It's Me That You Need
Encyclopedia
"It's Me That You Need" is a song by Elton John
with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
. It was his third single, released five months after "Lady Samantha
". As with his two previous singles, it failed to chart in the U.S. and the UK. However, the song became hit in Japan two years later, peaking at the #13 on the country's Oricon sales chart. It had been a most commercially successful song for him in that country, until double A-side single "Candle in the Wind 1997
/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight
" topped the chart in October 1997.
"Watching, watching the swallows fly
It all means the same
Just like them
You can fly home again
But don't, no don't forget yesterday
Pride is an ugly word girl
And you still know my name"
it was covered by Maurizio Vandelli who had translated the song into Italian. It was called "Era Lei" (Literally meaning "That Was Her") and the lyrical meaning had been altered a little bit. This version charted in Italy and became a big hit.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
. It was his third single, released five months after "Lady Samantha
Lady Samantha
"Lady Samantha" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was released on January 17, 1969, six months before his first album, Empty Sky came out...
". As with his two previous singles, it failed to chart in the U.S. and the UK. However, the song became hit in Japan two years later, peaking at the #13 on the country's Oricon sales chart. It had been a most commercially successful song for him in that country, until double A-side single "Candle in the Wind 1997
Candle in the Wind 1997
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten and rerecorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales....
/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight
Something About the Way You Look Tonight
"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is a song by Elton John, released in 1997 as the first single from The Big Picture. The song and its video were dedicated to the memory of Gianni Versace, murdered that year....
" topped the chart in October 1997.
Musical structure
It opens with a string section accompanied by a Hohner Pianet electric piano. When the song begins, a somewhat distorted electric guitar plays with the strings. Horns are also featured. These two features would be standard in later releases by John. It has a light pop sense and was penned by critics to be a radio hit. Unfortunately, it did not go well at the charts, in fact it went worse than his previous two. The song ends with Elton playing solo for the last fifteen seconds.Lyrical meaning
It is a plain love song. However, the words are a bit advanced and more cryptic for other love songs at the time of its release. It tells a story about a man who is convinced he is the right one for the woman he is adoring. The last verse could also indicate it's a story of an ex-girlfriend;"Watching, watching the swallows fly
It all means the same
Just like them
You can fly home again
But don't, no don't forget yesterday
Pride is an ugly word girl
And you still know my name"
Performances
It was not performed by John at any time or place with one exception. He played a solo version live as the first track on his 1971 tour of Japan. It was heavily applauded, as it was his first single to be released there. Since then it has not been played anywhere.Covers
As with many British songs at the time it was covered elsewhere in Europe. In ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
it was covered by Maurizio Vandelli who had translated the song into Italian. It was called "Era Lei" (Literally meaning "That Was Her") and the lyrical meaning had been altered a little bit. This version charted in Italy and became a big hit.
Personnel
- Elton John - electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, vocals - Caleb QuayeCaleb QuayeCaleb Quaye , is an English Afro-European rock guitarist and studio musician best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney and Hall & Oates...
- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Tony Murray - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Roger Pope - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Chart positions
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... International Singles Chart |
2 | 144,000+ |
| Japanese Oricon Singles Chart | 13 | |