Music

Fans Felt 1 Elton John Song About a Pathetic Has-Been Was About Elvis Presley

An Elton John song that was rumored to be about Elvis Presley appeared on an album John loved and his writing partner did not. The record was a hit anyway.

by Matthew Trzcinski

Published on October 11, 2023

2 min read

Elton John songs were rumored to be about Elvis Presley and Marc Bolan

John’s chief writing partner has been lyricist Bernie Taupin. Together, the two wrote classic tracks such as “Candle in the Wind,” “Your Song,” and “Rocket Man.” During a 2023 interview with Vulture, Taupin discussed fan interpretations of his lyrics.

“People assume the songs are about things when they’re not,” he said. “In the book, I write about people thinking ‘I’m Going to Be a Teenage Idol’ was about [T. Rex singer] Marc Bolan, and it wasn’t. It could have been, and maybe it should have been, but I didn’t set out to do that. People think ‘Idol’ is about Elvis, but I don’t think I’d ever set out to write a song about Elvis.” “I’m Going to Be a Teenage Idol” and “Idol” are two different John tunes.

The song’s lyrics about a washed-up 1950s icon could have applied to Elvis Presley

“Idol” certainly has some lyrics that could be applied to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It features the evocative lines “‘Cause the ’50s shifted out of gear / He was an idol then, now he’s an idol here / But his face has changed, he’s not the same no more / And I have to say that I like the way his music sounded before.”

The tune appeared on the double album Blue Moves. Taupin took issue with that record. “Some of the songs are too depressing,” he opined. “It’s got some good stuff on it: ‘Cage the Songbird,’ ‘Idol.’ But I think it probably could have been a single album.” Taupin revealed he didn’t like Blue Moves nearly as much as John did, with the latter proclaiming it a personal favorite.

How Elton John’s ‘Idol’ performed in the United States and the United Kingdom

“Idol” was never a single. Its parent album, Blue Moves, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 22 weeks. It was certainly a hit, but it wasn’t impressive for an artist as iconic as John.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Idol” didn’t chart in the United Kingdom either. In contrast, Blue Moves peaked at No. 3 and remained on the chart for 15 weeks.

No matter who it’s about, “Idol” remains an emotional song about a fallen celebrity. It’s aged very well, especially given that a lot of 1970s soft-rock has not. John’s music has inspired so many covers, so it’d be great if another artist brought “Idol” back to the limelight. Ed Sheeran recorded “Candle in the Wind” for the tribute album Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin. He probably could have done a great job with the lyrical “Idol.”

Fans misinterpreted some of John and Taupin’s songs but they connected with the world nonetheless.