Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Encyclopedia
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is an Elton John
song from his album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
. John originally wrote and recorded it in A-flat, though after having vocal cord surgery in 1987 that resulted in the loss of his falsetto
range, John began performing the song in a lower key of F. It concludes side one in the album's narrative, which chronicles the early history of John and lyricist Bernie Taupin
and their struggles to find their place within the music industry. When released as the album's only single in 1975
, it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
and entered the top 25 on the UK Singles Chart
.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on
9/10/1975 by the R.I.A.A. In Canada
, the single narrowly missed being his ninth number one there, hitting #2 on the RPM 100
national Top Singles chart on August 30.
Taupin's lyric refers to a time in 1969, before John was a popular musician, when John was engaged to be married to his girlfriend, Linda Woodrow. John and Woodrow were sharing a flat with Taupin in Furlong Road in the East End of London
, hence the opening line "When I think of those East End lights." While having serious doubts about the looming marriage, John contemplated suicide. He took refuge in his friends, especially Long John Baldry
, who convinced John to abandon his plans to marry in order to salvage and maintain his musical career. As a sign of his respect and gratitude for Baldry, Taupin wrote him into the song as the "someone" in the title. Some radio stations banned or altered the song, due to the use of the words "damn it" in the second verse.
In the liner notes to the Deluxe Edition of Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy, writer Paul Gambaccini related a recollection from producer Gus Dudgeon. During the recording of the song's lead vocal, Dudgeon said he was pushing Elton for more in terms of his delivery of the vocal, not paying attention to the lyric. Also in the control room, Davey Johnstone, according to Gambaccini, leaned over and told Dudgeon, "You know he's singing about killing himself." Dudgeon was apparently mortified by the revelation and relented.
The song, which at 6:45 was one of Elton's longest singles, was supposed to be edited to a shorter version for radio consumption. However, John refused to let MCA Records
pare it down, saying that it was to be released as a whole, and the record company acquiesced.
John has played the song live many times, one of the best known recorded performances coming during the Central Park concert in September 1980.
recorded a version of the song for his 1976
album Feeling Good.
Kanye West
sampled the song for "Good Morning
", a song on his 2007 album Graduation
.
The song was covered by The Ralph Sall
Experience for the 2008 film Hamlet 2
.
This song is referenced frequently by Father Callahan
in Stephen King
's book, Wolves of the Calla.
This song is featured in the trailer for the 2002 film Moonlight Mile directed by Brad Silberling
, starring Susan Sarandon
, Dustin Hoffman
and Jake Gyllenhaal
. Partially based on Silberling's dealing with the aftermath of the murder of his girlfriend actress Rebecca Schaeffer
.
Sheryl Crow
's song "Always on Your Side
" features the lyric, "If butterflies are free to fly/Why do they fly away?" possibly in reference to this song's "Butterflies are free to fly/Fly away, high away/Bye, bye".
Axl Rose
covered parts of the song on his piano as an intro to "November Rain
" during the 2009/2010 Chinese Democracy World Tour.
The comedy film Hamlet 2
features the song, sung by a gay men's chorus, within the titular play.
In the Simpsons
episode "I'm With Cupid
", which features Elton John playing himself, Apu
irritates John by deliberately punning
that "Someone saved your life tonight" after his quick response prevents the singer being struck by a crashing plane.
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was also well-known among die-hard Elton John fans for its flip-side, "House of Cards," a track recorded along with the album's other songs, but left off the final edit of the album. As far as anyone knows, it could well be the album's only recorded outtake. (A Taupin lyric for "Dogs in the Kitchen" was included with the original LP and Deluxe Edition CD issue Lyric booklet, but the song itself was never finished with music and thus never recorded.) "House of Cards," meanwhile, was a long-awaited track on CD, finally surfacing on Rare Masters, though left off the remastered CD re-release of Captain Fantastic in 1995. It was, however, included on the Deluxe Edition re-release as one of the bonus tracks, finally joining the album with which it was originally recorded.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
song from his album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975. It debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart, the first album ever to do so, and stayed there for seven weeks. It was certified Gold on 5/21/1975 and was...
. John originally wrote and recorded it in A-flat, though after having vocal cord surgery in 1987 that resulted in the loss of his falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
range, John began performing the song in a lower key of F. It concludes side one in the album's narrative, which chronicles the early history of John and lyricist 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...
and their struggles to find their place within the music industry. When released as the album's only single in 1975
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
, it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and entered the top 25 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on
9/10/1975 by the R.I.A.A. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the single narrowly missed being his ninth number one there, hitting #2 on the RPM 100
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
national Top Singles chart on August 30.
Taupin's lyric refers to a time in 1969, before John was a popular musician, when John was engaged to be married to his girlfriend, Linda Woodrow. John and Woodrow were sharing a flat with Taupin in Furlong Road in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, hence the opening line "When I think of those East End lights." While having serious doubts about the looming marriage, John contemplated suicide. He took refuge in his friends, especially Long John Baldry
Long John Baldry
John William "Long John" Baldry was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No...
, who convinced John to abandon his plans to marry in order to salvage and maintain his musical career. As a sign of his respect and gratitude for Baldry, Taupin wrote him into the song as the "someone" in the title. Some radio stations banned or altered the song, due to the use of the words "damn it" in the second verse.
In the liner notes to the Deluxe Edition of Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy, writer Paul Gambaccini related a recollection from producer Gus Dudgeon. During the recording of the song's lead vocal, Dudgeon said he was pushing Elton for more in terms of his delivery of the vocal, not paying attention to the lyric. Also in the control room, Davey Johnstone, according to Gambaccini, leaned over and told Dudgeon, "You know he's singing about killing himself." Dudgeon was apparently mortified by the revelation and relented.
The song, which at 6:45 was one of Elton's longest singles, was supposed to be edited to a shorter version for radio consumption. However, John refused to let MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
pare it down, saying that it was to be released as a whole, and the record company acquiesced.
John has played the song live many times, one of the best known recorded performances coming during the Central Park concert in September 1980.
Pop culture
Walter JacksonWalter Jackson
Walter "Red" Jackson was a professional ice hockey player who played 84 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Boston Bruins and New York Americans. He was born in Instock, England, but moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba as a boy.- References :...
recorded a version of the song for his 1976
1976 in music
-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....
album Feeling Good.
Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
sampled the song for "Good Morning
Good Morning (Kanye West song)
"Good Morning" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It serves as the opener for his third studio album, 2007's Graduation. The song was produced by West and contains samples of "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" as sung by Elton John...
", a song on his 2007 album Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
.
The song was covered by The Ralph Sall
Ralph Sall
Ralph Sall is a record producer, music supervisor, composer, songwriter, and screenwriter. He is the president of Bulletproof Entertainment, a company involved in several facets of the entertainment industry, including film, television, comic books and graphic novels, music, internet and live...
Experience for the 2008 film Hamlet 2
Hamlet 2
Hamlet 2 is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Andrew Fleming, written by Fleming and Pam Brady, and starring Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler, and David Arquette. It was produced by Eric Eisner, Leonid Rozhetskin, and Aaron Ryder. Hamlet 2 was filmed primarily at a high school in...
.
This song is referenced frequently by Father Callahan
Father Callahan
Father Donald Frank Callahan is a fictional character created by Stephen King. He originally appeared in Salem's Lot and later the Dark Tower, appearing in The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah and finally The Dark Tower...
in Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's book, Wolves of the Calla.
This song is featured in the trailer for the 2002 film Moonlight Mile directed by Brad Silberling
Brad Silberling
Bradley Mitchell Silberling is an American television and film director. He is married to the actress Amy Brenneman, who he met on the set of NYPD Blue and with whom he has two children, Charlotte Tucker and Bodhi Russell...
, starring Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
, Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
and Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
. Partially based on Silberling's dealing with the aftermath of the murder of his girlfriend actress Rebecca Schaeffer
Rebecca Schaeffer
Rebecca Lucile Schaeffer was an American actress best known for her role in the sitcom My Sister Sam...
.
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
's song "Always on Your Side
Always on Your Side
"Always on Your Side" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, and is featured on her 2005 album, Wildflower. It was released as the second single from the album...
" features the lyric, "If butterflies are free to fly/Why do they fly away?" possibly in reference to this song's "Butterflies are free to fly/Fly away, high away/Bye, bye".
Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
covered parts of the song on his piano as an intro to "November Rain
November Rain
"November Rain" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, written by lead singer Axl Rose and released as a single in June 1992. It appears on the album Use Your Illusion I. The music video for this song was also released in 1992, and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography...
" during the 2009/2010 Chinese Democracy World Tour.
The comedy film Hamlet 2
Hamlet 2
Hamlet 2 is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Andrew Fleming, written by Fleming and Pam Brady, and starring Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler, and David Arquette. It was produced by Eric Eisner, Leonid Rozhetskin, and Aaron Ryder. Hamlet 2 was filmed primarily at a high school in...
features the song, sung by a gay men's chorus, within the titular play.
In the Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "I'm With Cupid
I'm with Cupid
"I'm With Cupid" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on Valentine's Day, 1999. The episode takes place on Valentine's Day, and the wives of Springfield are jealous of the attention Apu gives to his wife Manjula...
", which features Elton John playing himself, Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
irritates John by deliberately punning
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
that "Someone saved your life tonight" after his quick response prevents the singer being struck by a crashing plane.
"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was also well-known among die-hard Elton John fans for its flip-side, "House of Cards," a track recorded along with the album's other songs, but left off the final edit of the album. As far as anyone knows, it could well be the album's only recorded outtake. (A Taupin lyric for "Dogs in the Kitchen" was included with the original LP and Deluxe Edition CD issue Lyric booklet, but the song itself was never finished with music and thus never recorded.) "House of Cards," meanwhile, was a long-awaited track on CD, finally surfacing on Rare Masters, though left off the remastered CD re-release of Captain Fantastic in 1995. It was, however, included on the Deluxe Edition re-release as one of the bonus tracks, finally joining the album with which it was originally recorded.