
Know it's not much but it's the best I can do
The singer acknowledges the limitations of his abilities, but believes he has produced his best work.
My gift is my song and this one's for you
The artist's talent is music, and he dedicates this song to a specific person.
And you can tell everybody this is your song
The artist encourages the listener to take ownership of the song.
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
The song is uncomplicated, but now it is complete and has been shared.
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
The singer seeks approval from the listener.
That I put down in words
The artist expresses his emotions through song lyrics.
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
The specific person being addressed has brought joy to the singer's life.
I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
The singer describes the setting in which he wrote the song.
Well a few of the verses, well they've got me quite cross
The singer struggled with a few parts of the song while composing it.
But the sun's been quite kind, while I wrote this song
The artist notes the sun's beneficial presence during his songwriting process.
It's for people like you that, keep it turned on
The artist is grateful for people who appreciate his music and keep it popular.
So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do
The singer apologizes for forgetting details about the person he wrote the song for.
You see I've forgotten if they're green, or they're blue
The singer cannot remember if the person's eyes are green or blue.
Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean
The artist refocuses on his main point and intention with the song.
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen
The artist expresses his admiration for the person's eyes.
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
The artist seeks approval from the listener once again.
That I put down in words
The singer expresses his emotions through song lyrics once again.
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
The specific person being addressed continues to bring joy to the artist's life.
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
The singer seeks approval from the listener a third time.
That I put down in words
The singer expresses his emotions through song lyrics once again.
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
The specific person being addressed continues to bring joy to the singer's life.
Contributed by Julia Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brucegabrieljansen301
Thank you so much....been feeling this deep down🤪but only Rod Stewart's Voice
@RonnieFriend
UR welcome! Glad U enjoy
@nabe288
I had to search up and down the state of Michigan for this C.D. as a teenager (right before the internet) I finally found the album.........just to hear Rod. What a treat that George Michael and Sting also crushed their version of EJ songs..................
@ingridgustafsson3929
Nice one, Rod ! 🎵🎵🎵
@sarapinsky315
Great job on Elton's song!
@alastairwest5200
Nice one, Rod...
@Kipper1997
🏁❤️
@marinafulviasoragni3414
Bellissima canzone di Elton John, grande compositore, ma io preferisco la voce calda, rauca e graffiante di Rod Stewart, superbo in questa interpretazione!!
@dustzza123
rod songs like an angel over elton’s lyrics
@Scotty-P
Bernie's lyrics.